AHS Shut Down/Postponement of New Clinical Trials

AHS System Implementation to Result in Shut Down/Postponement of New Clinical Trials on July 29, 2022

Alberta Health Services (“AHS”) is in the process of implementing a new Electronic Medical Record (“EMR”) system called EPIC. EPIC is a necessary and much-anticipated modernization of the current EMR system and is expected to “go live” in late October/early November, 2022.

The next phase of implementation involves the Foothills Campus and the Tom Baker Cancer Center (“TBCC”) and will have a very serious impact on cancer patients.

This week, we were advised by the physicians in the myeloma tumour group at the TBCC that as of July 29, 2022, the launch of new clinical trials at the TBCC and the Foothills Campus will be shut down or prohibited for the next 6 months due to lack of adequate funding and/or staff to initiate these trials into the new EMR system. This will create a backlog and another additional delay of at least 6 more months.

This is a very dangerous decision, and it is not an understatement to say that this could be a matter of life or death for some of us.

Because of financial restrictions and costs, our federal regulatory bodies and health care system do not grant us (cancer patients) access to most of the latest and highly effective cancer therapies approved by bodies such as the FDA or EMA. Therefore, the only way we can access these lifesaving therapies is through clinical trials. Postponing new clinical trials will endanger our wellbeing and survival.

SAMPS has written to Premier Jason Kenney, Minister of Health Jason Copping, and AHS asking for their support in intervening with Cancer Care Alberta and AHS to request a reversal of this decision by providing adequate financial support and staff to ensure a seamless transition that will permit the continued access and uninterrupted launch of clinical trials.

We are suggesting that each of our members contact their constituency MLA to bring this very serious issue to their attention, and ask for any support they can provide to have this decision reversed before July 29, 2022.

While the implementation of a modern electronic records system is very much welcomed it should never be at the expense of the livelihood of even one cancer patient.