News Summary

The Quebec government is reconsidering its partnership with U.S.-based Epic Systems for the province-wide deployment of digital health records due to concerns over costs, privacy, and the lack of necessary IT infrastructure and manpower. While two pilot projects are underway, their costs have surged from $265.4 million to at least $402 million, with estimates suggesting a full deployment could exceed $3 billion. The projects are also hampered by insufficient funding for necessary equipment, limiting their effectiveness. Additionally, there are concerns about data sovereignty given Epic Systems’ susceptibility to the U.S. CLOUD Act. Despite these issues, Santé Québec is continuing with the pilot projects and exploring alternative local solutions, such as a fully Quebec-made project at the Jewish General Hospital. The outcome of these initiatives and the decision on a province-wide rollout will likely be influenced by the upcoming provincial election.