Introducing CA:FeX v2.0.0 DFT - Advancing Interoperability in Canada!
Canada is transitioning towards a person-centric model of care in response to increasing calls by patients and their care teams to have ready access to the right health data, at the right time, in the most effective care-setting for quality health care. An aging population with increasingly complex healthcare needs, emerging public health risks and the continued growth of electronic clinical documentation are all driving the need to be able to exchange detailed health data between digital health solutions, ensuring these solutions “speak the same language”.
A Canadian health data modernization strategy will require industry wide support for new health information exchange protocols with vendor solutions employing modern, predictable, API based integrations. Jurisdictions and industry at large are already designing the next generation of API Gateways integrated with digital identity support and Health Level 7 (HL7) Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR®)-based protocols. Achieving meaningful advances in interoperability in Canada will require the support and active participation of all levels of government, health authorities, software vendors, academia and other health system stakeholders.
The current moment presents the opportunity to rally around an industry wide, standardized, and modern approach to health information exchange. A white paper has been developed to discuss how the Canadian FHIR Exchange (CA:FeX) protocol has the potential to fill this gap and provide the needed guidance to align the market, enable rapid advancement in the state of Canadian health information exchange and support execution of the pan-Canadian Health data strategy.