Ontario’s strategy for digital health program underway

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By Femi SHODUNKE

CANADA: ONTARIO will soon develop strategy for its digital health program, the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, Dr. Eric Hoskins, has said.

Hoskins said in a news release made available to GatewayMail that the strategy would ensure the patients are put first in its consideration.

“Over the course of nearly two years, my ministry has consulted with approximately 1,000 clinicians, patients, stakeholders, private sector partners and members of the public in order to develop a strategy for digital health in Ontario that supports our vision of putting patients first,” the Minister said.

Hoskins explained that last October 7, he ordered Mr. Clark to undertake the valuation of the province’s digital health assets.

“Additionally, his analysis confirms that the infrastructure we have built through eHealth Ontario and other health system partners provides significant and ongoing value to Ontarians and should continue to serve as a backbone for sharing patient health information,” he stressed.

The Minister, however, maintained: “As Mr. Clark advises, in an increasingly connected and mobile world, we must accelerate the work done to make progress on digital health, but we must also make sure this is done in concert with a strategy that puts patients at the centre.

“I want to be clear: there will be no sale of people’s personal health information. There cannot be and will not be utilization of it for purposes other than the medical benefit of patients and the health care system, and there will be no sale of the province’s digital health assets.”

“With the support of our health care providers, patients and families, and working with the digital industry,” the Minister said, “we will ensure that Ontario is at the forefront of offering integrated, secure, patient-centred and digitally enabled health care to Ontarians. I look forward to sharing our digital health strategy in the near future.”