Santé Québec has decided to halt its project to modernize payroll and purchasing management within the healthcare network. The Financial and Procurement Information System (SIFA) and the Digital Health Record (DSN) launch have been postponed for six months, as confirmed by two sources to The Canadian Press.
Erika Bially, Vice-President of Information Technology at Santé Québec, stressed that the DSN and SIFA are key components of the government’s digital transformation initiative for the healthcare network. These initiatives aim to upgrade tools and enhance network efficiency. However, Bially stated that the current conditions necessary for their success are lacking, leading to the difficult but responsible decision to delay the launch of the DSN showcase sites and suspend the SIFA project temporarily.
Concerns have arisen within the healthcare network following previous digital project setbacks, such as the SAAQclic incident, with fears of potential failures in digital patient records. Bially emphasized that these decisions are part of their commitment to effectively integrating essential digital tools while ensuring the responsible management of public funds allocated to these projects.
