After nearly two decades of practicing in the U.S., Dr. McCallum returned to Canada, bringing her passion for digital health solutions to Alberta and the broader Canadian healthcare system.  

As industries around the world navigate the digital revolution, the healthcare sector must evolve to meet the needs of a changing world. Canada is faced with a particularly pressing challenge: an aging population and a national shortage of family doctors are straining a system that is already stretched thin. Now more than ever, adopting effective digital tools is crucial to meet these challenges.

Having spent nearly two decades practicing medicine in California, I’ve seen firsthand the impact of healthcare technology. In California in the early 2000s, e-prescribing was already gaining traction. By 2001, e-prescribing was becoming common practice, with prescribers and pharmacies adopting this tool across the board. When I returned to Canada, I was shocked by how many doctors were still relying on paper and fax-based systems. This gap inspired me to advocate for e-prescribing across Alberta, a motivation that only deepened with the COVID-19 pandemic, which made the limitations of paper and fax-based systems that much more obvious.

If we want to solve the systemic challenges facing the Canadian healthcare system, we must start from the ground up. Our healthcare system faces increasing pressure to provide more care with fewer resources. Family medicine is the foundation of our healthcare system, but clinician burnout and administrative burdens are making it less appealing as a career. Without changes, the demand on our healthcare system will continue to outpace capacity.

It may seem like a small change, but digital health tools like e-prescribing are an important piece of the puzzle. For example, when I came back to Canada, I implemented PrescribeIT® in my practice, and it has been transformative for both me and my patients.

First and foremost, e-prescribing eliminates many of the inefficiencies associated with manual prescribing, including unnecessary administrative tasks, like prescription management and follow-ups. The growing clinician administrative burden is unsustainable, contributing significantly to physician burnout and taking hours away from direct patient care – the equivalent of 55.6 million patient visits per year, to be exact. By helping cut through unnecessary red tape, digital health tools can give us more time for direct patient care, and we can enjoy better work-life balance.

The practice of medicine has become increasingly disjointed, and although solving this nationally is a bigger battle, leveraging digital health tools is a tangible step we can take to reduce fragmentation. E-prescribing, for instance, helps bridge communication gaps, creating a more seamless connection between doctors, pharmacists, and patients. Now, pharmacists can reach out to me directly for routine prescription queries, allowing for quicker resolutions and improved patient satisfaction. At the same time, I have real-time visibility into my patients’ medication history, reinforcing my ability to ensure treatment plans are well-coordinated. This has never been more important, especially as we see a rise in patients with chronic illnesses and other comorbidities.

Most importantly, e-prescribing also helps enhance patient safety. With e-prescribing, we eliminate many errors that can arise from illegible handwriting, transcription errors, and lost or misplaced prescriptions. My e-prescribing tool also optimizes safe patient care by complying with Alberta’s province’s Tracked Prescription Program (TPP) for controlled substances, making it easier to monitor adherence and address potential misuse quickly. Plus, patients enjoy the added convenience of having prescriptions sent directly to their pharmacy of choice, which goes a long way in improving satisfaction and adherence to treatment plans.

The transition to a more digitally enabled healthcare environment is not just beneficial; it’s necessary. We owe it to ourselves and our patients to leverage the solutions that will allow us to focus on what matters most: delivering excellent patient care. By embracing technology and promoting a culture of continuous learning, we can build a sustainable, resilient future for family medicine and healthcare in Canada.
 

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