Simon Fraser University
Great Northern Way Campus
555 Great Northern Way
Vancouver, BC, Canada V5T 1E2
In association with Simon Fraser University & Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute
tel: 1.604.268.7306
fax: 1.604.268.7309
email: act4hlth@sfu.ca
website: www.sfu.ca/act4hlth
A multi-level analysis of current developments and uses of standardized electronic health
records in Canada (Theme II)
Investigator: Patrick Feng
Project Description
This project examines current developments and uses of electronic health records (EHRs) within
Canada, focusing in particular on issues relating to standardization of health information and
health technologies. The development and use of EHRs will be examined from multiple levels of
analysis:
• At the macro-level: Map out the current policy landscape and to theorize the push for a panCanadian EHR within a political-economy framework;
•
At the meso-level: Study key governmental and non-governmental that are designing/using
EHR systems, as well as new forms of institutional partnerships (e.g., public-private
partnerships) that have arisen in response to calls for a pan-Canadian EHR;
•
At the micro-level: Investigate the use of prototype EHR systems in a variety of health care
settings (mainly in the British Columbia lower mainland) and their impact on front-line
workers.
Key organizations that this project will examine include the Canadian Institute for Health
Information, Canada Health Infoway and HL7 (an international standards organization working in
the area of health informatics).
Macro
Meso
Research questions
Research methods
Who is developing the
standards/technological infrastructure
necessary for a national EHR?
Document analysis (e.g., review policy
documents published by government and
other organizations)
What political, economic, and sociocultural factors are driving EHRadoption?
Interviews (see also meso-level methods)
What institutional forces are at play in the
push for greater information technology
use in health care settings?
Interviews with staff at key institutions
(e.g., Canada Health Infoway, Canadian
Institute for Health Information, Office of
Health and the Information Highway) as
well as with technology vendors and
government agencies
How do organizations such as Canada
Health Infoway see their role, especially
with respect to private?
Micro
What is the impact of EHR on front-line
workers?
Do standardized EHRs work in practice?
Interviews with front-line workers
Observational studies (assessment of
technology in context)
To what extent do existing EHR systems
fulfill the vision of a national EHR?
Methods
As outlined in the above chart. The research will also involve interviews with informants and with
staff at key organizations, as well as searching out “cutting-edge” or “prototype” implementations
of EHRs in the Vancouver area.