EHR use valued at $1.3B over six years in Canada
The increase in EHR adoption in community-based practices in Canada has led to efficiency and patient care benefits valued at $1.3 billion from 2006 to 2012.
A PwC study, commissioned by Canada Health Infoway, drew on more than 250 research publications from around the world and includes up-to-date Canadian results from recent studies and surveys:
- $800 million in administrative efficiencies as staff time redeployed in community-based practices;
- $584 million in health system level benefits, such as reduced duplicate tests and adverse drug events;
- Improved interactions and communications among care team members and between providers and patients; and
- Better quality of care and health outcomes through preventative care and chronic disease management with advanced EHR use.
These results are tied to national progress in EHR adoption over the same period, which saw EHR adoption by primary care physicians more than double in Canada from 23 percent in 2006 to 56 percent in 2012.
"Users of electronic medical records, their patients and the health system are already seeing efficiency, safety and teamwork benefits thanks to investments by governments and healthcare providers that have increased the number of clinicians using these tools," said Richard Alvarez, president and CEO, Canada Health Infoway. "We expect significant additional gains as adoption grows, use matures and connections to other care settings expand."
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.