CMAJ points out that while the Canada Health Act guarantees the portability of care across the country, the piecemeal nature of health record storage presents barriers to the sharing of data and results in duplication of diagnostic tests. Even with the introduction of EHRs, the journal notes there is no cross-jurisdictional coordination and very little cohesion inside provinces as competing systems lack interoperability. CMAJ recommends building a national EHR program from the ground up, starting with primary care records. Although acknowledging the billions already spent by provinces on their own systems, the journal suggests one pan-Canadian record would enhance care and save money long-term, plus create an impetus to add on other EHRs for specialized care.
Related:
The challenge of implementing a patient-centric EMR - CMAJ
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