Interoperability has long been the punchline of Canadian health IT conversations—always necessary, rarely actionable. But this year’s eHealth 2025 conference (eHealth25) in Toronto marked a shift from theory to execution. Instead of hand-wringing over standards, attendees shared real examples of data-sharing collaborations that are already underway. Just as exciting is the forward momentum on AI Scribes in Canada.
Watch this video summary for more details.
Featuring (in order of appearance):
- Duane Jackson, Patient Advocate
- Robyn Fulkerson, Tectonic Advisory Services
- Alifa Khan, Holland Bloorview
- Russ Patten, Consensus Cloud Solutions
- Maria Zaccaria Cho, CIHI
- Mark Casselman, Akinox
- Dana Greenberg, Diabetes Action Canada
- Jallel Harrati, Suki
- Allie Anderson, MEDITECH
Interoperability Isn’t Just Talk Anymore
After years of “we need to do better,” attendees finally heard what better looks like. Sessions spotlighted how Canadian organizations are sharing patient data—without waiting for a perfect national framework. MEDITECH, for example, spoke about their expanding Traverse network which can now share electronic health data with Oracle Health, Epic, PointClickCare, and provincial databases in Ontario (e.g. OLIS).
Serious Momentum Behind AI Scribes
There was a lot of talk in the eHealth25 exhibit hall about AI scribes and a standing-room-only session on the topic led by OntarioMD and Women’s College Hospital. On the second day of the conference OntarioMD dropped big news on their new Vendor-of-Record Program for AI Scribes. This program is designed to make it easier for physicians to adopt the technology safely and affordably. Look for Healthcare IT Today’s forthcoming interview with OntarioMD CEO Robert Fox for more details.
Unattached Patients Are Driving Innovation
With emergency departments overloaded, the conference took a hard look at one of the system’s biggest stressors: unattached patients. The long-term fix—more primary care providers—isn’t coming fast enough. In the meantime, attendees explored how virtual care, better patient communication, and even AI agents are helping keep patients out of the ED.
Welcome Lack of Glitzy Booths
eHealth25 wasn’t about glitzy booths or big unveilings—it was about sharing what’s working. The sessions and conversations were grounded in practicality: public-private partnerships that work, scale what is proven, and focus innovation where it can reduce real-world strain on staff and patients.
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