Question

. In the last year, Ontario has undergone a major reform to the healthcare sector. Explain the purpose of these reforms, and how will the role of an HIM change due to these reforms. [B11]

Answer 1

Canada has always been the talk of the world due to Superior Healthcare system . Almost all Canadians have Primary care doctor . And overall health care quality ranking is still among the best in the world

Last year, Canada's most populous province Ontario has undergone a path breaking reform in healthcare sector. It is considered to be ontario's biggest health system reform in 50 years since the advent of medicare.

On 26th February 2019, Minister of health and long term care Christine Elliott unveiled the Government of Ontario's anticipated flagship legislation on healthcare reform.

Lets have a look at what the new legislation on healthcare was all about.

Bil 74, known by its short title the' People's Healthcare act 2019 ' includes the introduction of 'connecting care Act, 2019. lt allows for the creation of a central agency, 'Ontario help ' to oversee the health care system across the province of Ontario as well as the creation of integrated care delivery systems.

The reforms have been enacted with the following objectives

* create a new model for patient centric integrated Public Health Care delivery system.

* provide Ontario health and the Minister broad powers to integrate the health system

* integrated care delivery system is a group of persons or entities designated as such by the Minister with the ability to deliver at least three of the following services.

a Hospital services

b primary care services

c mental health or addiction services

d Home care or community services

e Long-term care home services

F palliative care services

g And any other prescribed Healthcare service or non health service that supports the provision of health care services

*Formation of ontario's health teams

Ontario health teams were to be formed locally covering a geographic population of no more than 3 lakh people. Health teams are groups of Healthcare providers and organisations that are clinically and fiscally accountable for delivering a full and coordinated continuum of care to a defined the Geographic population.

The reforms brought significant changes to the role of HIM (health information management)

* minister has the right to get any sort of information including plans, report, financial statements other than personal health information, that the Minister requiredsfor the purposes of administering the Act.(bill 74)

* the Minister may require an organisation (eg; Health shared services Ontario) to provide the Minister information, including personal information relating to its operations employees assets liabilities rights and obligations

* the provider system shall provide the information within 30 days

* the exercising their powers ,patient ombudsman and the agency shall not collect ,use or disclose more personal health information than is reasonably necessary to meet the purpose of the collection, use or disclosure.

Government's goal is to make a patient journey through the health system smoother . Although there is widespread agreement that the quality of care provided in Ontario top notch even people who work in the system admit that its different parts often don't communicate well .