DMF recently attended the BC26 Digital Health Canada Conference in British Columbia, Canada. Our purpose in travelling to Vancouver was straightforward: to understand how another publicly funded health system is approaching digital health, and to see what lessons may be relevant for Ireland.
Canada and Ireland share many characteristics. Both operate complex, regionally governed healthcare systems. Both countries face increasing demand, workforce constraints and financial pressure. Both are investing in digital infrastructure as part of long-term reform.
Across the sessions and discussions at BC26, three themes came through consistently: the central role of integration, the importance of giving patients access to their own information, and the need to provide more care options safely in the community. None of these are new ideas. What stood out was the clarity with which they were discussed and the practical focus behind them.
Seamless Integration is Essential for Streamlined Patient Care
At BC26, integration was not presented as an optional extra or a future ambition. It was described as a basic requirement for safe and coordinated care. Even with the majority of hospital’s having an established EHR system in place, integration remained a challenge.
There was a clear emphasis on connecting systems across acute hospitals, primary care, community services and home care. Digitising one department in isolation is no longer sufficient. Information must move with the patient.
This direction is also being reinforced at a national level in Canada. The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) is working with provinces, territories and hospital organisations to modernise hospital data and enable faster pan-Canadian insights. A key focus is improving the timeliness, quality and usability of hospital data so health system leaders and clinicians can respond more effectively to pressures such as emergency department demand and hospital capacity constraints.
Central to this work is the development of near real-time data flows and modernised data standards, alongside exploration of AI-assisted coding to reduce manual burden and improve data quality. Together, these initiatives reflect a broader shift toward more connected, responsive and insight-driven healthcare systems.
This applies at two levels.
First, technical integration. Systems must be interoperable and truly exchange information in a standards-based, reliable way. Data entered once should not need to be re-entered elsewhere. Vital signs, discharge summaries and test results should be available to the right clinician at the right time.
Second, integration of care. When different providers can see a shared view of a patient’s history, duplication reduces and decision-making improves. Fragmentation creates risk, particularly during transitions of care.
These discussions closely mirror what we see in Ireland. Many operational pressures can be traced back to disconnected systems. Delays in discharge often arise because information is incomplete or slow to reach the next care provider. Manual processes add time and increase the chance of error.
At DMF, much of our work focuses on addressing these gaps. The award-winning GeneCIS Clinical Portal brings key patient information from disparate systems into a single, accessible view for clinicians. Our eDischarge solution, a module of the GeneCIS Clinical Portal, supports timely and accurate transfer of discharge information to GPs and community services. Our ICU Bed Information System provides real-time visibility of bed availability and patient status, supporting safer operational planning.
The principle is simple: when systems connect properly, care flows more smoothly.
The Importance of Providing Patients Access
Another key theme at Digital Health Canada BC26 was the importance of ensuring patients can easily access their medical information.
There was a shared understanding that digital health is incomplete if patients cannot see or access their own records. Portals and shared record initiatives are expanding across Canada, with an emphasis on giving patients access to results, appointments and care plans.
This is not about convenience alone. When patients have visibility and access to their information, it supports engagement and informed decision-making. Patient education and empowerment are critical components of achieving better health outcomes. It also helps to build trust between patients and their clinicians.
From a system perspective, this requires discipline in how information is captured and structured. Records must be accurate and consistent. Access must be secure. Governance must be clear.
If data is fragmented across systems, meaningful patient access becomes far more difficult. Integration and patient-centred care are closely linked.
In Ireland, similar conversations are underway as shared records and digital access continue to develop. The lessons from BC26 are relevant here. Patient access works best when it is planned from the beginning, rather than added as an afterthought.
For organisations like DMF Systems, this reinforces the importance of structured, interoperable records. Systems such as GeneCIS are designed to ensure that clinical information is captured once and shared appropriately. Good internal connectivity makes external access safer and more manageable.
It is also worth noting, as patient advocate and CMA Patient Voice member Claire Snyman highlighted through her lived experience at BC26, that as digital access expands, trust becomes even more important. Cybersecurity and data protection are essential enablers, but trust ultimately underpins every aspect of digital healthcare.
Supporting People to Remain at Home
A third theme that stood out at Digital Health Canada’s BC26 conference was the strong focus on enabling people to remain in their own homes for as long as possible.
Across health systems, there is growing recognition that hospital and residential care should not be the default. Most people want to age in place. They want to remain in familiar surroundings, close to family and community. Supporting that safely is both a quality-of-life issue and a health system priority.
Hospital and care home beds are limited. Workforce pressures continue. Avoiding unnecessary admissions is important. But the deeper objective is supporting independence and dignity.
There was discussion at BC26 about remote monitoring, virtual care and connected devices. These tools have an important role. However, what was particularly striking was the emphasis on practical, everyday supports that make a meaningful difference.
One example shared was the installation of sensor-activated lighting in homes. Falls remain a major cause of hospital admission, particularly among older adults. Improving night-time visibility significantly reduced fall risk.
Another example was the use of robotic vacuum cleaners. By reducing the physical strain of routine housework, individuals could conserve energy and manage daily living for longer without relying on additional support.
These are modest interventions, not large-scale technology programmes. Yet they highlight an important principle: supporting independent living often requires practical, well-considered solutions that meet the specific needs of the user rather than complex systems.
The same thinking applies to digital health. For someone living at home with a chronic condition, clarity of information is essential. Community nurses, GPs and hospital teams need access to accurate, up-to-date records. Discharge information must be shared promptly. Medication changes must be clearly communicated.
Again, it all comes back to communication. If information does not flow properly between hospital and community services, the impact is felt quickly. Confusion leads to risk, and risk leads to readmission.
This is where structured clinical summaries, timely discharge communication and interoperable systems become important. They are not abstract digital goals. They are practical tools that help keep people stable at home.
At DMF, much of our work centres on improving these transitions. Solutions such as GeneCIS Clinical Summaries and eDischarge are designed to ensure that the right information reaches the right provider at the right time. When community teams are properly informed, patients are better supported outside hospital settings.
BC26 reinforced a simple but important message. If we want people to remain in their own homes safely, digital systems must support continuity of care across multiple care settings. Technology should reduce friction, not add to it. It should help clinicians communicate clearly and help patients remain where they most want to be: at home.
What We Take Back to Ireland from the Digital Health Canada BC26 Conference
The themes from BC26 were not revolutionary, but they were practical.
Even with most hospitals having a well-known EPR system in place, integration still posed a major challenge. Integration across care settings must be prioritised from the outset. Patient access must be built into digital design. Supporting care at home often requires straightforward, well-considered solutions.
There is no single product or system that will resolve the pressures facing healthcare. Workforce planning, funding and policy remain central. However, digital systems can either support or hinder clinical work.
When information is connected, transitions improve. When patients can access their own records, engagement improves and subsequently patient outcomes. When practical tools support people at home, hospital demand reduces.
For DMF, the conference reinforced the direction we continue to pursue:
- Connecting systems so information moves with the patient
- Supporting accurate and timely discharge communication
- Providing operational visibility in high-pressure environments
- Designing solutions that fit naturally into clinical workflows
Healthcare systems in Ireland and Canada face similar challenges. Learning from each other strengthens both.
BC26 offered valuable perspective. It reminded us that progress in digital health is not only about scale. It is about making sure systems work in everyday practice, across care settings, and for the people they are designed to serve.
