The Canadian province of Manitoba selected IBM Canada as the lead health IT vendor, along with partner dbMotion and other vendors in a consortium, to deploy its EHR. Manitoba eHealth is targeting a select group of emergency departments, primary care physicians and specialists for initial deployment in 2010, according to CIO Roger Girard. Eventually, all 1.2 million residents of Manitoba will have a lifetime computerized patient record, which can be accessed by the public healthcare system providers and approximately 2,000 physicians.
The Manitoba EHR project is aligned with Canada Health Infoway’s initiative to drive adoption of EHRs in Canada and connect healthcare providers and workers with patient data across the healthcare system. The interoperable EHR system will help improve patient care, enhance safety, provide greater access and create a more efficient delivery system, Girard said. By implementing a central repository, providers can view a longitudinal, lifetime record of residents at any time, he said. “Our EHR project is one step in that direction,” he said.
Manitoba began planning its EHR project in 2005, with the last two years involving a rigorous procurement process. IBM Canada and its key partners are tasked with laying down the foundation on which clinicians can share information. The first deliverable is providing lab data, prescription information and immunization data. The second phase will commence in 2011 with an evaluation of the project, the broadening of the user base and a determination of what other data to include. Diagnostic imaging will be rolled out in 2011.
The very aggressive go-live date and the sheer volume of the initiative make the Manitoba EHR project unique, said Peter van der Grinten, vice president of dbMotion. Giovanni Vatieri, partner at IBM, agreed. There are many initiatives across the country, but Canada doesn’t have a fully functional EHR in any region, Vatieri said. From a business point of view, Manitoba needed something that was rapid to value, he said. “We’re not building anything; we’re deploying a product,” Vatieri said. “We’re delivering an EHR solution that will lead to greater efficiency and better healthcare for residents of Manitoba.”
“We’re already meeting with a large number of clinicians,” said van der Grinten. The team is surveying hundreds of physicians on the impact of EHRs and health information exchange. “Most caregivers are looking forward to this,” Girard said. “Everybody understands the value.”
“This is a journey all providers are on,” he said. “We’re going to see it come to fruition.”
This article is also available on-line at NHINWatch.