Bill S-5
2nd reading · Commons
Connected Care for Canadians Act
Bill S-5 creates a federal framework requiring health technology companies to share patient data across different systems and prohibits them from deliberately blocking that data sharing.
Sponsor · Hon. Pierre Moreau
What it means for you
Your health records could follow you wherever you receive care in Canada, so doctors always have the information they need to treat you — no more repeated forms or missing test results.
The debate · 6 points
Supporters say
- Patients and doctors often cannot access or share health records across providers, clinics, and provinces. The bill would set national rules so records can move with patients, reducing delays and errors in care.
- Doctors spend too much time on paperwork and faxing. A national interoperability framework would let electronic records connect, freeing time for patient care.
- Common national data standards would give technology vendors one set of rules instead of different requirements in each province, lowering costs and making it easier to build systems that work across Canada.
Critics say
- The federal government's previous digital health program, PrescribeIT, was shut down after low uptake and high costs. Critics worry that Canada Health Infoway, which ran it, is being given a role in this bill without enough accountability for past problems.
- Critics want the committee to finish its ongoing study of PrescribeIT before moving ahead with a new national digital health project, arguing that Parliament should resolve past failures first.
- Some critics question whether a national model fits with provincial systems, such as Alberta's Connect Care, which already involves large public investment. They ask how the bill would work alongside existing provincial programs.
Where do you stand on this bill?
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