2015-16 Supplementary Information Table - Up-Front Multi-Year Funding

Canada Health Infoway

Strategic Outcome

A health system responsive to the needs of Canadians

Link to department's Program Alignment Architecture

Program 1.1: Canadian Health System Policy
Sub-Program 1.1.1: Health System Priorities

Name of recipient

Canada Health Infoway (Infoway)

Start date

March 31, 2001

Infoway's original allocation (2001) was governed by a Memorandum of Understanding. Infoway is presently accountable for the provisions of four active funding agreements, signed in: March 2003 (encompasses 2001 and 2003 allocations), March 2004, March 2007, and March 2010.

End date

March 31, 2015

As per the 2010 funding agreement, the duration of the agreement is until the later of: the date upon which all Up-Front Multi-Year Funding provided has been expended, or March 31, 2015. The duration of the 2007 funding agreement is until the later of: the date upon which all Grant Funding provided has been expended, or March 31, 2012.

Description

Canada Health Infoway Inc. (Infoway) is an independent, not-for-profit corporation established in 2001 to accelerate the development of electronic health technologies such as electronic health records (EHRs) and telehealth on a pan-Canadian basis. Its Corporate Members are the 14 federal, provincial and territorial Deputy Ministers of Health.

To date, the Government of Canada has committed the following funding allocations to Infoway:

  • $500 million in 2001 in support of the September 2000 First Ministers' Action Plan for Health System Renewal to strengthen a Canada-wide health infostructure, with the EHR as a priority;
  • $600 million in the First Ministers' Health Accord of February 2003, to accelerate implementation of the EHR and Telehealth;
  • $100 million as part of Budget 2004 to support development of a pan-Canadian health surveillance system; and
  • $400 million as part of Budget 2007 to support continued work on EHRs and wait times reductions.

Also, as confirmed in Budget 2010, Canada's Economic Action Plan allocated an additional $500 million to Infoway, to support continued implementation of EHRs, implementation of electronic medical records (EMRs) in physicians' offices, and integration of points of service with the EHR system. Infoway invests in electronic health projects in collaboration with a range of partners, in particular provincial and territorial governments, typically on a cost-shared basis. Project payments are made based on the completion of pre-determined milestones.

It is anticipated that Infoway's approach, where federal, provincial and territorial governments participate toward a goal of modernizing electronic health information systems, will reduce costs and improve the quality of healthcare and patient safety in Canada through coordination of effort, avoidance of duplication and errors, and improved access to patient data.

Up-Front Multi-Year Funding (in dollars)
Total Funding Approved Total Funding Received Planned Funding
2015-16
Planned Funding
2016-17
Planned Funding
2017-18
2,100,000,000 1,902,988,068Table footnote a To be determinedTable footnote b To be determinedTable footnote b To be determinedTable footnote b

Table footnotes

Table footnote a

This figure represents funds disbursed to Infoway since its creation in 2001 up to October 2014, including the immediate lump sum disbursements in 2001, 2003 and 2004 totaling $1.2 billion as well as funds disbursed through cash flow requests under the 2007 and 2010 funding agreements. This figure does not reflect additional cash flow requests that Infoway may submit between November 2014 and March 2015.

Return to table footnote a referrer

Table footnote b

As per both the 2007 and 2010 funding agreements, funds are to be disbursed according to the annual cash flow requirements identified by Infoway. These requirements are to be submitted to the Department no later than March 30, in advance of the upcoming fiscal year to which that cash flow statement applies. Also, Infoway can submit additional cash flow requests within a fiscal year, should the need for additional funding arise. Infoway has not provided an advance estimate of its 2015-16 to 2017-18 requirements.

Return to the first table footnote b referrer

Summary of annual plans of recipient

Through its Strategic Investor role and building on its strategic plan released in 2013 ("Opportunities for Action: A Pan-Canadian Digital Health Strategic Plan"), Infoway collaborates with provinces and territories and with health organizations to accelerate the development, adoption and effective use of digital health innovations across Canada, and contributes to the delivery of better quality and access to care and more efficient delivery of health services for patients and clinicians. Infoway investments support evidence-based care that will foster a more modern and sustainable health care system for all Canadians.

For 2015-16, Infoway plans to focus on the following corporate objectives:

1. Improve the Continuity of Care

When patients receive care from clinicians in different settings, the continuity of care may be compromised because the timely sharing of the care plan, results or clinical documentation does not always occur. Infoway will continue to support advanced use of interoperable digital health solutions to exchange clinical information, minimize errors and improve patient safety and the overall quality of care. Infoway will continue to engage and provide support to clinical communities in areas such as peer support, education and training, as well as change and knowledge management.

2. Bring Care Closer to Home

Putting emerging technologies that electronically capture and transmit clinical data directly in the hands of Canadians allows them to partner with their clinicians to better manage their health at home or work. Infoway will continue to support health care programs to deploy proven remote patient monitoring technologies for Canadians with chronic conditions. Infoway will continue to improve the patient experience by making access to care easier through the use of consumer health solutions and by raising awareness of the value and benefits of digital health solutions.

3. Support Clinicians and Patients in Adopting and Using Digital Health Solutions

EHRs, EMRs in physicians' offices and ambulatory clinics and upgraded hospital information systems are pre-requisites for delivering high quality health care. Infowaywill continue to work with jurisdictions and other partners to increase the adoption and use of these digital health solutions, promote their value and realize their associated benefits.

For additional information on performance expectations, please see Infoway's  2015-2016 Summary Corporate Plan.

Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement

Strategic Outcome

A health system responsive to the needs of Canadians

Link to department's Program Alignment Architecture

Program 1.1: Canadian Health System Policy
Sub-Program 1.1.1: Health System Priorities

Name of recipient

Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement (CFHI), formerly the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF)

Start date

1996-97

End date

Not Applicable

Description

1996-97: A $66.5 million endowment established the CHSRF. Additional federal grants were provided to CHSRF for the following purposes:

  • 1999: $25 million to support a ten-year program to develop capacity for research on nursing recruitment, retention, management, leadership and the issues emerging from health system restructuring (Nursing Research Fund);
  • 1999: $35 million to support its participation in the Canadian Institutes of Health Research; and,
  • 2003: $25 million to develop a program to equip health system managers and their organizations with the skills to find, assess, interpret and use research to better manage the Canadian health care system (Executive Training for Research Application or EXTRA) over a thirteen-year period.

When CHSRF was established, its priorities were to bring researchers and decision-makers together to identify gaps in applied health services research, fund the researchers who could investigate those gaps, and promote best practices of health services delivery and their outcomes. To reflect the evolution of its work, CHSRF was renamed the CFHI in 2012. CFHI is an independent organization, dedicated to accelerating healthcare improvement and transformation for Canadians. Its priorities include finding the best approaches for maximizing value for money in healthcare spending, providing a more coordinated approach to complex healthcare needs and improving patient- and family-centred experience and outcomes.

Up-Front Multi-Year Funding (in dollars)
Total Funding Approved Total Funding Received Planned Funding
2015-16
Planned Funding
2016-17
Planned Funding
2017-18
151,500,000 1996 - 66,500,000
1999 - 60,000,000
2003 - 25,000,000
Not applicable Not applicable Not applicable

Summary of annual plans of recipient

CFHI's programming is guided by its objective to accelerate healthcare improvement by creating ongoing interaction, collaboration and exchange of ideas and information between governments, policy-makers, health system leaders and providers, and to convert evidence and innovative practices into actionable policies, programs, tools and leadership development.

According to its 2015 Program of Work, CFHI will continue to work in collaboration with policy makers, health system leaders and decision-makers to:

  • collaborate on healthcare improvement and transformation initiatives at the provincial/territorial, regional and federal levels;
  • enhance education and training programming through the EXTRA program, including on-line education and decision-support courses and tools;
  • involve patients in decisions about care re-design and delivery and increase patients' capacity for engaging more meaningfully in decision-making;
  • bring evaluation and performance management knowledge and support to CFHI's work as well as its collaborations with others; and,
  • spread innovations and synthesize knowledge to facilitate further healthcare improvement and transformation.

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