University of Alberta Edmonton, Canada June 13, 1997

Better information equals better health, says Noseworthy

By Judy Goldsand

We don't have a health information infrastructure in Alberta or in the country, says Dr. Tom Noseworthy, chair of Public Health Sciences.

"We have information being used, we have computer systems at work, we have information management and information technology activities, but not what one could call an infrastructure," he says.

In Alberta there are 30 health records systems, more than 15 financial systems, 10 payroll systems and about 20 materials management systems. The challenge for the province as well as the country is to find a way to integrate and build upon the information we have to develop a provincial, and then a national, information infrastructure.

The goal, says Noseworthy, is better health for Albertans and Canadians. If better decisions can be made on the basis of aggregate data gathered from large populations, the assumption is that it will result in better health, he says. There are still large issues such as confidentiality, legal liability, and remuneration that have to be worked out.

Noseworthy heads the Alberta Committee for Information Management and Information Technology (IMIT) and co-chaired the recently completed National Forum on Health. The Alberta Committee for IMIT is currently receiving proposals from major technology companies to provide the linkages for the province's first integrated health network. Announcements about this are expected during the summer.

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