NB releases new digital health strategy

MIRAMICHI, NB – The government of New Brunswick has released a strategy to develop a more modern, connected and patient-centred digital health system. The strategy includes expanding the “digital front door”, enabling individuals and families to access health records, book appointments and connect with care teams.

The strategy also aims to improve the provider experience. The province says it will implement a modernized electronic health record; deploy tools powered by AI; simplify workflows and reduce paperwork; and provide targeted training to healthcare professionals to confidently use digital tools in their daily work.

“Modernizing our digital health system will give doctors the tools they need to spend more time with patients and less time on paperwork, and give patients a more seamless experience as they navigate the healthcare system,” said premier Susan Holt (pictured). “This strategy lays out a vision to use digital innovation to improve care for patients and offer a more rewarding and attractive work experience for healthcare providers.”

One of the strategy’s core goals is to improve the healthcare provider experience with modern, easy-to-use digital tools, ensuring they have timely access to the patient information they need, whenever and wherever they need it.

This includes implementing modernized electronic medical records that connect providers, deliver real-time health information, and ensure continuity of care throughout the patient journey. The new tentative physician services agreement includes enhancements to the electronic medical records funding program, increasing the budget to $1.75 million.

Other elements of the strategy include:

• Modernize legislation and policy to enable digital innovation, data access, and responsible use of digital technologies, while safeguarding patient rights and supporting effective procurement of solutions.
• Create inclusive opportunities for interest holders, partners, patients, providers, and the public to share insights, shape digital health solutions, and receive support in adopting new tools and practices.
• Strengthen privacy and cybersecurity measures to protect health information from evolving threats, ensure responsible and ethical use of health data and AI, and enable secure, integrated data sharing across the health-care system.
• Support secure, standards-based data sharing across digital health technologies to enable coordinated care and advance national interoperability.
• Develop a system-wide approach to change management and communication to support patients, providers, and leaders in adopting new digital tools and workflows.
• Invest in training and resources to support health-care professionals, ensuring they have the tools to provide high-quality care.
• Strengthen our ability to collect and analyze clinical and operational data to enable evidence-based decision making. This will provide a clearer understanding of health system performance and help address population health needs.

“Digital health is not just about improving technology, it is about supporting better care, stronger relationships between patients and providers, and a more sustainable healthcare system for the province,” said Dr. Lise Babin, president of the New Brunswick Medical Society.

“For the first time, every physician in our province can access funding to adopt and operate an electronic medical record of their choice in their clinic. This approach has been shown across the country to increase electronic medical record adoption rates to the benefit of patients, physicians and the health system as a whole.”

The digital health strategy complements the provincial health plan, expanding on the connected care priority area and helping align digital investments with established objectives for the health system.

“Advancing digital health is more than simply converting paper records to digital files; it’s about transforming care in a holistic way that goes beyond technology,” said health minister John Dornan. “An intentional focus on digital health enables a more connected, convenient and patient-centred experience, as well as improvements in patient safety and quality of care. This strategy is intended to help guide investments to support healthcare teams with better tools, empower patients to take charge of their health, and make the health system more proactive, collaborative and resilient.”

The strategy has five core goals:

• Empowering people to manage their health, by helping them securely access their health information and allowing them to track progress, connect with providers and make informed decisions.
• Improving the provider experience, by reducing paperwork and simplifying day-to-day tasks so providers spend more time with patients and less time navigating systems.
• Enabling seamless, secure sharing of health information among hospitals, clinics and community care settings by building an integrated digital health ecosystem.
• Building a data-driven health system, by using advanced analytics and artificial intelligence to gather data, reveal patterns and reduce time spent on manual tasks.
• Strengthening the healthcare system’s digital foundation, by upgrading systems, adopting more agile ways of working, managing data responsibly and ensuring digital health tools are inclusive, accessible and equitable.