Canadians will soon be able to securely access their own health data, thanks to new federal legislation.
This week Health Minister Mark Holland introduced the Connected Care for Canadians Act, which aims to standardize the way health information is collected and stored. The act outlines plans to create a modern connected care system, where patients can securely access their own information, and health providers can share it when needed.
Delayed access to health information can result in unnecessary or duplicated tests, longer wait times and hospital stays, and medication errors.
A news release from Health Canada says every Canadian – and their health care providers – should be able to access their health information simply, securely, and digitally. Yet today, less than 40% of Canadians report accessing some of their health information electronically and only 35% of physicians share patient information outside their practice.
Legislation would require all IT companies in Canada providing digital health services to adopt common standards for protected and secure information exchange.
