Doctors of BC recognizes the value and importance of information sharing across both public and private organizations. Information sharing is essential to various care components, including the evaluation of patient care.

An Information Sharing Agreement (ISA)

Public bodies, such as health authorities and the Ministry of Health, enter Information Sharing Agreements (ISAs) when there is a regular and systematic exchange of personal information between public sector organizations or between a public sector organization and an external entity, such as a private doctor’s office (e.g., family practice or community-based specialist). An ISA sets the conditions for the collection, use, or disclosure of personal information by the parties to the agreement.

See the Government of BC’s webpage on Information Sharing Agreements for more information.

The Integrated Activity Agreement (IAA)

The FPSC has developed the Integrated Activity Agreement (IAA) to enable information sharing between Primary Care Networks (PCNs) and their partners. Sharing identifiable patient information is integral to planning, implementing, evaluating, and delivering comprehensive care within PCNs. In addition to sharing information for direct patient care, PCNs may wish to share information among their PCN partners for quality improvement (QI), evaluation, and/or planning purposes.

The IAA provides the legal framework for public providers (i.e., health authorities) and private providers (i.e., doctors’ practices) to share identifiable information with each other and enable data-driven improvements to the PCN, leading to improved patient outcomes.

The IAA will be piloted in select PCNs and is not currently being rolled out broadly. Building on that experience, we will work towards finalizing and sharing an IAA that can be used by PCNs across the province. If your PCN is interested in being a pilot site for the IAA please contact .