The Liberal government is introducing a bill that aims to streamline and secure health data

OTTAWA — The federal Liberals are moving to streamline and secure health data across jurisdictions with a new bill that imposes new rules on technology providers.

Health Minister Mark Holland tabled the legislation in the House of Commons this morning.

The bill would require vendors to ensure that the medical information technology they license, sell or provide as a service is interoperable.

This means that patients and healthcare providers could fully and securely access the data and exchange it with other systems, for example those used in another hospital or jurisdiction.

The bill is designed to fill gaps in provinces and territories where similar provisions do not already exist.

It would also prohibit data blocking or any practice that would prevent, discourage or interfere with a user’s access to their own health data or their ability to transfer it to another system.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on June 6, 2024.

The Canadian Press