Christine Fréchette confirms digital health record rollout at 2 CIUSSSs

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette has confirmed that the province’s Digital Health Record (DSN) will be rolled out starting Saturday in two CIUSSSs.

The premier said that the health-care system’s digital transformation is a project “that can no longer be postponed.”

Fréchette made the announcement in a video posted Monday morning on social media.

In it, she explained that the DSN would be a positive change for the health-care system, which she argued should not be relying on fax machines in 2026.

Montreal’s Sacré-Cœur Hospital is one of the sites taking part in the pilot launch of the DSN.

Cardiologist Dr. Raja Hatem says non-urgent care at his department will be reduced by 50 per cent at the start of the rollout on May 9, with some appointments delayed for up to two weeks.

“It’s actually one week of 50 per cent and the second week we’re up to 75 per cent and then by the third week we’re hoping to get back to 100 per cent,” Hatem said. “It’s literally you’re sitting down in the  computer you’re looking at the old system you’re looking at the new system and you’re clicking one by one.”

That added workload is what’s driving the temporary reduction in services, he said, although urgent care will remain fully operational.

“All the heart attacks all the emergencies are still going to be done,” Hatem said.

The DSN is set to be rolled out at the Mauricie-et-du-Centre-du-Québec CIUSSS and the Nord-de-l’Île-de-Montréal CIUSSS on Saturday.

Fréchette said that “Santé Quebec will conduct regular follow-ups” and “the public will be kept informed.”

Santé Quebec confirmed with CityNews in a statement that those daily updates will be published publicly for anyone to view.

Nevertheless, the premier insisted that, “It’s not impossible that the start will be more complex.”

“Yes, there could be some bugs, but I’m telling you, there’s no way we’re going to go through a second SAAQclic,” Fréchette said, referring to the failed digital transition by the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ).

“Despite the challenges, this transition is necessary. Others have done it. They’ve succeeded, and we, too, will succeed,” she said.

In recent weeks, opposition parties, as well as some professionals, have raised concerns and highlighted risks regarding the DSN.

In April, Gilles Bélanger, then minister of cybersecurity and digital affairs, suggested that the DSN was heading toward an “obvious derailment.”

He was particularly concerned about “sovereign data protection.”

On Monday, while giving her approval for the two “pilot projects,” Fréchette reiterated that “all necessary safeguards to ensure continuity of care and the protection of Quebecers’ data” will be required for the project to move forward.

“It’s time to move forward,” she declared.

The DSN, which is expected to allow health care professionals to view and update a patient’s digital medical record in real time, is an ambitious digitization project expected to cost between $1.5 billion and $3 billion.

Experts say the government also stands to gain if the transition is successful.

“It depends what type of bugs that we are seeing if they are small bugs or big bugs,” said Daniel Béland, director at McGill institute for the study of Canada. “A risky proposition, but she wants to show that she’s in charge.”

For now, doctors say they’re in for a difficult but necessary transition to modernize the system.

“The main concern for everybody is the rapidity and efficiency of the adaptation phase by physicians and nurses,” said Dr. Hatem.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews