Canada aims to provide EHRs for all citizens by 2016

Canada’s EHR projects increased by 12% during 2007 and have quadrupled since 2004, according to an August 11 press release from Canada Health Infoway (Infoway).

 

“Canadians want their medical information available electronically to the clinicians who care for them,” Richard Alvarez, president and CEO of Infoway said in the announcement. “And that's starting to happen in communities across Canada. Collaboration among governments is at an all-time high and with continued federal funding, we are well on our way to providing every Canadian with an electronic health record by 2016.”

 

Infoway, an independent, nonprofit organization funded by the federal government, invests jointly with every province and territory to accelerate the development and adoption of EHR projects in Canada, the group said in its press release. The organization approved $311.5 million in new EHR investments during 2007 and 2008, bringing the cumulative value of its investments to $1.457 billion. The 254 projects under way represent a fourfold increase from the 53 that were underway in 2004.

 

Click here to read the Canada Health Infoway press release.