Advancing the Standardized Patient Summary Through Global Collaboration

Last month, I had the pleasure of attending the 13th Global Digital Health Partnership (GDHP) Summit. Representing Canada Health Infoway as the Canadian representative for the GDHP Summit, I joined countries from across the world to learn more about the international progress being made to advance digital health, as well as showcase Canada’s progress and best practices. It was once again a timely and insightful opportunity to have participated in these discussions.

For me, this summit reinforced that interoperability is a shared mandate that cannot be done in isolation. Knowledge-sharing and collaboration are key to the successful advancement and implementation of a truly connected healthcare system, both in Canada and around the world.

The Importance of Patient Summaries at Home and Abroad

In the realm of digital health, international collaboration brings significant value, particularly with Patient Summaries. The International Patient Summary (IPS) is a standardized set of essential health data designed to provide healthcare providers with timely and consistent access to crucial patient information, such as medications, allergies, immunizations, and recent procedures. This standardized approach is essential for creating more connected and effective health systems globally, enabling seamless care coordination across borders.

The IPS enables important information from Patient Summaries to be shared across regions and countries in a standardized way, assisting healthcare providers in delivering informed care to patients regardless of their location. However, its value extends beyond international boarders. In Canada, Infoway and our partners have adapted the IPS framework to create the pan-Canadian Patient Summary Specification (PS-CA). This adaptation ensures that essential health information is accurately and consistently shared across different healthcare systems, providers, and jurisdictions within Canada, facilitating seamless and informed patient care.

The PS-CA will bring the benefits of the IPS to Canadian provinces and territories, eventually allowing healthcare providers across the country to access a patient’s comprehensive medical history. This means that regardless of where a patient is within Canada, their healthcare providers will have access to consistent, up-to-date information that supports informed decision making and continuity of care. By adopting the IPS framework and tailoring it to national needs, Canada makes significant strides in advancing Connected Care within our borders and on the international stage.

Key Learnings from International Counterparts??

Other countries have had much success implementing standardized Patient Summaries, which serve as helpful case studies and examples for Canada to build upon.

Take Denmark for example, where digital health is a national priority and has been at the forefront of the country’s healthcare strategy since the 1960s. The Danish e-health portal, Sundhend.dk , is the official national electronic platform for accessing public healthcare services in Denmark.

The platform gives Danish patients and their healthcare providers digital access to pertinent health information, including medical records and medication history, streamlining workflows and resulting in more efficient use of the human health resources – all while enhancing patient engagement and empowerment.

On a multi-national scale, the European Union (EU) also sets an important example. The eHealth Digital Service Infrastructure (eHDSI) has implemented a standardized process for the exchange of data across several EU countries. This allows citizens and healthcare providers to securely access and exchange individual health data across EU borders, including Patient Summaries. This ensures that EU citizens can receive access to safe, timely, quality care outside of their home countries.

Advancing Patient Summaries in Canada

In advancing connected care in Canada, one of Infoway’s ongoing initiatives is our work on the pan-Canadian Patient Summary Specification (PS-CA).

As mentioned above, the PS-CA provides a guideline to facilitate the accurate and consistent exchange and retrieval of patient health data across systems, between healthcare providers, and to patients. It is a key part of a pan-Canadian effort to standardize the terminology that health information systems use to securely share information, allowing it to flow seamlessly and securely between different care settings and provincial and territorial borders.

In October 2022, Infoway's work on the first iteration of the PS-CA was reviewed and approved, marking a significant milestone in expanding the development and implementation of Patient Summaries within Canada. Several provinces and territories are now collaborating with Infoway in co-developing and piloting the PS-CA within their jurisdictions, furthering progress to better support patients in unexpected or unscheduled situations, during transitions of care, and in care coordination.

Recently, Infoway’s Vendor Early Implementation Program announced a significant milestone in advancing local and pan-Canadian adoption of the Patient Summary. Microquest, the first vendor to join the program, was able to demonstrate that their system, "Healthquest EMR v4.4.50," achieved conformance for the PS-CA specification. This achievement paves the way for Microquest to enter a tailored testing environment within Alberta’s healthcare infrastructure, leading to eventual clinical adoption where vendor systems are actively used by Albertan clinics to submit Patient Summaries.

As more jurisdictions and vendors adopt these standards, future implementations will allow patients to share their Patient Summary across provincial and territorial borders. Once the PS-CA is fully implemented within Canada, this opens the door for international health data exchange with other countries that have similarly adopted patient summaries based on the IPS specifications.

Full adoption of the PS-CA represents what a modern healthcare system can look like, and one that Canadians deserve. Whether moving from Ontario to British Columbia or visiting a medical specialist in their home province, the PS-CA ensures that a patient's essential healthcare information moves with them, enabling effective care locally, nationally, and even internationally. This seamless data sharing will enhance the continuity and quality of care for Canadians, as well as position Canada as a leader in global health data interoperability and healthcare delivery. ?

The Importance of International Collaboration

From an international perspective, the overarching vision is for standardized Patient Summaries to extend into international uses. This means that Canadians traveling abroad could receive informed care, as their Patient Summary would be accessible in other participating countries. Achieving this vision requires international collaboration, as countries advance and develop digital health solutions together.

Infoway plays an active role in supporting ongoing collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors across the country and internationally. By leveraging international best practices and understanding how counterparts have developed interoperable solutions, we can enhance our own progress and improve health outcomes for Canadians.

The Patient Summary is one of many areas where Infoway is continually engaged with other countries to align efforts, ensuring our progress towards Connected Care advances both Canadian needs and drives international best practices. By collaborating with other nations and participating in events like the GDHP Summit, we share ideas, approaches, and findings that foster a truly collaborative and strengthened approach to healthcare. This international collaboration not only benefits Canadians travelling abroad, but also promises to enhance the quality of care at home.