Canada's health care systems are investing heavily in digital health tools, from electronic health records and virtual care to mobile apps and patient portals, yet access to these tools and health information remains fragmented. This special issue brings together research documenting the real-world experiences of health systems as they adopt and implement digital health technologies across the country. Drawing on a range of perspectives, it highlights successes and challenges to surface practical lessons for strengthening future efforts. 

As health systems and societies worldwide continue to deal with COVID-19 while also planning for recovery and rebuilding, there is much to be learned from the rapid pace and scale of policy change in Canada in response to the pandemic. This special issue documents experiences, successes, and failures of health systems reforms and policy responses during the pandemic, leveraging the variations that were seen across the country in the nature, timing, and responses to the evolving pandemic.  

With increasing numbers of Indigenous land claims, self-governments and transfers of authority for health services to Indigenous governments, there has been an increase in scholarship and learnings around Indigenous health policy. This special issue is an opportunity to share Indigenous experiences and highlight promising practices for the development of health policy for Indigenous led and designed health systems and services in Canada.