Digital health in Canada: Moving towards greater health data sharing | Insights
When health data doesn’t flow seamlessly across different channels, patients might experience unnecessary delays, longer hospital stays and even medication errors, resulting in serious illness or even death.
Last year, the federal government introduced Bill C-72—also known as the Connected Care for Canadians Act—which aims to modernize Canada’s healthcare system and improve patient care. The goal is to make it easier to share health data online and get it into the right clinician’s hands quickly and efficiently.
(You can read more about Bill C-72 in our previous blog post. However, since Parliament was prorogued on January 6, 2025, the fate of Bill C-72 is unclear because it will need to be reintroduced or reinstated at a new session.)
In the background, a Digital Health Interoperability Task Force was struck and released their first report in late November. It addresses barriers to adopting digital health solutions in Canada and offers some insight into how we can move towards greater health data sharing.
The Task Force outlined the following five key recommendations to advancing interoperability so that health data flows more seamlessly:
- Federal Guidance: Federal, provincial, and territorial governments need to come together to create a five-year plan on greater interoperability.
- Commitment: Federal policy needs to be developed, and Bill C-72 needs to be adopted, which standardizes data and technology sharing so it can occur more easily.
- Removal of Barriers: Provinces need to address the challenges that clinicians face by co-designing solutions with healthcare professionals at the table.
- Clinician Support: Best practices need to be developed including drafting guidelines and strategies to support more clinicians in adopting digital health tools.
- Innovation: Investments in research and innovation need to be increased to enhance these digital health tools.
The Task Force’s recommendations target three main goals:
- Improving patient care and safety by enabling seamless sharing of health information.
- Reducing administrative burdens for clinicians by connecting them to essential resources.
- Driving innovation to encourage widespread adoption of interoperable digital health tools.
The Task Force believes stressful working conditions can be addressed by fixing gaps in technology, standards, and legislation.
While some cultural resistance to digital health data sharing still exists, the Task Force believes education needs to happen so clinicians understand it will make their lives easier in the long run. Moving towards greater interoperability should lead to better care coordination, more informed decision-making, and enhanced patient outcomes.
MLT Aikins has a dedicated Technology, Intellectual Property and Privacy team with a depth of experience in healthcare that will continue watching this important matter with great interest.
Note: This article is of a general nature only and is not exhaustive of all possible legal rights or remedies. In addition, laws may change over time and should be interpreted only in the context of particular circumstances such that these materials are not intended to be relied upon or taken as legal advice or opinion. Readers should consult a legal professional for specific advice in any particular situation.
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