Survey: Canadians Want Access to Digital Health Tools

Ninety-six percent of Canadians think it's important that the health care system make use of digital health tools and capabilities, and 89% feel it is important that they personally have full advantage of digital health tools and capabilities, according to a survey by Harris/Decima, released by Canada Health Infoway.

Other key findings from the report include the following:

• eighty-six percent of Canadians agree that digital health will provide health information to a care team in an emergency situation;

• eighty-six percent of Canadians believe it is important that their doctors use EMRs; and

• ninety percent of Canadians who access their own health information online describe the experience as positive.
  

Every day, more of Canada's health care system goes digital. It's a private, secure, and effective way to make health care better. Today, patients like Alexa Thompson use digital health to help manage their care and wellness.

"After complications following knee surgery, it was important that I manage my weight, monitor my blood test results, and track my exercise," says Thompson.  "Being able to manage all of that and have the ability to interact with my care team with the help of a digital health tool helped me feel like an empowered member of my own care team."

In order to demonstrate the value of digital tools available to Canadians, Canada Health Infoway recently launched Better Health Together to showcase patients sharing their stories on how digital health has made a difference in their lives.

The Better Health Together campaign reflects the priorities that Canada Health Infoway heard from more than 500 stakeholders across Canada as part of its strategic planning process. It underscores an important reality: adoption of digital health can improve the patient experience for Canadians.

"The network of systems created to securely connect and share health information among authorized clinicians is helping improve the care Canadians receive," says Richard Alvarez, president and CEO of Canada Health Infoway. "As well, Canadians are increasingly embracing digital health themselves to manage their own care and the health and wellness of their loved ones."

Source: Canada Health Infoway