The transition from paper charts to electronic medical records (EMRs) in community-based practices has helped enhance patient care, improve clinical decision making, and facilitate better communication between care providers. But as clinics increase their storage of electronic information and prepare to share more clinical data through primary care networks, securing this data and protecting patient privacy becomes more important.
To help physicians meet their IT security needs, the Doctors Technology Office (DTO) - funded jointly by Doctors of BC and the BC Government through the General Practice Services Committee (GPSC) - offers a variety of training resources that have been recommended by BC’s health authorities. The Fraser Health Authority recently made DTO’s IT security training a standard requirement for clinics who want to access patient data via Fraser Health’s Unifying Clinical Information (UCI) eHealth viewer. The requirement can be fulfilled in two ways:
- Security in Low Doses: Safeguarding Patient Information in Private Practice. A free online course offered by the DTO and UBC Continuing Professional Development.
- DTO Physician Office Security: Safeguards 101 workshop. In-person workshops that can be tailored to physicians, medical office assistants, and/or local IT support staff, typically delivered in partnership with local divisions of family practice.
Both cover common best practices for safeguarding patient data privacy in clinical settings, including practical guides, checklists, and templates that clinics can implement. For more information about the UCI eHealth viewer, contact UCI@fraserhealth.ca.
The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority has also recognized the value of the DTO’s training materials and added the Physician Office IT Security Guide – which provides practical steps and best practices to enhance IT privacy and security at the clinic level – to the CareConnect Reference Materials list on VCH’s CareConnect Privacy and Education Resources page.
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For more information about Doctors Technology Office and their resources, visit doctorsofbc.ca/doctors-technology-office or email dtoinfo@doctorsofbc.ca.