From Digital Adoption to Connected Care: Measuring Progress and Advancing Interoperability in Canada

Canada is making progress in digital health adoption, but health systems are not always fully connected, making it difficult for health information to move seamlessly between providers and care settings.

New pan-Canadian data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) shows significant progress: many Canadians can access their health information electronically, and health care providers see value in digital tools. But being digital does not necessarily mean being connected. Access to complete health information remains limited, and information does not always move seamlessly between providers and care settings.

This session will unpack what CIHI’s Digital health information in Canada: Measuring access and use report tells us about where Canada is making progress, where gaps remain and what they mean for connected care. It will also highlight how CIHI is working with federal, provincial and territorial partners to establish common measures and standards to track progress over time, creating a clearer national picture of how Canadians and providers are experiencing digital health.

So, what will it take to move from digital adoption to truly connected care?

The session will look beyond measurement to the work underway through CIHI’s Connected Care Initiative. Participants will learn how CIHI is working with partners to advance pan-Canadian health data standards that can help information move consistently and meaningfully across systems, including the Pan-Canadian Health Data Content Framework and Canadian Core Data for Interoperability (CACDI).

Together, these efforts demonstrate how measurement and standards can work hand in hand: measuring where Canada stands, identifying opportunities for improvement, and building the data foundations needed to support interoperability and safer, more connected and person-centered care.

Speakers