TOWARD A COORDINATED ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD (EHR) STRATEGY FOR CANADA

The Canadian healthcare system is at a critical juncture. The cost of healthcare has been rising steadily and now consumes 40 percent of most provincial/territorial government budgets; our population is aging and living longer, thus requiring more care; and the ten-year Canada Health Accord between the federal and provincial/territorial governments reached an end on 31 March 2014 with no clear path as to what the future holds (Canadian Institute for Health Information [CIHI] 2013, 2011b). This is indeed an opportune time to reinvigorate ongoing reform efforts as part of the natural evolution of the distinct brand of Canadian healthcare we