The federal government has introduced Bill S-5, Connected Care for Canadians Act. Now in the early stage in the Senate, this legislation aims to standardize how health information is shared across Canada. For speech-language pathologists (S-LPs), audiologists, and communication health assistants, this bill represents a meaningful step toward a more integrated health system. 

Bill S-5 focuses on interoperability, the ability for different electronic medical record (EMR) systems to “talk” to one another. This Bill would require IT vendors to adopt common standards and would prohibit “data blocking,” ensuring that patient information follows the patient rather than being locked in a specific software or clinic system. 

Communication health professionals rely on timely data to deliver safe and effective care. However, many health professionals, particularly those working in private practice or community settings, face significant barriers to accessing or contributing to provincial or territorial health records. 

If passed, Bill S-5 could address several long-standing challenges: 

• Seamless Team Collaboration: Interoperable EMRs would allow S-LPs, audiologists, and communication health assistants to be fully integrated into interprofessional teams, reducing the need for duplicate assessments and manual data entry.  
• Smoother Transitions of Care: As clients move across the continuum of care, standardized data would help ensure that relevant history, contact notes, test results, and care plans are readily accessible to clinicians. 
• Reduced Administrative Burden: By reducing reliance on paper and fax, clinicians could spend less time tracking down records and more time on direct patient care. 
• Professional Visibility: When communication health services are visible in shared digital records, the value of communication health professionals within the broader health system is more clearly documented. 

SAC is closely monitoring the progress of Bill S-5 in the Senate. We will continue to advocate for the meaningful inclusion of communication health professionals in Canada’s digital health landscape.