Background
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About the project
The proposed new health information management framework could improve patient care by providing clear rules for managing personal health information. This could support better health care outcomes by:
- Ensuring the right health information gets to the right people at the right time for timely and quality health care through clear rules for collection, use and disclosure of personal health information
- Ensuring patients can access their personal health information free of charge
- Ensuring that information flows to providers involved in a patients’ circle of care, so that patients do not need to recount their health histories every time they see a new provider
- Ensuring health research benefits First Nations, Métis and Inuit, and make it easier for diverse Indigenous Peoples to access data to conduct their own research and drive their own priorities for health policies, programs and services.
Why is change needed?
Health information is currently governed by numerous Acts applying to 123,000+ regulated health professionals, seven health authorities, and a variety of health authority, community operated, and private health care settings. These different rules have created challenges for health care system planning, integrated team-based care, and information sharing with First Nations health service providers, resulting in downstream affects on patient care.
The Ministry is committed to ensuring that the new health information management framework aligns with the rights of Indigenous Peoples and is shaped by meaningful consultation and cooperation with BC Rights and Title holders, Métis, Inuit, and diverse voices of Indigenous Peoples in urban settings.
Previous engagements
In 2022, eight virtual town halls with First Nations, Modern Treaty Nations, and Métis people were held to learn from First Nations and Métis people about their experiences living under the current patchwork of health information laws and how this affects patient care, health stewardship, health research, and individual patient privacy concerns. The town halls provided an indication of how a proposed new health information management framework could support change through a new B.C. law governing health information.