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Ontario's Digital Health Vision in the post-COVID-19 Pandemic Era: A Canadian Perspective

Year 2023, Volume: 9 Issue: 17, 15 - 22, 30.04.2023
https://doi.org/10.48121/jihsam.1132918

Abstract

The Canadian healthcare system has successfully enabled the average Canadian to live a longer life since the early 1980s. Yet, the prevalence of chronic diseases among Canadians is higher than ever, thereby increasing pressure on the healthcare system to develop a new vision based on the realities of the post-COVID-19 pandemic. The responsibility for Canada's healthcare is allocated amongst multiple actors and/or agencies, as the federal government and provinces/territories have significantly different responsibilities. Our study aims to discuss digital health strategies in Ontario, Canada. We examine best practices across the world and propose a digital health vision for Ontario and elsewhere. The lack of an integrated healthcare system often limits access to digital health tools, thus creating a fragmented digital health environment with organizational silos of health information. As a result, healthcare services may not use the advantages of digital health tools efficiently and effectively. We discuss some of the challenges of creating a digital health vision, such as financial feasibility, privacy, ease of use, and reaching vulnerable populations.

Supporting Institution

Toronto Metropolitan University

References

  • Australian Digital Health Agency. (2022). National Digital Health Strategy and Framework for Action. Retrieved from digitalhealth.gov.au: https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/about-us/strategies-and-plans/national-digital-health-strategy-and-framework-for-action
  • Barr, N. G., & Randall, G. E. (2021). Protection of digital health information: Examining guidance from the physician regulatory colleges in Canada. Health Information Management Journal, 50(1/2), 26-34. https://doi.org/10.1177/1833358319873968
  • Baumgart, D. (2020). Digital advantage in the COVID-19 response: Perspective from Canada’s largest integrated digitalized healthcare system. NPJ Digital Medicine, 3(1), 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-020-00326-y
  • Biggs, J. S., Willcocks, A., Burger, M., & Makeham, M. A. (2019). Digital health benefits evaluation frameworks: Building the evidence to support australia's national digital health strategy. Medical Journal of Australia, 210(S6), S9-S11. https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.50034
  • Canadian Institute for Health Information. (2020, January 30). Commonwealth Fund survey, 2 2019 . Retrieved from Canadian Institute for Health Information: https://www.cihi.ca/en/commonwealth-fund-survey-2019
  • Chahal, A., & Rudnick, A. (2019). Selecting digital health technologies for validation and piloting by healthcare providers: A decision-making perspective from ontario. International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, 35(1), 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266462318003720
  • Desveaux, L., Kelley, L. T., Bhatia, R. S., & Jamieson, T. (2020). Catalyzing digital health innovation in Ontario: The role of an academic medical centre. Healthcare Policy, 16(2), 55-68. https://doi.org/10.12927/hcpol.2020.26353
  • Desveaux, L., Soobiah, C., Bhatia, R. S., & Shaw, J. (2019). Identifying and overcoming policy- level barriers to the implementation of digital health innovation: Qualitative study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21(12), e14994 - e14994. https://doi.org/10.2196/14994
  • Hyman, A., Stacy, E., Mohsin, H., Atkinson, K., Stewart, K., Novak Lauscher, H., & Ho, K. (2022). Barriers and facilitators to accessing digital health tools faced by south asian canadians in surrey, british columbia: Community-based participatory action exploration using photovoice. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 24(1), e25863 - e25863. https://doi.org/10.2196/25863
  • Isaacksz, S., & Chang, M. (2019). Delivering the digital backbone for integrated care in ontario, canada. International Journal of Integrated Care, 19(4), 623. https://doi.org/10.5334/ijic.s3623
  • Lattimer, Z. H., Goranson, D., Ubhi, K., Ali, M., Shachak, A., Guergachi, A., & Keshavjee, K. (2019). Design for a Canadian Digital Health Policy & Practices Observatory. Improving Usability, Safety and Patient Outcomes with Health Information Technology: From Research to Practice, 257, 444.
  • Mathews, S. C., McShea, M. J., Hanley, C. L., Ravitz, A., Labrique, A. B., & Cohen, A. B. (2019). Digital health: a path to validation. NPJ digital medicine, 2(1), 1-9.
  • Medtech Canada. (2019). Optimizing the Role of Digital Health for Ontario’s Future. Retrieved from Medtech Canada https://cdn.ymaws.com/medtechcanada.org/resource/resmgr/Optimizing_the_Role_of_Di git.pdf Neumeier, M. (2019). Access 2022: Setting new goals for digital health in canada. Canadian Journal of Nursing Informatics, 14(1/2)
  • Ontario Ministry of Health. (2022, April 27). The Digital Health Playbook. Retrieved from Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care: https://health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/connectedcare/oht/docs/dig_health_playbook_en.pdf
  • Palacholla, R. S., Fischer, N., Coleman, A., Agboola, S., Kirley, K., Felsted, J., Katz, C., Lloyd, S., & Jethwani, K. (2019). Provider- and patient-related barriers to and facilitators of digital health technology adoption for hypertension management: Scoping review. JMIR Cardio, 3(1), e11951-e11951. https://doi.org/10.2196/11951
  • Paré, G., Leaver, C., & Bourget, C. (2018). Diffusion of the digital health self-tracking movement in canada: Results of a national survey. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 20(5), e177-e177. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.9388
  • Siegel, A. (2020, 23 December). Protecting patient data in a virtual world . Retrieved from Ontario Medical Association : https://www.oma.org/newsroom/ontario-medical-review/87-5/protecting-patient-data-in-a-virtual-world/
  • Superina, S., Malik, A., Moayedi, Y., McGillion, M., & Ross, H. J. (2022;2021;). Digital health: The promise and peril. Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 38(2), 145-148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjca.2021.09.033
  • The Ottawa Hospital. (2019, May 30). New digital health information system. Retrieved from The Ottawa Hospital: https://www.ottawahospital.on.ca/en/new-digital-health-information-system/
  • Weber, S., & Heitmann, K. U. (2021). Interoperability in healthcare: Also prescribed for digital health applications verordnet. Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz, 64(10), 1262. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00103-021-03414-w
  • Webster, P. (2019). Digital health technologies and health-care privatization. The Lancet. Digital Health, 1(4), e161-e162. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2589-7500(19)30091-3
  • Whitelaw, S., Pellegrini, D. M., Mamas, M. A., Cowie, M., & Van Spall, Harriette G C. (2021). Barriers and facilitators of the uptake of digital health technology in cardiovascular care: A systematic scoping review. European Heart Journal. Digital Health, 2(1), 62-74. https://doi.org/10.1093/ehjdh/ztab005
Year 2023, Volume: 9 Issue: 17, 15 - 22, 30.04.2023
https://doi.org/10.48121/jihsam.1132918

Abstract

References

  • Australian Digital Health Agency. (2022). National Digital Health Strategy and Framework for Action. Retrieved from digitalhealth.gov.au: https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/about-us/strategies-and-plans/national-digital-health-strategy-and-framework-for-action
  • Barr, N. G., & Randall, G. E. (2021). Protection of digital health information: Examining guidance from the physician regulatory colleges in Canada. Health Information Management Journal, 50(1/2), 26-34. https://doi.org/10.1177/1833358319873968
  • Baumgart, D. (2020). Digital advantage in the COVID-19 response: Perspective from Canada’s largest integrated digitalized healthcare system. NPJ Digital Medicine, 3(1), 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-020-00326-y
  • Biggs, J. S., Willcocks, A., Burger, M., & Makeham, M. A. (2019). Digital health benefits evaluation frameworks: Building the evidence to support australia's national digital health strategy. Medical Journal of Australia, 210(S6), S9-S11. https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.50034
  • Canadian Institute for Health Information. (2020, January 30). Commonwealth Fund survey, 2 2019 . Retrieved from Canadian Institute for Health Information: https://www.cihi.ca/en/commonwealth-fund-survey-2019
  • Chahal, A., & Rudnick, A. (2019). Selecting digital health technologies for validation and piloting by healthcare providers: A decision-making perspective from ontario. International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, 35(1), 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266462318003720
  • Desveaux, L., Kelley, L. T., Bhatia, R. S., & Jamieson, T. (2020). Catalyzing digital health innovation in Ontario: The role of an academic medical centre. Healthcare Policy, 16(2), 55-68. https://doi.org/10.12927/hcpol.2020.26353
  • Desveaux, L., Soobiah, C., Bhatia, R. S., & Shaw, J. (2019). Identifying and overcoming policy- level barriers to the implementation of digital health innovation: Qualitative study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21(12), e14994 - e14994. https://doi.org/10.2196/14994
  • Hyman, A., Stacy, E., Mohsin, H., Atkinson, K., Stewart, K., Novak Lauscher, H., & Ho, K. (2022). Barriers and facilitators to accessing digital health tools faced by south asian canadians in surrey, british columbia: Community-based participatory action exploration using photovoice. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 24(1), e25863 - e25863. https://doi.org/10.2196/25863
  • Isaacksz, S., & Chang, M. (2019). Delivering the digital backbone for integrated care in ontario, canada. International Journal of Integrated Care, 19(4), 623. https://doi.org/10.5334/ijic.s3623
  • Lattimer, Z. H., Goranson, D., Ubhi, K., Ali, M., Shachak, A., Guergachi, A., & Keshavjee, K. (2019). Design for a Canadian Digital Health Policy & Practices Observatory. Improving Usability, Safety and Patient Outcomes with Health Information Technology: From Research to Practice, 257, 444.
  • Mathews, S. C., McShea, M. J., Hanley, C. L., Ravitz, A., Labrique, A. B., & Cohen, A. B. (2019). Digital health: a path to validation. NPJ digital medicine, 2(1), 1-9.
  • Medtech Canada. (2019). Optimizing the Role of Digital Health for Ontario’s Future. Retrieved from Medtech Canada https://cdn.ymaws.com/medtechcanada.org/resource/resmgr/Optimizing_the_Role_of_Di git.pdf Neumeier, M. (2019). Access 2022: Setting new goals for digital health in canada. Canadian Journal of Nursing Informatics, 14(1/2)
  • Ontario Ministry of Health. (2022, April 27). The Digital Health Playbook. Retrieved from Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care: https://health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/connectedcare/oht/docs/dig_health_playbook_en.pdf
  • Palacholla, R. S., Fischer, N., Coleman, A., Agboola, S., Kirley, K., Felsted, J., Katz, C., Lloyd, S., & Jethwani, K. (2019). Provider- and patient-related barriers to and facilitators of digital health technology adoption for hypertension management: Scoping review. JMIR Cardio, 3(1), e11951-e11951. https://doi.org/10.2196/11951
  • Paré, G., Leaver, C., & Bourget, C. (2018). Diffusion of the digital health self-tracking movement in canada: Results of a national survey. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 20(5), e177-e177. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.9388
  • Siegel, A. (2020, 23 December). Protecting patient data in a virtual world . Retrieved from Ontario Medical Association : https://www.oma.org/newsroom/ontario-medical-review/87-5/protecting-patient-data-in-a-virtual-world/
  • Superina, S., Malik, A., Moayedi, Y., McGillion, M., & Ross, H. J. (2022;2021;). Digital health: The promise and peril. Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 38(2), 145-148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjca.2021.09.033
  • The Ottawa Hospital. (2019, May 30). New digital health information system. Retrieved from The Ottawa Hospital: https://www.ottawahospital.on.ca/en/new-digital-health-information-system/
  • Weber, S., & Heitmann, K. U. (2021). Interoperability in healthcare: Also prescribed for digital health applications verordnet. Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz, 64(10), 1262. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00103-021-03414-w
  • Webster, P. (2019). Digital health technologies and health-care privatization. The Lancet. Digital Health, 1(4), e161-e162. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2589-7500(19)30091-3
  • Whitelaw, S., Pellegrini, D. M., Mamas, M. A., Cowie, M., & Van Spall, Harriette G C. (2021). Barriers and facilitators of the uptake of digital health technology in cardiovascular care: A systematic scoping review. European Heart Journal. Digital Health, 2(1), 62-74. https://doi.org/10.1093/ehjdh/ztab005
There are 22 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Health Policy
Journal Section Review
Authors

Fatih Sekercioglu 0000-0003-1249-7432

Syed Hamid 0000-0002-8965-657X

Publication Date April 30, 2023
Published in Issue Year 2023 Volume: 9 Issue: 17

Cite

APA Sekercioglu, F., & Hamid, S. (2023). Ontario’s Digital Health Vision in the post-COVID-19 Pandemic Era: A Canadian Perspective. Journal of International Health Sciences and Management, 9(17), 15-22. https://doi.org/10.48121/jihsam.1132918
AMA Sekercioglu F, Hamid S. Ontario’s Digital Health Vision in the post-COVID-19 Pandemic Era: A Canadian Perspective. Journal of International Health Sciences and Management. April 2023;9(17):15-22. doi:10.48121/jihsam.1132918
Chicago Sekercioglu, Fatih, and Syed Hamid. “Ontario’s Digital Health Vision in the Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Era: A Canadian Perspective”. Journal of International Health Sciences and Management 9, no. 17 (April 2023): 15-22. https://doi.org/10.48121/jihsam.1132918.
EndNote Sekercioglu F, Hamid S (April 1, 2023) Ontario’s Digital Health Vision in the post-COVID-19 Pandemic Era: A Canadian Perspective. Journal of International Health Sciences and Management 9 17 15–22.
IEEE F. Sekercioglu and S. Hamid, “Ontario’s Digital Health Vision in the post-COVID-19 Pandemic Era: A Canadian Perspective”, Journal of International Health Sciences and Management, vol. 9, no. 17, pp. 15–22, 2023, doi: 10.48121/jihsam.1132918.
ISNAD Sekercioglu, Fatih - Hamid, Syed. “Ontario’s Digital Health Vision in the Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Era: A Canadian Perspective”. Journal of International Health Sciences and Management 9/17 (April 2023), 15-22. https://doi.org/10.48121/jihsam.1132918.
JAMA Sekercioglu F, Hamid S. Ontario’s Digital Health Vision in the post-COVID-19 Pandemic Era: A Canadian Perspective. Journal of International Health Sciences and Management. 2023;9:15–22.
MLA Sekercioglu, Fatih and Syed Hamid. “Ontario’s Digital Health Vision in the Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Era: A Canadian Perspective”. Journal of International Health Sciences and Management, vol. 9, no. 17, 2023, pp. 15-22, doi:10.48121/jihsam.1132918.
Vancouver Sekercioglu F, Hamid S. Ontario’s Digital Health Vision in the post-COVID-19 Pandemic Era: A Canadian Perspective. Journal of International Health Sciences and Management. 2023;9(17):15-22.