Full implementation of electronic health records would help assess how system is doing
Auditor General Sheila Fraser said at an annual meeting of the Canadian Medical Association that Canadians have no way of judging whether the health-care system is providing good value for their tax dollars due to a dearth of information about its performance. Fraser said Ottawa and the provincial and territorial governments need better reporting of health-related data if the system is to meet the future needs of Canadians. One way to assess how well the system is doing would be to ensure the full implementation of electronic health records by doctors and hospitals. “This information will help government, at all levels, improve health-care planning as well as increase accountability for the use of health-care dollars,” she told about 250 delegates attending the CMA meeting in Niagara Falls, Ont. “There’s certainly improvement that is needed in reporting to Canadians on how effective their health-care systems are.”