What We Heard: Interoperability of digital technology

November 1, 2022

On August 31 and September 7, Doctors of BC held two physician engagement sessions on system interoperability—something you told us was an integral component of a provincial digital health strategy.

These 1-hour sessions, hosted by the Doctors Technology Office (DTO) and facilitated by physician leaders, sought members’ input on clinical needs that must be met by any digital solution the Ministry of Health and PHSA enlists to support system-wide interoperability of EMRs, clinical systems, and other digital health technologies.

Building on extensive family and specialist physician input gathered over 5+ years, participants’ feedback helped to:

  • Validate a list of baseline clinical requirements related to e-Referrals, e-Consults, e-Orders (e.g., lab, diagnostic imaging), and e-Forms.
  • Inform details included in a Ministry of Health/PHSA Request for Proposal (RFP) (posted online September 20, 2022) to secure a digital solution(s) to support a “connected health system” in BC. (See here for details on the BC Government’s RFP process.) 

See our What We Heard Report for a summary of key themes from these sessions.

Ongoing physician input and influence

These two sessions reflect Doctors of BC’s ongoing work to ensure there are opportunities for physician input on proposed health technology plans in BC. 

Doctors of BC clinical representatives are also among the members of the RFP Evaluation Group, whose work is underway. We’ll have more to share on the group’s progress in the near future.

For more information on our ongoing advocacy for digital health solutions that reflect your needs and concerns, visit the Digital Health Strategy section of our website.