The following is a review of developments affecting health care in Canada

The following information has been compiled from publicly available sources, StratCom does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy or the authenticity of the information and StratCom cannot be held liable for errors.

The Alberta government has spent $59 million to develop the Alberta EHR, (electronic health record) including its implementation up to spring 2004. It is expected all Alberta health regions, 5,200 health providers, one-third of physicians' offices and half of all pharmacies will be using the EHR by spring 2004, with all hospitals and most doctors logging on by 2005. Albertans medical records will be stored in a computer database so that health-care providers provincewide can access a patient's prescription history, allergies and laboratory test results immediately online.

The Canadian Diabetes Association has announced new prevention and management guidelines that include lower targets for blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol to prevent cardiovascular complications common to those with diabetes. The association recommends that the age at which regular screening should be dropped by five years to 40, adding another 2.5 million Canadians who are considered at higher risk for diabetes. The glycated hemoglobin target for most people with diabetes should be 7% and 6% if possible. The guidelines also include the recommendations that blood pressure should be kept below 130/80 mm Hg, that LDL should be no higher than 2.5 mmol/L and that total cholesterol/HDL ratio should be less than 4 mmol/L. The full guidelines will be published in the December issue of the Canadian Journal of Diabetes and online at www.diabetes.ca.