A report issued today (September 27th, http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/watchdog-issues-urgent-call-for-electronic-health-records/article1727204/ ) by the Health Council of Canada, an independent body created by federal and provincial governments to monitor the health system, predicts that “if Canada continues to delay implementation of electronic health records and doesn’t do more to support family doctors, the problems of inappropriate prescribing and excessive medical testing will dramatically worsen as the population ages.”
Well, that’s a no-brainer if I have ever heard one!
We have an aging population, chronic disease is on the rise, new drugs and technologies are constantly being introduced, patient and provider expectations are growing, AND we don’t have enough family doctors to take care of our citizens right now. Obviously something has to give.
For years we have been calling for the adoption of electronic health records to enable busy, over-worked physicians to easily and quickly access important information about patients – information that could link medications and diagnostic tests to the health outcomes of patients in order to determine what works and what is wasteful. And yet, we’re still behind in comparison to other developed countries.
According to a recent Commonwealth Fund study, Canada has only 37 percent penetration for electronic health records – even though we have the communications infrastructure and wireless coverage to accommodate 100 percent. Compare that to the UK (which does not have advanced wireless coverage) where penetration of EHRs is 96 percent and you can see we’re definitely not using our investments wisely.
The report also states that as primary physician roles become more complex, doctors across Canada aren’t being given the proper guidance or support needed to determine the best course of action for patients. As a result, family doctors end up prescribing drugs, sometimes at the request of the patients – even though they may not be required or may be the wrong therapy for the condition.
In my opinion, the time for action is now. If we want better access to family physicians, excellent medical care and improved outcomes we had better step up and give them the tools they need to do their job effectively.
Let’s get EHRs/EMRs into the doctors’ offices across Canada today – because tomorrow just might be too late.
