Deployment of Health Care Facility Digital Infrastructure in Canada



Doctors discussing over screens in control room

A Framework for Standard-Based Solutions

HH Angus recently worked with CSA Group to develop a research report that investigated the current landscape of health care facility digital infrastructure standardization and developed recommendations aimed at establishing opportunities for a standard that addresses the implementation, adoption, and management of digital health infrastructure. The focus of the standard is to address both end devices and the infrastructure that supports them.

Participation in meeting

The CSA report proposes recommendations for standards-based solutions to address the complex challenges related to the deployment of digital infrastructure in Canadian health care facilities. The objectives of the report were to gain an understanding of the current state of digital infrastructure in healthcare facilities across Canada, identify where gaps exist, and outline how standards-based solutions can help support planning, implementation, integration, and life-cycle management of digital infrastructure.

Through a literature review and stakeholder interviews, it was revealed that there is a gap in standardization related to digital infrastructure which has resulted in healthcare organizations and health systems across Canada developing and using custom technology solutions and processes. This lack of standardization across departments, facilities, partners, and jurisdictions carries broad implications for interoperability and prevents lessons learned from being shared across organizations. To address the gaps between today’s healthcare facility digital infrastructure and the needs of the industry, recommendations for standards-based solutions have been identified.

The report also presents success stories from across Canada, highlighting their ‘lessons learned’ that were subsequently incorporated into the report’s 12 recommendations. 

The full report can be downloaded at: https://www.csagroup.org/article/research/deployment-of-health-care-facility-digital-infrastructure-in-canada/.