Must read report (and summary below) on Digital Health Recommendations to the Canadian Gov't - Dec 2021

[Alies Maybee]

All: This report: Five Policy Recommendations for the Canadian Federal Government to Accelerate the Growth and Impact of Digital Health is a timely, clear, 19 pg doc and easy to digest.
https://www.policyschool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/HC7_Digital-Health_Kelley-et-al.pdf

I am posting this because I believe that we all need to understand more about digital health and I felt this report tackled some of the thorny federal-provincial issues rather well and outlines how we can go forward. For those of you who don't have the time for the whole report, I will excerpt the 5 recommendations here:

1. Patient data access is essential: Patients should own their own data. They must be given access to their data upon request in a computable format, without charge or delay.

2. Data movement and data sharing is imperative: Digital data sharing is both a key component of digital health and a crucial enabler of digital health, but it is currently poorly supported. Canada must develop a uniform datainteroperability strategy aligned with international standards.

3. Digital health is care: The provision of digital health is now embedded in our health-care delivery. Canada must formalize the inclusion of digital health as an essential element of our public health system.

4. Digital health must be inclusive: All Canadians are entitled to an equal opportunity to participate in digital health.

5. A federal approach is critical: We need a national, collaborative approach to solve the innovation drag caused by our approaches to evaluation, procurement, and privacy and security. Our current siloed approach disadvantages the Canadian health-care system, the Canadian population, and Canadian industry

Wishing you all a safe, healthy and wonderful holidays, Alies

[Alies Maybee]

Thanks, Richard. The times are changing and rapidly. It is hard to keep up and keep informed but I thought this report did a good job. If you are interested in being more involved with digital health projects, let me know, there may be some coming down out sometime in 2022 that will need patient partners. This goes for anyone else who would like to be involved while at the same time be part of a group of patient partners who support and peer learn about digital health. It is important that we are not alone especially on these types of projects.

[Jeanette Smith]

I am interested in any opportunities in this area, too.

[Denyse Lynch]

Alies, thank you - a good summary of the report. I am interested in opportunities in this area of Digital health.
I believe patients actively advocating, supporting actions on this will be essential to success. To pro-act, what ideas
suggestions are there on "how" and to "whom" we can promote our (patients') need for this? This Journey of a million miles still begins with one step!

Will PAN be able to keep us informed as to status, progress of this initiative ? If not, where could we access this information?
Best, Denyse

[Alies Maybee]

Thanks, Jeanette. I have reached out to you directly.

And Denyse, yes we hope to keep the Community informed. Our annual Newsletter will contain some information about these projects and will come out in January. Happy Holidays, all.

[Denyse Lynch]

Thanks Alies, will await the Newsletter. Best wishes to you and PAN members in 2022. Let's keep the momentum going!