IT Developments in BC Health Care: Confidentiality at the Crossroads. A BCPWA Background paper

An agreement between the BC Medical Association and the Government of British Columbia covering compensation for physicians and related matters for the period April 1, 2006 through March 31, 2012 was announced on March 11, 2006, part of which provides funding for the use of information technology in the delivery of care by physicians. This background paper details the context of information technologies and health care in British Columbia and the provisions of the agreement between the BCMA and the province. The government is providing enormous incentives to physicians to participate in a system in which all of a patient's medical information would be stored electronically and away from the physician's office and accessible to any of a host of players throughout the health care system over the internet. The Society believes that there is not enough protection of doctor/patient confidentiality in this system or of patient control over their own medical information and that it is absolutely imperative that individuals and organized health care consumers be decisively involved in the development of the system and remain in control of their personal sets of information. The Society lists its actions and recommends that individuals take action to safeguard their personal information and to demand a halt to the implementation of this program until a full public consultation has occurred and appropriate safeguards are in place.