News @ a glance

Abstract

Electronic health records: Clinician involvement is critical to moving the e-health agenda forward, says the new head of Canada Health Infoway, an organization dedicated to advancing the electronic health record in Canada. Earlier this year, Richard Alvarez became president and CEO of Canada Health Infoway, which distributes $1.2 billion in federal funds to projects advancing the electronic health records (EHR). Some physicians have criticized Infoway for the time and bureaucracy involved in approving and funding e-health projects. Alvarez says he is committed to reviewing the process. The EHR will change the way doctors practise, so without physician involvement, building an EHR in Canada will mean "absolutely nothing," he adds. To date, Infoway has allocated $125 million to 55 health information projects, with another $80 million in funding approved but not yet assigned. An additional $278 million will be invested over the next year. But Infoway's current budget of $1 billion to develop the EHR, and an estimated $4.6 billion in additional required government funding are probably not enough to complete the task, Alvarez says. - Pat Rich, CMA