OAG: Canada needs more collaboration to reach 50% EHR use by 2010
To reach the goal that 50 percent of Canadians will have their EHR available to their authorized healthcare professionals by Dec 31, Canada Health Infoway, the provinces and the territories must work together to develop performance measures and reporting standards, according to the April report from the Auditor General of Canada.
They also must report consistently and sufficiently to their legislatures on the progress toward that goal, the report said.
Created in 2001, Canada Health Infoway is an independent, not-for-profit organization funded by the federal government that invests in projects with every province and territory to accelerate development and adoption of EHR systems in Canada. According to the report, every jurisdiction in Canada has at least one new health information system in place, fulfilling the first element of Infoway’s goal to accelerate the development of EHRs across the country.
However, the feasibility of the second element of Infoway’s stated goal--that 50 percent of Canadians have an EHR available to their authorized healthcare professionals by the end of 2010, and for 100 percent to have an EHR by 2016--is in doubt, according to the auditor. As of March 31, 2009, only 17 percent of Canadians lived in a province or territory where all core components of an EHR system are available, Infoway reported.
“Infoway depends on the provinces and territories to achieve the goal. Each province has established its own timeline for completing electronic health strategies, and some are nearer completion than others,” stated the report. For example, Alberta has made good progress in completing the core components of its EHR system, the report noted.
There is limited public reporting at the provincial level because provinces are hampered by the lack of comprehensive information, including costs, baselines and performance measures for the overall initiative, the report stated. Even though some initiatives are under way, such as three Atlantic provinces jointly developing performance indicators, “provincial ministries of health and the public are currently unable to assess whether the [EMR] initiative is achieving its goals and objectives, on time and within budget.”
The Canadian government has granted Infoway a total of $1.6 billion. By March 31, 2009, Infoway had spent about $615 million on the EHR initiative and has committed about $614 million--for an approximate total of $1.2 billion. Infoway funds projects with Canada’s provinces and territories on a first-come, first-served basis, paying up to 75 percent of the eligible costs of approved projects.
Two studies commissioned by Infoway have indicated that, once EHRs are in place, they will save an estimated $6 billion each year.
“Additional information on progress and on the availability and use of EHRs is needed so the legislatures and Canadians can determine whether they have received value for the investments made thus far, and whether they will do so in the future,” the report concluded.
The overall success of implementing EHRs depends on federal and provincial governments reaffirming or reestablishing priorities, objectives, budgets and timelines, the report said. “Given the significance of the investments made, the potential benefits and Canadians’ interest in healthcare, this is also an opportunity for the committees of each legislature to, individually and/or collectively, continue to monitor the audit findings and provide future oversight of EHRs.”
They also must report consistently and sufficiently to their legislatures on the progress toward that goal, the report said.
Created in 2001, Canada Health Infoway is an independent, not-for-profit organization funded by the federal government that invests in projects with every province and territory to accelerate development and adoption of EHR systems in Canada. According to the report, every jurisdiction in Canada has at least one new health information system in place, fulfilling the first element of Infoway’s goal to accelerate the development of EHRs across the country.
However, the feasibility of the second element of Infoway’s stated goal--that 50 percent of Canadians have an EHR available to their authorized healthcare professionals by the end of 2010, and for 100 percent to have an EHR by 2016--is in doubt, according to the auditor. As of March 31, 2009, only 17 percent of Canadians lived in a province or territory where all core components of an EHR system are available, Infoway reported.
“Infoway depends on the provinces and territories to achieve the goal. Each province has established its own timeline for completing electronic health strategies, and some are nearer completion than others,” stated the report. For example, Alberta has made good progress in completing the core components of its EHR system, the report noted.
There is limited public reporting at the provincial level because provinces are hampered by the lack of comprehensive information, including costs, baselines and performance measures for the overall initiative, the report stated. Even though some initiatives are under way, such as three Atlantic provinces jointly developing performance indicators, “provincial ministries of health and the public are currently unable to assess whether the [EMR] initiative is achieving its goals and objectives, on time and within budget.”
The Canadian government has granted Infoway a total of $1.6 billion. By March 31, 2009, Infoway had spent about $615 million on the EHR initiative and has committed about $614 million--for an approximate total of $1.2 billion. Infoway funds projects with Canada’s provinces and territories on a first-come, first-served basis, paying up to 75 percent of the eligible costs of approved projects.
Two studies commissioned by Infoway have indicated that, once EHRs are in place, they will save an estimated $6 billion each year.
“Additional information on progress and on the availability and use of EHRs is needed so the legislatures and Canadians can determine whether they have received value for the investments made thus far, and whether they will do so in the future,” the report concluded.
The overall success of implementing EHRs depends on federal and provincial governments reaffirming or reestablishing priorities, objectives, budgets and timelines, the report said. “Given the significance of the investments made, the potential benefits and Canadians’ interest in healthcare, this is also an opportunity for the committees of each legislature to, individually and/or collectively, continue to monitor the audit findings and provide future oversight of EHRs.”