Advancing connected care in Canada

The Pan-Canadian Health Data Content Framework will improve information flow for connected care. Importantly, it will provide a future foundation for pan-Canadian and other interoperability standards to leverage, ensuring seamless and secure data exchange between health care systems. This work will benefit many:

• Patients will have improved access to and control over their own health information, which will empower them to make informed decisions about their care, will minimize errors and will enhance transitions in care.  
• Health care providers will benefit from access to timely and comprehensive patient health information, which will reduce administrative burden; improve efficiency, accuracy and care coordination; and enhance confidence in clinical decision-making.
• Health system decision-makers will be able to harness consistent and standardized data to support evidence-based health system management and planning, which will reduce duplication, optimize care delivery and workflows, and provide greater value for money.
• Technology vendors and other industry partners will have access to pan-Canadian standards, which will reduce the need to navigate variable requirements across the country, will accelerate time to market, will reduce expenses and will free up resources for innovation.

As part of the work and commitments outlined in the Working Together to Improve Health Care for Canadians Plan, Canada is implementing the Shared Pan-Canadian Interoperability Roadmap, developed by Canada Health Infoway in partnership with federal, provincial and territorial partners. This Roadmap serves as a blueprint for enhanced connectivity within Canada’s health care ecosystem, focusing on the seamless exchange of health information across provinces and territories, between health care systems and providers, and most importantly, with patients. As a central building block within the Roadmap, clear and consistent data standards are fundamental to achieving this vision and are helping to ensure that health information is accessible, accurate and secure across the health care continuum.

On June 6, 2024, the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, introduced Bill C-72, the Connected Care for Canadians Act. The introduction of this former bill builds on the collective health data priorities that we have been advancing in Canada and aims to accelerate the implementation of the Shared Pan-Canadian Interoperability Roadmap, including the adoption of standards and prevention of data blocking through clear, enforceable pan-Canadian requirements.