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Proportion of primary care practices using electronic medical records, 2021: 86%

Source: OECD (2023), Health at a Glance 2023: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, doi.org/10.1787/7a7afb35-en.

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“In Canada significant health inequities are observed among indigenous peoples, racial minorities, immigrants, people living with functional limitations and a gradient of health inequalities by socio-economic status (e.g. by income, education levels, employment and occupation status)

“Yet, it appears that these patients who stand to benefit the most from telemedicine are also often those who are least likely to be able to access and make use of it. For instance, for low-income individuals or households, the cost of buying suitable equipment to engage in telemedicine could be prohibitive. Age has also been recognised as having a significant influence on the ability to use telemedicine, since older, less mobile people may be less comfortable with using new technologies compared to younger people. Other factors such as ethnicity, culture, language or religion can also have an impact on people’s willingness to use telemedicine services, particularly if these aspects have not been taken into account during the development stage of the system. There is also the challenge of lack of digital health literacy among certain populations in Canada. Individuals with lower levels of digital literacy tend to come disproportionally from population groups with lower socio-economic status or education levels, ethnic minorities and older adults, putting them at greatest risk of exclusion from technological advancements. For instance, in Canada, adult competency scores assessed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) suggest that skills associated with digital literacy—such as numeracy and problem-solving skills in technology-rich environments—are lower in areas with higher percentages of indigenous or immigrant populations.”

Source: Hafner M, Yerushalmi E, Dufresne E, Gkousis E. The potential socio-economic impact of telemedicine in Canada. Rand Health Q. 2022;9(3):6. Published 2022 Jun 30.

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“This mixed methods study explored the initial experiences and perspectives of 5651 patients about MyChart implementation at a large community hospital, including facilitators and barriers to accessing and using the portal. While most patients learned about MyChart through postvisit summaries, hospital staff, and email communications, barriers such as limited awareness, misconception around cost, registration difficulties, and unclear benefits of the portal hindered its uptake among nonusers. Users generally perceived MyChart to be user-friendly and enhance their ability to understand and prepare for their care. However, both users and nonusers highlighted the importance of a portal meeting their needs and expectations as a condition for uptake and impact on their care. Many participants highlighted a desire for more functionalities, such as access to imaging results, consultation notes, messaging with providers, and tools for interpreting medical information, which was often driven by comparisons to patient portals at other hospitals that offered more features. Expectations also included connectivity across a range of providers and institutions, frictionless account set-up and access, and technical support. Nonusers expressed interest in learning more about MyChart and its specific functionalities through educational materials to help them better understand the portal and its benefits, as well as technical and registration support to facilitate easier access.”

Source: Vanderhout S, Taneja S, Kalia K, Wodchis WP, Tang T. Patient Experiences and Perspectives When MyChart is Introduced in a Large Community Hospital: Mixed Methods Study. J Med Internet Res. 2025;27:e66353. Published 2025 Jan 23. doi:10.2196/66353

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“In this study, immediate access to medical records and test results was a complex issue. The majority of MyChart users believed this access empowered them with greater control and understanding of their health information and lessened anxiety associated with waiting for test results. Conversely, nonusers worried about potential misunderstandings and negative outcomes of viewing concerning medical information, especially before they could discuss it with a health care provider. Numerous studies in the literature [28,29] align with these perspectives, indicating that patients appreciate timely information but there is potential for negative emotions. From our findings, it is unclear whether nonusers only perceive the risk of higher worry, or if self-awareness of anxious tendencies causes certain patients to avoid portals altogether. Health and digital literacy may also differ among MyChart users and nonusers, where those who feel more equipped to understand health information and use other tools such as credible health websites to interpret complex details may be more likely to use MyChart [30]. Some research [29] revealed a strong patient preference for receiving test results through a portal regardless of whether they were normal or abnormal; however, health care providers have expressed concerns about this practice [28,31,32], suggesting increased patient anxiety and workload changes due to potential increases in messages, calls, and urgent visits to discuss the results. Many health care providers have advocated for a more structured approach, suggesting that patients should receive access to medical records and test results postappointment, allowing for discussion and clarification of results in a clinical context. However, this contradicts the strong preference MyChart users have for access to their complete health information as soon as possible, even if there is a risk of viewing concerning results without the immediate guidance of a health care provider, and may cause strain on health care providers to review and release results to patients within certain timeframes [2,28,29].”

Source: Vanderhout S, Taneja S, Kalia K, Wodchis WP, Tang T. Patient Experiences and Perspectives When MyChart is Introduced in a Large Community Hospital: Mixed Methods Study. J Med Internet Res. 2025;27:e66353. Published 2025 Jan 23. doi:10.2196/66353

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World Health Systems Facts is a project of the Real Reporting Foundation. We provide reliable statistics and other data from authoritative sources regarding health systems and policies in the US and sixteen other OECD member nations.

Page last updated August 5, 2025 by Doug McVay, Editor.