I had previously written on the subject of electronic health records here, as well as about their governance here. The latter post was about the state of EHR governance in Ontario, especially when one considers legislative developments in Alberta and BC. It seems that the current Liberal government has decided to address the issue with the […]

When you consider the vast pool of personal health information that exists in electronic health record databases as well as the growing number of registries (both public and private) a large number of unanswered questions exist as to just what people, as patients and stakeholders, should accept as the “rules” surrounding such data.

“If you build it, he will come” Shoeless Joe Jackson – Field of Dreams (1989) In the healthcare IT space, this famous movie line could easily be changed to “If you build a database, they will find secondary uses for it.”

Imagine building a house without wiring it for electricity. Despite good intentions, millions of dollars, years of effort and, probably matching the historical norm of any visionary undertaking, a scandal or two, Ontario does not yet have an electronic health record (“EHR”). Despite some success with building networks and applications to support an EHR, the […]

Michael Martineau and I are having a difference of opinion over Canada Health Infoway’s proposed PR campaign. Michael, who I know and respect very much, recently posted on his blog, eHealth Musings, about his attendance at the 10th annual eHealth Summit and a presentation by Kirk Ferguson of Canada Health Infoway (“Infoway” or “CHI”). While this […]

If a government builds an EHR, can it require your data be put into it? Governments in many jurisdictions have embarked on a concerted effort to build and use electronic health records (EHRs) and to encourage health professionals to use electronic medical records (EMRs). Everyone seems to have assumed that creating an EHR would be […]