Electronic Health Record

Canada Health Infoway defines the interoperable electronic health record as a private, lifetime record of an individual's key health history and care, providing authorized healthcare professionals with real-time access to patients' test results, past treatments and medication profiles - information they need to provide effective, safe treatment while protecting privacy and confidentiality.

The vision for the Saskatchewan Electronic Health Record (EHR) is simply stated as getting the right information, to the right individual, at the right time, in the right place! to:

• improve quality of patient care through informed decision making,
• improve the patient experience through the coordination of service delivery,
• improve overall efficiency and sustainability of the health sector,
• inform management decision-making and provide the necessary information base,
• support planning, outcome measurement, accountability and research.
  

Canada Health Infoway (Infoway) has defined the EHR as part of an overall Electronic Health Record Solution (EHRS), the technology component of which is called an Electronic Health Record Infostructure (EHRi).

The EHRS includes people (healthcare providers) and processes (clinical workflows, etc.), whereas the EHRi includes only the technology components: software, databases, computers and networks. The graphic on the left shows the nested structure of these two definitions. EHR data is stored in the EHRi, and the EHR data is managed and accessed by providers using the support processes of the EHRS.

The pan-Canadian standards process defined by Infoway, intends EHR processes in different jurisdictions to interoperate.

The Saskatchewan EHR will give authorized healthcare providers rapid access to patients' pertinent, up-to-date health information to support clinical decision-making and case management. A shared patient-centric health record will provide a longitudinal view of an individual's key health history and care including:

• prescribed drugs
• immunizations
• chronic disease management
• laboratory test results
• diagnostic reports and images and
• visit information
  

To realize this EHRS vision in Saskatchewan, the Health Information Solutions Centre (HISC) branch of Saskatchewan Health has already initiated several foundation-building services:

• iEHR/Lab Results Repository
• Pharmaceutical Information Program (PIP)
• Provider Registry System
• RIS/PACS/Archive (Diagnostic Imaging)
• Shared Client Index (Client Registry)
• Telehealth

Future initiatives intended to achieve the SK EHR objectives include:

• Public Health Surveillance (PHS)
• Shared Health Record (SHR)