He’s only been on the job for a month, but British Columbia’s health minister is already pledging to tackle an administrative nightmare that’s costing taxpayers big bucks while contributing to delays in care: the fragmented electronic medical records system. The B.C. College of Family Physicians (BCCFP) put the spotlight on the issue Wednesday, pointing out there are more than 40 different programs and apps in the province that do not talk to each other—which the minister has already identified as a major problem in need of attention. “It’s not a way for a system to run in an efficient way, so it is a top priority of mine,” said Ravi Kahlon in an interview with CTV News. “In fact, I welcome the suggestion from the college of physicians because we need family practice doctors who are independent to think about their systems and how we can connect those systems and that data into the (public) systems as well.” For years, frontline health-care staff have complained to CTV News about the technological tangle on the condition of anonymity, for fear of repercussions from their health authority or Ministry of Health. Family doctors are private entities that choose which software they use for electronic medical records (EMR). The health authorities use one of two platforms, while specialists also use their EMR of choice. That means a primary care appointment can take far longer than it should as doctors try to access medical imaging and notes, often resulting in duplicated medical imaging so the diagnosis and treatment can happen. The dean of Simon Fraser University’s new medical school has long been a proponent of using artificial intelligence transcription tools and other technology to streamline medical practise and reduce administrative burden on doctors so they can focus on patients rather than paperwork. “It’s not super complex to do this,” said Dr. David Price. “The banks have figured this out, so many other programs have figured this out, so I think we can figure this out in health care—but there hasn’t been either the policy or legislated imperative and there hasn’t been a financial imperative for the EMR companies to do this.” There’s increasing pressure from outside B.C. to do so. “The federal government has brought in legislation saying that better connected health information needs to be a priority for Canadians and Alberta and Ontario have already committed to doing this for their citizens,” said BCCFP president and Saanich physician Dr. Jennifer Lush, who is encouraged to hear Kahlon’s support. “But it is really important to not just identified as a top priority, but to begin taking action.” To keep the issue top of mind for him, BCCFP is asking patients and the public to share their stories of delayed care with the minister via email. Kahlon doesn’t need convincing, recognizing that interoperability “is not something that is unheard of in the world and it’s the only way moving forward (because) we are right now spending dollars, investing dollars in repeat items.”
