eHealth

Faster, safer, better healthcare

eHealth will give your health professional faster, secure access to all the information they need to treat you. Over time, every British Columbian will have a personal electronic health record which will be a secure and private lifetime record of their key health history and care within the health system. The record will be available electronically to authorized health professionals to support high-quality care.

Transition

Currently, personal health information is held in a number of places. Doctors, pharmacists, and opticians for example – all have some records relating to their patients encounters with the health care system. Those records will not be moved into the new electronic health record databases. They will continue to be held and protected by those persons authorized to use them. Personal health information is already protected by legislation: the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, and the Personal Information Protection Act.

The EHR system is not yet live in B.C. It will go live one step at a time through each health authority, starting in 2009, in a gradual phased implementation. As individuals have encounters with the health system – see a doctor, get an immunization etc – records of that encounter can be stored in their own personal electronic health record. As that happens patient information can be moved securely and quickly to authorized health professionals and;

• Enable faster, safer, better healthcare by placing medical information in the right hands at the right time.
• Improve patient safety – a complete overview of clinical and medication history helps to avoid potential errors and complications.
• Provide better access to specialist care in all geographic areas of the province through the increased use of technology and information systems, such as telehealth.
• Reduce travel time allowing care closer to home.

Privacy

Medical records in the EHR will be protected by tough security new provincial privacy legislation developed specifically to govern health information electronic databases. (The e health Personal Health Information Access and Protection of Privacy Act). All patient information will be protected by privacy measures that are among the strongest in Canada. The new eHealth Act refers specifically to the new databases called Health Information Banks that will hold your personal information. The new Act creates a specific legislative framework governing access and privacy for electronic health information databases.

Access to the EHR will be limited according to role-based access which limits what a user can do or view on the EHR. For example, physicians, nurses and administrators will have different levels of access according to what information they need to do their job. Comprehensive privacy policy will be in place to protect personal health information.