The Ontario Health Quality Council’s annual report (http://www.ohqc.ca/en/yearlyreport.php) cites “lack of system-wide information technology tools, such as electronic medical records, as one of the biggest roadblocks to a more efficient system with high-quality care“. There report further states that:
“Without integrated information technology, data moves haphazardly and professionals may lack crucial information. At worst, that puts patients at increased risk of oversights and mistakes. Certainly, care can be disorganized, efficiency suffers and patients feel their time is wasted.”
These conclusions highlight the need for an organization like eHealth Ontario to provide much needed leadership in driving an Ontario eHealth strategy. As the Ontario Health Quality Council’s report points out, eHealth is not a luxury item whose implementation we can delay in the current economic climate. eHealth is not an expense to be deferred. It is an investment in our future healthcare system.
Mike
1 response so far ↓
markd73 // 7 July 2009 at 21:10 |
Agreed on the eHealth Ontario comment, but in the next 6-9 months they are going to be too busy responding to FOI requests. My apologies if that sounded harsh, but even I am starting to see the effects of this scandal in my daily professional life. The govt types are getting nervous and slowing down the push for eHealth, and this is being translated down the food chain. Is this really a bad thing? Maybe we should slow the process down and add some more checks and balances.
Mark