Quebec health minister offers reassurance about digital transformation, delays in cancer treatment

A doctor wearing a stethoscope in this image. Tue., April 21, 2026. (PHOTO: CTV NEWS BARRIE)

The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government attempted to offer reassurance on Wednesday regarding potential delays in cancer treatments as a result of the implementation of the Digital Health Record (DSN), the digital transition led by Santé Québec starting May 9.

The transition is set to begin at two CIUSSSs: the Nord-de-l’Île-de-Montréal and the Mauricie-et-du-Centre-du-Québec.

Quebecor media outlets reported on Wednesday that one doctor had already noticed a decrease in the number of patients being monitored or treated due to the DSN transition in Drummondville, Que.

In a technical briefing last week, Santé Québec indicated that a decline in activity was expected for a few weeks.

All the same, it insisted that urgent or “important” activities, such as oncology or emergency care, would not be affected.

When asked whether there were delays in treatment, Health Minister Sonia Bélanger replied that doctors “will continue to work based on their clinical judgment,” without providing further details.

“They will continue to do clinical work; for them, that is the priority,” she told reporters, avoiding any mention of delays.

“Santé Québec assures us that there will be no issues for patients,” stated France-Élaine Duranceau, treasury board president and minister of cybersecurity and digital affairs, who is overseeing the implementation of the DSN.

“Change certainly always raises questions from everyone, but the alternative is fax machines, paper and pencils, so I have confidence in Santé Québec to manage this effectively.”

Services maintained, says Santé Québec

Santé Québec also issued a press release to “reassure the public.”

Cancer patients should receive their care “within the expected timeframes based on their condition,” emphasized Dr. Christian Carrier, head of the Hematology Department and the Medical Oncology Department at the CIUSSS de la Mauricie-et-du-Centre-du-Québec.

“We want to make this clear: no chemotherapy treatments will be cancelled, and all services for urgent and oncology cases will be maintained throughout the deployment period.”

The CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Île-de-Montréal had explained that starting Monday, April 27, activities would be reduced by 75 per cent compared to the usual volume, then by 50 per cent starting May 4 for two weeks, with a return to 75 per cent starting May 18 and a return to 100 per cent starting May 25, according to recommendations from the DSN provider, Epic.

The DSN is an ambitious digitization project expected to cost between $1.5 billion and $3 billion.

Implementing the pilot projects in the two CIUSSSs is set to cost at least $400 million, with more than 1,000 people involved.

The DSN is expected to merge 400 different IT systems within a single network to allow professionals to view and update a patient’s digital medical record in real time.

Santé Québec emphasized that the system is already being used in 16 countries, covering 2,800 hospitals, 125,000 beds, 70,000 clinics and 580,000 physicians, with a total of 317 million users.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 30, 2026.