Government & Policy

Infoway to invest $1.8 million in Quebec projects

MONTREAL – Canada Health Infoway is investing $1.8 million in four new Quebec initiatives that will help to improve Quebec’s healthcare system.

Infoway’s funding supports the computerization of Quebec’s health and social services network, recently restructured to better meet the needs of patients. The most significant investment will allow the development of a secure system to share health data.

Another project is a drug information system which allows healthcare providers to view a complete profile of a patient’s medication history, helping to avoid harmful drug interactions.

The third project is a client registry, which securely stores a patient’s information (i.e., name, date of birth, Medicare card number).

A fourth project is a provider registry, which contains healthcare provider information (i.e., name, address, practice licences).

All four projects are currently in the planning stage. During this phase, Canada Health Infoway will invest in the design of a preliminary architecture, a framework to establish how different components of the system will work together. This phase will also establish potential benefits and cost estimates.

“Health information is the lifeblood of the healthcare system and today’s news is a major step in making sure that complete information can be accessed rapidly by authorized healthcare providers for the benefit of Quebec patients,” said Richard Alvarez, president and CEO of Infoway.

With the addition of these four new projects in Quebec, Canada Health Infoway will have approximately 100 projects in every Canadian province and territory.

Quebec became a member of Canada Health Infoway in January 2004.

Canada Health Infoway’s mission is to accelerate the development of compatible electronic health information systems across Canada. These systems provide healthcare professionals with rapid access to complete and accurate patient information, enabling better decisions about treatment and diagnosis.

The result is a sustainable, more cost-efficient healthcare system offering improved patient safety and better quality of care.

Infoway is an independent, not-for-profit corporation whose members are the federal, provincial, and territorial deputy ministers of health. Infoway will have $260 million approved for approximately 100 projects in every Canadian province and territory by the end of March 2005.