Question Period Note: Health Data and Digital Tools

Digital systems across the country are highly fragmented leading to poor ability to collect, share and use health data. At present, only one third of Canadians can access some of their health data online. Clinicians cannot easily access or share health information because systems do not always connect. Data gaps can affect the quality and safety of care, add unnecessary or duplicative tests, and result in longer wait times and hospital stays.

Canadians should be able to securely access their own health information and benefit from it being shared between health workers and across health settings – allowing for better care while respecting their privacy.
There are numerous barriers to achieving a modernized health data system that can only be addressed through federal, provincial and territorial governments working together.
That is why new health care funding is supporting FPT collaboration to advance new health data commitments, including modernizing the health system with standardized health data and digital tools.
IF PRESSED ON DATA PRIVACY AND SECURITY …
As work to improve health data management advances, the Government is committed to collaborating and coordinating with partners to ensure that Canadians’ health data is protected.
The Government of Canada will not create a single health data system or a national health care digital ID.
Health data is already being shared with organizations such as CIHI. This is done in accordance with jurisdictional privacy or health information legislation and under data sharing agreements with each province and territory.
IF PRESSED ON HOW HEALTH DATA WILL HELP THE CURRENT HEALTH CARE SYSTEM CRISIS …
One of the most impactful tools at our disposal to ensure improvements to the health system is data—to provide stronger evidence, inform better decisions and ultimately see concrete outcomes for Canadians.
When data flows through digitally connected health systems, health providers can work better as a team to deliver higher quality and more efficient care.
Likewise, when data flows back through the system to support research and decision-making, it can drive improvements in health care services and inform public health responses.
IF PRESSED ON THE PAN-CANADIAN INTEROPERABILITY ROADMAP …
In May 2023, a Pan-Canadian Interoperability Roadmap endorsed by federal, provincial, and territorial governments (except Quebec) was made public.
The Roadmap will play a critical role in advancing key health data commitments as part of the Working Together plan.
It provides guidance to provinces, territories, health system managers and industry on common standards to be used to support the secure transfer of health information from different systems and to patients themselves.
Under the leadership of Canada Health Infoway, FPT governments are now implementing the Roadmap, collaborating on common standards needed to improve patient access to their electronic health information and remove barriers to data sharing among health care professionals through a secure, digitally-connected system.
IF PRESSED ON PAN-CANADIAN HEALTH DATA CHARTER …
In October 2023, the Pan-Canadian Health Data Charter was endorsed by Ministers and made public. It reaffirms a common set of principles intended to guide collective action towards a shared vision for health data in Canada.
The Charter highlights Canada’s commitment to respecting Indigenous data sovereignty and Indigenous-led health data governance, as well as overarching principles related to person-centric health information, equity, public engagement and trust.
As work continues to advance the Working Together plan, the Government is committed to upholding the Pan-Canadian Health Data Charter to guide collective action.

Building off lessons learned from the pandemic and recognizing the critical importance of timely access to health data, FPT governments are collaborating to modernize how health data is managed in Canada.
As part of the Working Together to Improve Health Care for Canadians plan, the Government of Canada announced renewed health funding to provinces and territories of nearly $200 billion over 10 years, including $46.2 billion in new funding for provinces and territories. Through Budget 2023, the Government of Canada provided $25 billion over 10 years to advance four shared priorities, including modernizing the health system through standardized health data and digital tools, through tailored bilateral agreements that will support the needs of people in each province and territory. To access their share of this funding, provinces and territories are committing to improving how health information is collected, shared, used and reported to Canadians to promote greater transparency on results and to help manage public health emergencies. These commitments include:
o Collecting and sharing high-quality and comparable depersonalized information to measure progress being made through common indicators to improve health care for Canadians;
o Adopting common interoperability standards guided by the Pan-Canadian Interoperability Roadmap to better connect health care systems and allow Canadians and their health care providers to securely access and share electronic health information to improve care;
o Promoting alignment between provincial and territorial health data policies and legislative frameworks for consistent approaches to health information management and stewardship that maintains appropriate privacy protections;
o Advancing common principles for the management of health data through endorsement of a Pan-Canadian Health Data Charter that reaffirms a commitment to a person-centered, ethical approach to health data, public engagement, equity and Indigenous data sovereignty; and
o Collecting and sharing public health data to support Canada's preparedness and response to public health events.
Through the Working Together Plan, the Government of Canada also committed $505 million over five years to CIHI, Infoway, and federal data partners to work with provinces and territories to develop new pan-Canadian health data indicators, support the creation of the Centre of Excellence (CoE) for the Future of Health Workforce, advance digital health tools and the Pan-Canadian Interoperability Roadmap, and to underpin efforts to use data to improve safety and quality of care.
Federal, provincial and territorial governments have been collaborating on interoperability as a key health care priority since the onset of the pandemic, with governments (except Quebec) endorsing a pan-Canadian Interoperability Roadmap in March 2023. The Roadmap, published by Canada Health Infoway, outlines the path forward for safe and secure access to health information that can flow easily between different parts of the health care system, allowing patients and providers to work together more effectively.
In driving progress towards implementing the standards from Infoway’s Interoperability Roadmap and realizing a vision of a modernized, connected health data system, the federal government is also exploring the best mechanisms to drive the adoption of common standards, including potential legislation and regulations to require that health IT vendors use common interoperability standards and restrict instances when health data is blocked from being accessed, exchanged, and used.
On October 12th, 2023, Health Ministers approved the Pan-Canadian Health Data Charter, which reaffirms a common set of principles to guide federal, provincial and territorial action and advance health data commitments under the Working Together plan. The Charter is based on advice from the Expert Advisory Group on Health Data, and highlights commitments related to person-centered focus, public engagement and trust, equity and Indigenous data sovereignty. The Charter will guide work on key priorities, outlined in the Joint FPT Action Plan that was also endorsed by Health Ministers. The Joint FPT Action Plan outlines specific action areas to continue collective progress on advancing heath data commitments under the Working Together plan.

Persistent and important gaps in data collection, sharing, and use negatively impact personal, health professional, and system-wide health decision making. These gaps impair public health responses, reduce health outcomes for Canadians, and contribute to health inequities.
To access their share of the federal funding announced on February 7th as part of the Working Together to Improve Health Care for Canadians plan, provincial and territorial governments are committing to improving how health information is collected, shared, used and reported to Canadians to promote greater transparency on results, and to help manage public health emergencies.
In October 2023, Health Ministers endorsed a Joint FPT Action Plan and Pan-Canadian Health Data Charter to guide collective action towards a shared vision for health data in Canada.
The Charter reaffirms FPT government commitment to guiding principles, including person-centered approaches to health data, security and privacy of health information and Indigenous data sovereignty. These guiding principles will support the advancement of the Joint FPT Action Plan, which outlines priorities to continue collective progress on health data commitments.
The Working Together plan includes an agreement to develop and use comparable indicators, working with CIHI and its data partners. In addition to the eight common headline indicators for which data has already been made public in August through a snapshot report published by CIHI, a broader suite of indicators, including for Indigenous Health, are being developed in collaboration with provinces and territories, experts, CIHI and Indigenous Peoples.
Building on the work by federal, provincial and territorial officials over the past several years on health data and digital strategies, provinces and territories are also working to adopt common standards and policies related to data so that Canadians can better access their health information and benefit from it being shared between health workers, across health settings and across jurisdictions. The Pan-Canadian Interoperability Roadmap, endorsed in March by all FPT governments except Quebec and currently being implemented, is an example of such FPT collaboration.
The federal government is considering the use of legislation to require health sector information technology companies to adopt common interoperability standards, and not block the access, exchange and use of electronic health data. The proposed legislation would support current collaboration with provinces and territories, industry, and other stakeholders implementing a Pan-Canadian Interoperability Roadmap.