The federal government is reviving proposed legislation that would allow digital health information to be shared safely across electronic systems, giving both patients and providers access to more comprehensive medical records.
The Connected Care for Canadians Act was introduced in June 2024 and passed first reading, but the bill died when Parliament was later prorogued.
The bill was tabled in the Senate on Wednesday afternoon and will have to go through the parliamentary process to become law.
Health Canada says the country’s health data system is “fragmented and siloed,” and that incomplete health records can compromise patient care and safety.
The department says health data is locked in different systems in hospitals and doctors’ offices that are often incompatible with one another.
If passed, the legislation would establish standards that companies developing electronic medical records must follow, allowing data to be shareable between health-care providers and across provinces and territories.
“We need to break down those silos,” Health Minister Marjorie Michel said while announcing the bill at a news conference in Ottawa.
The legislation would also prohibit health information companies from imposing unnecessary restrictions on information access or sharing, while still ensuring patient privacy regulations are followed.
“Better connected care will contribute to safer, more integrated and higher quality care, less burden and burnout for providers, and patient empowerment in managing their own health,” a Health Canada official said in a background briefing on Wednesday morning.
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The department said 95 per cent of physicians use electronic systems, but still commonly use fax and paper referrals because the digital systems between providers don’t connect.
It said some provinces and territories are already working on a voluntary work plan to develop systems that are compatible with one another and that enable patients to access their own records.
Comprehensive digital health information will also “improve equitable access to co-ordinated care, particularly in rural/remote regions and Indigenous and underserved communities that rely on virtual care and medical travel,” Health Canada said in the briefing.
In addition to providing better care and health information access for patients, Health Canada said harmonized systems will allow de-identified data to be used for research, improving the health-care system, informing public health responses and powering AI advancements.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association.
