Official Hansard
Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Québec Centre. I am pleased to speak today to Bill S-5, the connected care for Canadians act, and its role in supporting a more connected health system. Bill S-5 may seem rather technical, and indeed it is. However, I cannot emphasize enough how important this bill is for patients, physicians and indeed all cadres of health care professionals, for caregivers and for the people responsible for the planning and administering of our health care systems. What is the bill about? Well, Bill S-5 would advance connected care by mandating the adoption of common data standards for health information technologies used across Canada. It would also prohibit data blocking, the practice of restricting access to health information for authorized users such as providers and patients, when privacy laws would otherwise permit it. In other words, Bill S-5 will allow for the secure sharing of health information between patients and their health care professionals at the time and place that it is needed. Data that is reliable, accurate and accessible saves lives, and the standards established by this bill would help make that possible. Research shows that patients who have access to their health information are better able to participate in treatment decisions, identify potential errors and manage chronic conditions more effectively. Improved access to health information would also support the more than four million Canadians who serve as informal caregivers in Canada. Today these individuals often devote countless hours to tracking down test results, coordinating records and repeating medical histories on behalf of their loved ones, often while balancing their own work, family and responsibilities. When patients and their caregivers do not have access to their complete medical records, they finds ways to compensate. They rely on memory, keep physical records, take screen shots and repeat their medical history to every health care provider that they see. Canadians do this because the system does not do it for them. These are creative and ingenious solutions, but they are also time-consuming and stressful and they can lead to misdiagnosis, delays in care or worse. Thirteen per cent of Canadians say their care was negatively affected due to poor information sharing between providers. The consequences can be profound, even tragic. Indeed, according to a recent physician survey conducted by the Canadian Medical Association, 92% of physicians reported that disconnected health systems, such as the inability to share patient records, test results and clinical notes, affected their ability to provide care. Two-thirds of those physicians say this happens often, highlighting the extent to which the lack of interoperability shapes day-to-day clinical practice. When providers do not have access to a patient’s complete health history, they are forced to make decisions without the full clinical picture. This increases the risk of delayed care, misdiagnosis, adverse drug interactions and unsafe treatments. Bill S-5 would enable a seamless and secure exchange of patient health information to support better collaboration among health care providers. For example, a family physician could securely share a patient summary with a specialist, helping support more timely assessments and better continuity of care. The bill would also strengthen team-based primary care, where timely information sharing is foundational to the way care is delivered. Similarly, for Canadians living with complex or chronic conditions and seeing multiple providers across multiple points of care, connected systems are a necessity. This is indeed true for Yukoners, who in many cases are in touch with providers across different jurisdictions. Harms resulting from disconnected care are especially high for people travelling in Canada, whether from northern, rural and remote communities, across provincial and territorial borders for treatment, or simply for work or vacation. For example, an elderly individual became ill while visiting family in another province. Although antiviral treatment was recommended, it could not be provided, because the lab result required to confirm eligibility for treatment was trapped in the patient’s provincial digital health system. One service provider explained that, at a hospital in a border region, patients admitted from a neighbouring province are often seriously ill. However, because the provincial health systems are not connected, patients typically arrive with photocopied and incomplete medical records. When systems cannot communicate, the result can be duplicated tests, delays in care, unnecessary costs, and frustration for patients and families. Bill S-5 would help bridge these gaps by mandating the standards that enable information sharing across the health care system. Importantly, disconnected data puts health care providers in the position of having to make clinical decisions with incomplete information. Bill S-5 would help to address this by enabling health care providers to access their patients’ complete health care information in order to provide safe, high-quality care. The purpose of the bill is to improve patient safety. However, patients are not the only ones who stand to benefit. Bill S‑5 also offers significant benefits to our valued health care professionals. Interoperable health systems can help reduce administrative burden associated with charting, forms, sick notes and tracking down test results. Today, valuable time is spent manually entering data and copying information from one system to another, instead of spending time with patients. Artificial intelligence is already supporting providers by reducing repetitive administrative tasks and improving access to information, and its use will only expand. However, these tools depend on reliable and connected data systems. Bill S-5 would help establish the secure data foundation needed to support that progress. For example, studies have found that physicians spend an average of 86 minutes a day searching for patient data due to a lack of interoperability. Now, 20 million physician hours are wasted annually on unnecessary administrative tasks. This unsustainable level of administrative work can lead to burnout, fatigue and low job satisfaction. Results from the CMA’s 2025 national physician health survey showed that 46% of physicians and residents report high-level burnout. Providers also mentioned the personal distress associated with the fear of making clinical decisions based on incomplete information. This affects their mental health, self-confidence, and ability to provide safe care. Dr. Ewan Affleck, a physician who has spent most of his career in the north and is a leading Canadian expert in digital health information, likens running a health system without connected data to flying blind, which, in his own experience, has cost patients their lives. To address this crisis, we must transition to working with digital health information within systems that can connect with one another. This will ensure consistent data transfer and reduce errors, which will help health care professionals provide high-quality care and, ultimately, improve patient safety. Bill S-5 would also support the broader use of digital tools that help patients connect with their providers, including secure platforms for booking appointments, requesting prescription refills and communicating with their care team. Transformation of any system requires investment. Whatever the cost it takes, the cost of inaction is likely to be far greater than the cost to do this work. As it is, we are already paying a staggering price for disconnected health data, estimated up to $9.4 billion annually. Beyond the financial cost, the consequences I have talked about today can hardly be measured in dollars but in patient safety, quality of care and the well-being of the health care providers who support them. Bill S-5 is a technical bill but its purpose is straightforward: to connect data to prevent patient harm. Canadians turn to the health care system seeking care and relief. I would encourage my fellow members to join me in supporting the bill so that all Canadians can receive safe health care that is informed by accurate data and is accessible wherever and whenever decisions are made.
