The Virtual Care Context
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a re-examination of Canada’s health system and the ways in which it delivers care. Specifically, the virtualization of care has heightened the need for safe and efficient electronic communication, collaboration and sharing of information across the circle of care. Continuing to improve Canada’s health system will necessitate work in interoperability: the ability for information to flow seamlessly between different health systems and solutions.
The National Interoperability Effort
Increasing use of digital health tools has created renewed impetus to address key interoperability challenges to enable better coordination and continuity of care. In support of the provinces and territories, Infoway is facilitating a national collaborative effort to advance interoperability.
...
Infoway is ramping up efforts to facilitate and accelerate collaboration among stakeholders to develop implementable specifications to address these two interoperability challenges.
Benefits and Impacts
Public and private sector implementers agree on the benefit of a standard set of flexible specifications endorsed by all jurisdictions, in contrast to the current fragmented approach, which is costly and inefficient. The collaborative development of implementable interoperability standards, supported by Infoway, will add value across the health ecosystem:
...