Table 1

Summary of incentives and funding for implementation of EMRs in Canadian provinces

PROVINCE, YORGANIZATIONSYSTEMS IN PLACEFUNDED SYSTEMSPHYSICIAN COMPENSATION
NL,21 1996Department of Health and Community Services• PACS
• DIS
• Wolf EMR
• Nightingale Informatix
No current policy
PE,22 2008One Island Health System• CIS
• CPOE
• DIS
• PACS
• RIS
• Cerner MillenniumPhysicians on salary contract (70% of physicians) access this as part of their contract but they are not individually compensated
NS,23 2005Primary Healthcare Information Management Program• PACS• Dymaxion (Practimax)
• Nightingale Informatix
• $11 000 for licence and training
• $5300 implementation grant
• $9600 for annual participation
NB,24 2012Velante• None• Intrahealth• Maximum $16 000
• 67% of cost of setup, installation, integration, and running
QC,25 1996Quebec EMR adoption program• RIS
• PACS
• Info-Data
• Soft Informatique
• Omnimed
• Purkinje
• KinLogix
• Maximum $12 710
• 70% of setup costs (up to $3710)
• Annual Internet (up to $2400)
• $1400 for operating costs
• 70% of equipment cost (up to $3500 over 4 y)
ON,26 2004OntarioMD• CPOE
• PACS
• ABELSoft
• Alpha Global IT
• Canadian Health Systems
• Jonoke
• Med Access
• MD Financial Management
• Nightingale Informatix
• QHR Accuro
• OSCAR
• P & P Data Systems
• York-Med Systems
• Maximum $29 899
• $3500 readiness grant
• $2000 performance grant
• $675/mo for 36 mo
MB,27 2007Manitoba Health, Manitoba eHealth, and Canada Health Infoway• RIS
• PACS
• Clinicare
• QHR Accuro
• Med Access
• Jonoke
• Maximum $20 000 for new clients
• Maximum $10 000 before 2009
• 70% of EMR implementation costs
• 70% of operating costs for 2 y
SK,28 2008Saskatchewan EMR Program• iEHR
• PIP
• RIS
• PACS
• Med Access
• QHR Accuro
• Maximum $7200
• $300/mo if 50% of encounters are captured in the
EMR in the first y
• 95% of encounters must be captured in the EMR to obtain continued support after first y
AB,29 2001Physician Office System Program• PIN
• DI
• Med Access
• MD Financial Management
• Wolf EMR
• Maximum of $50 000
• 52% of setup cost (up to $10 400)
• $389/mo for 54 mo for maintenance
BC,30 2006Physician Information Technology Office• PLIS• Intrahealth
• Med Access
• Wolf EMR
• Osler Systems
• Maximum of $25 840
• 70% of implementation costs
• 70% of equipment costs
• 70% of operating costs for 3 y
  • AB—Alberta, BC—British Columbia, CIS—clinical information system, CPOE—computerized physician order entry, DI—diagnostic imaging, DIS—drug information system, EMR—electronic medical record, iEHR—interoperable electronic health record, MB—Manitoba, NB—New Brunswick, NL—Newfoundland and Labrador, NS—Nova Scotia, ON—Ontario, PACS—picture archive and communication system, PE—Prince Edward Island, PIN—pharmaceutical information network, PIP—pharmaceutical information program, PLIS—Provincial Laboratory Information Solution, QC—Quebec, RIS—radiology information system, SK—Saskatchewan.