Survey: 96% of Canadians think that health care system should make use of digital health tools

Canada Health InfowayOct 23 2013

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

Other key findings from the Harris/Decima report include:

• 86 per cent of Canadians agree that digital health will provide health information to a care team in an emergency situation
• 86 per cent of Canadians believe it is important that their doctors use electronic medical records
• 90 per cent 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, for all of us. 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," she said.  "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, 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 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," said Richard Alvarez, President and CEO, 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."