Integrated care, information management and information technology in Canada: have we made any progress in the past...

A dozen years ago, a seminal article was written by Leatt, Pink and Guerriere that boldly stated that Canada did not have integrated healthcare but, rather, a hodgepodge of disconnected parts! The article also stated categorically that Canadian regional health authorities could not provide comprehensive integrated care since they were not responsible for drugs dispensed from retail pharmacies or for medical care provided by physicians. Twelve years later, some progress toward integrated care has been made, though many would argue that it is both inadequate and disappointing - even if Canada's provincial health systems would like to integrate services across an ever-expanding continuum of care to better serve patients.