If you have been watching the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, then you have probably seen the General Electric (GE) commercial about Electronic Medical Records (EMR). For those who haven’t (or for those who want to view it again), click here.
In 47 seconds, the GE ad conveys most of the key messages about why EMRs and a comprehensive e-health program are prerequisites for a modern, affordable and integrated health care system. As depicted in the ad, EMRs have the potential to increase patient safety, eliminate medical error and duplication, and enhance physician collaboration.
This ad could not have come at a better time. Recently, the Canadian Medical Association Journal published an article entitled “Canada’s Electronic Health Records Initiative Stalled by Federal Funding Freeze”. To read the article, click here.
In the article, the President of Canada Health Infoway, Richard Alvarez states that the federal government’s failure to release the promised funding has slowed the next phase of the national effort to implement electronic health records. Alvarez notes that while an EMR system is costly to implement and operate, EMRs will quickly pay for itself in terms of cost savings to the health care system. (In the interest of full disclosure, I sit on the Board of Directors of Canada Health Infoway).
Given the issues uncovered over the past year with e-health programs across Canada, we understand why the Government of Canada would want to review its own e-health investments in order to ensure that taxpayers are receiving maximum value for money. However, it should be remembered that Canada’s Auditor General, Sheila Fraser, reviewed Canada Health Infoway and, on the whole, found it to be well-run and accountable. Given this finding, and the importance of e-health to our health care system, I believe that it would truly be a loss if the Government of Canada did not flow the funds that have already been allocated to Canada Health Infoway (to access the Government of Canada’s 2009 Federal Budget, click here).
As noted in various other EMR articles and studies (two of which can be found here and here) and now commercials in the mass media, e-health will be a key component of the modern, fully-integrated health care system we are working to build. Let’s get on with implementing it.
Tom