AI Scribes Demonstrate Healthcare AI’s Potential, but Fragmentation Risks Canada’s Commercialization Opportunity

August 25, 2026 – Artificial intelligence (AI) scribes have demonstrated strong clinician demand and measurable benefits, but Canada’s fragmented procurement and regulatory systems could prevent the country from safely translating early adoption into a competitive healthcare AI sector, according to a new Communiqué from the C.D. Howe Institute’s Health Sector Economic Growth and Resilience Working Group.  Composed of experts from […]

Scaling Up: Commercializing Health AI in Canada

Scaling Up: Commercializing Health AI in Canada Health Sector Economic Growth and Resilience Working Group Fourth meeting of the C.D. Howe Institute’s Health Sector Economic Growth and Resilience Working Group Meeting Overview The C.D. Howe Institute’s Health Sector Economic Growth and Resilience Working Group met for its fourth session on June 23, 2026, to examine […]

Les transcripteurs par IA illustrent le potentiel de l’IA dans le secteur de la santé, mais la fragmentation compromet les chances du Canada en matière de commercialisation

25 août 2026 – Les logiciels de transcription numérique basés sur l’intelligence artificielle (scribe IA) suscitent un fort intérêt auprès des cliniciens et offrent des avantages mesurables. Cependant, selon un nouveau communiqué du Groupe de travail sur la croissance économique et la résilience du secteur de la santé de l’Institut C.D. Howe, la fragmentation des […]

Self-Imposed Barriers Hampering Canada’s Life Sciences Sector 

From: Rosalie Wyonch  To: Research spending watchers  Date: August 24, 2026  Re: Self-Imposed Barriers Hampering Canada’s Life Sciences Sector  The federal Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Sector Task Force report recently delivered 39 recommendations to reposition the sector as a strategic, nation-building priority. It identified complex regulatory pathways, fragmented ethics approvals across sites, limited data infrastructure, and a lengthy […]

Faster Processing, Not Co-payments, Needed to Put a Lid on Refugee Healthcare Costs

To: Immigration and healthcare watchers From: Tingting Zhang Date: August 10, 2026 Re: Faster Processing, Not Co-payments, Needed to Put a Lid on Refugee Healthcare Costs The public cost of providing health coverage for asylum seekers and refugees has more than quadrupled over the past five years. The Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) will spend […]

We need to fix how we charge refugees for health care

Published in the Financial Post. The public cost of providing health coverage for asylum-seekers and refugees has more than quadrupled over the past five years. The Parliamentary Budget Officer projects the cost of Canada’s Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) for refugees and asylum claimants will reach nearly $1 billion this fiscal year and $1.5 billion in 2029-30. That’s up from $211 million in 2020-21. […]

Health Sector Economic Growth and Resilience Working Group

The diversity, innovation, and competitiveness of Canada’s healthcare industry – including pharmaceuticals, medtech and biotech, the provision of equipment and supplies, and the delivery of complex services – is a source of strength for the country. Health-related innovation drives exports, supports millions of jobs, and allows for the application of life-saving new drugs and technologies. […]

Five Reasons Why Mark Carney Needs to Care About Healthcare 

From: Marcel Saulnier  To: Healthcare observers  Date: July 17, 2026  Re: Five Reasons Why Mark Carney Needs to Care About Healthcare  The Carney government has moved quickly since taking office, tackling everything from trade diversification to industrial strategy. Yet one area where the Prime Minister has been noticeably silent is health care.  That is understandable to a point. Canada is […]

US-Iran Conflict Has Exposed Cost Risks in Canada’s Healthcare Supply Chain

June 25, 2026 – The US-Iran conflict has highlighted vulnerabilities and potential cost risks within Canada’s healthcare supply chains and reinforced the need for better preparedness for future disruptions, according to a new Communiqué from the C.D. Howe Institute’s Health Sector Economic Growth and Resilience Working Group.  In “From Crisis to Crisis: The US-Iran Conflict and Healthcare Supply Chains,” the group […]

From Crisis to Crisis: The US-Iran Conflict and Healthcare Supply Chains

Healthcare Policy InitiativeHealth Sector Economic Growth and Resilience Working Group From Crisis to Crisis: The US-Iran Conflict and Healthcare Supply Chains Third meeting of the C.D. Howe Institute’s Health Sector Economic Growth and Resilience Working Group Meeting Overview The C.D. Howe Institute’s Health Sector Economic Growth and Resilience Working Group met for the third time on April 28, […]

How AI is Helping with Physician Paperwork and Why We Need to Do More

From: Tingting ZhangTo: Health system observersDate: April 23, 2026 Re: How AI is Helping with Physician Paperwork and Why We Need to Do More Ask a family physician what frustrates them most, and it’s rarely about medicine. It’s the paperwork. Referrals, insurance forms, and electronic documentation – the administrative tasks that consume hours every week and […]

Seniors’ Care in Canada: Strong Care, Limited Access

From: Tingting ZhangTo: Health system observersDate: April 8, 2026 Re: Seniors’ Care in Canada: Strong Care, Limited Access Many Canadians are proud of our healthcare system, and for good reason, especially compared with the United States. But when we look beyond North America, the story changes. Canada often trails other high-income countries in overall performance, mostly due to […]

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