Strengthening Connected Care Through Better Data and Governance
By: Ann Chapman, Director, Connected Care, Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI)
At this year’s e-Health Conference and Tradeshow, the conversation around connected care is no longer about future potential—it’s about real, coordinated action. The conversation has shifted from “what’s possible” to “what’s working” and “what’s next.” At CIHI, we are helping drive that momentum.
A Common Language for Health Data
Connected care is more than technology – it is about having the best quality data to maximize its use for clinical care, population health, research and health system management. We can achieve that with standardized health data for the purposes of building a world class health system, improving patient care, and supporting innovation in Canada’s health technology sector.
This coming fall, CIHI will be publishing Version 3 of its national data content standards. These person-centric standards have been co-designed with patients, clinicians, First Nations, Inuit and Metis Peoples, digital health partners and jurisdictional governments.
The Pan-Canadian Health Data Content Framework acts like a library. For example, if you want to know what should be collected for a patient’s allergies and intolerances, you don’t have to guess, or use another country’s standard, this national data standard provides you with that information.
And a subset of that comprehensive data standard, the Canadian Core Data for Interoperability (CACDI) will improve the quality of the data that moves and flows between digital health systems, ensuring the same meaning is retained from sender to receiver.
We are continuing to expand these national data content standards every year, with a new version planned for release every September, followed by a 60-day Open Review. Now that these standards have been established and validated, we are now turning our attention to supporting their widespread adoption. By implementing these data standards on a national scale, vendors can develop interoperable, standards-based solutions that ensure high quality data is available and accessible to support seamless data exchange and integration across platforms—positioning them to meet the demands of a complex and evolving digital health environment while enabling a more connected, patient-centred system.
A system-wide shift toward connected care
While details continue to evolve, the direction is clear: expectations for data sharing are increasing alongside stronger requirements for privacy, security and data governance. These shifts reinforce the importance of digital health and interoperability efforts, and the need for systems that support secure, consistent exchange of health information across sectors and jurisdictions.
Together, these developments point to a broader shift. Connected care isn’t just about technology—it is about how our health system works together by aligning policy, standards, data, and the stewardship of that data to better support patients and health care providers.
There’s still more to do, but the progress is real and it’s exciting to see it come together.
Join the conversation at e-Health
If you’re heading to e-Health, there’s plenty of opportunity to dive deeper. CIHI will be participating in several panels so be sure to check the agenda and register—you’ll find some great discussions and perspectives!
