PF02 - Latency tolerance

Description of the control

Document the maximum latency the PST can tolerate without loss of communication or data, or any other undesirable effect.

What this control corresponds to

This means specifying the network latency threshold beyond which the application starts to misbehave (disconnections, synchronization errors, corrupted transactions) - particularly critical for remote regions of Quebec where internet connectivity is often slower and less reliable.

Why this control is important

Many facilities in the health and social services network are located in remote regions with limited connectivity (see the provincial requirement on "remote regions (Wi-Fi)"). A PST that does not specify its latency tolerance risks being deployed where it will fail silently, directly impacting the availability of clinical data exactly when a professional needs it.

How to implement it

• Test the application under increasing simulated latency (e.g. 50 ms, 150 ms, 300 ms, 500 ms) and note the degradation threshold.
• Document the expected behaviour beyond the threshold (error message, degraded mode, queuing) rather than a silent failure.
• Provide this tolerance in measurable units (ms) in the technical documentation submitted to the Certification Office.

How to verify it’s in place

• Request the latency test report and the documented threshold.
• Verify the described degradation behaviour is actually implemented - not just theoretical - via a demo or a directed test.
• Confirm consistency between this threshold and the other performance controls (bandwidth PF03, response times PF05).