On a typical day, a health care provider moves quickly between multiple patients trying to make the most of the time spent with each one. With access to patient information through digital health systems, such as electronic medical records, health care providers can quickly review a patient’s history without needing patients to repeat information or undergo duplicate tests.
The electronic exchange of information supports better coordination of patient care and increases the time available for direct patient interactions.
Almost all health care providers have access to a digital system
Results from the 2025 Survey on the Use of Digital Technologies by Health Care Providers (SUDTHCP) found that in 2024, 92% of Canadian health care providers indicated having access to a digital health system. Just over half (52%) of health care providers used a digital health system to send or share patient clinical information to providers outside their main practice.
Insufficient integration between different systems is the most reported barrier
In 2024, nearly four out of five heath care providers (78%) reported at least one barrier limiting their use of digital health systems to share patient information with health care providers that work outside their main practice setting.
Insufficient integration between different systems (50%) was the most reported barrier, while a slightly lesser proportion cited systems not having the ability to send or share information electronically to health care providers working outside the sender’s practice setting (46%) (for example, a digital system that only supports internal messaging).
The third most common barrier involved a system that required time-consuming or multiple sign-ins (22%).
If you’re a health care provider, we want to hear from you
The second cycle of collection is underway for the 2026 SUDTHCP, and will finish collection on July 28.
Those who have been invited to participate can visit our Information for survey participants and Trust Centre pages for more information on how we are conducting this survey while keeping personal and business information secure.
Data collected from the SUDTHCP will be used to identify areas of improvement in modernizing the health care system and improving health care services for Canadians.
Note to readers
The Survey on the Use of Digital Technologiesby Health Care Providers is being conducted in support of the Working Together to Improve Health Care for Canadians Plan, implemented as part of Budget 2023. The survey supports Canada’s Shared Health Priorities indicators, developed collaboratively by federal, provincial and territorial governments, in partnership with the Canadian Institute for Health information (CIHI), to ensure health care systems continue to respond to the needs of Canadians.
The content for the survey questionnaire was developed in consultation with the CIHI, as well as the Shared Health Priorities Advisory Council whose members include representatives from provinces, territories, Health Canada, Statistics Canada, CIHI and the Public Health Agency of Canada. In addition, the Expert Advisory Group led by Statistics Canada consulted on the development of the Shared Health Priorities indicators in this survey and included experts in the field from across the government, academia, and not-for-profit organizations.
Contact information
For more information, contact the Statistical Information Service (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).