B.C. family physicians raise alarm about fragmented medical records

Family physicians say fragmented digital health records are causing major delays that can lead to poor health care for B.C. patients.

The B.C. College of Family Physicians called on the B.C. government Wednesday to make connected health care a priority, noting that the province has more than 40 different electronic medical record systems that don’t connect. The college says the result of this digital disarray is longer wait times, repeat tests, repeat appointments and wasted health-care spending across the province.

Health Minister Ravi Kahlon responded by pledging to make the issue a “top priority” and to look at how other provinces have integrated their records. Alberta already has a connecting digital health system, while Ontario is rolling one out.

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“I welcome the suggestion from family physicians because we need family practice doctors who are independent to think about their systems and how we can connect those systems,” said Kahlon. “That’s the only way we will be successful. We can’t have … just the hospitals, we need the family practices to be connected and I look forward to that conversation with them.”

Kahlon added he is open to reviewing “best practices” in Alberta and Ontario.

Dr. Jennifer Lush, a family doctor in Victoria and college president, said she was encouraged by Kahlon’s commitment but hopes the government follows through because these gaps can lead to poor health outcomes.

“Because of our inefficient and fragmented systems, we’re increasing our medical imaging wait times, which is a topic we often see in the headlines,” she said. “If I order an investigation for a patient and I have that result, but then they go and see a specialist or they admit they’re admitted to hospital and they can’t see the results of my investigation, they will go ahead and order the same investigation, which means we’ve now increased our medical imaging wait times and we’ve increased our health-care costs.”

She said another example is where a patient’s life could be at risk is if they have allergies and a different clinic administers a medication that could be life-threatening to that patient.