Physician engagement is key to digital health advancements

BC physicians continue to play an active role in driving digital health advancements and shaping provincial digital health projects through engagement facilitated by Doctors of BC’s Digital Health & Privacy (DH&P) team. In partnership with the Ministry of Health, the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA), and other health care partners, the DH&P team is working hard to ensure the physician voice is reflected throughout any proposed digital health solutions. This is done by bringing physicians to the table to create solutions that align with their needs in a way that doesn’t add to already existing burdens.

These initiatives support system-wide interoperability of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), easing physician burden when accessing provincial systems, and other digital health technologies that support connecting the health system and sharing information outside of the use of faxing. The DH&P team is also focused on increasing the diversity of member participation in all engagements to ensure a wide range of voices are heard.

Supporting physician voices: 2024 digital health update

In 2024, the upwards of 1,510 specialist and family physicians participated in various engagement opportunities, alongside other clinicians and medical office staff, to share vital feedback on key focus areas to improve clinical workflows while attempting to share information across the health system. This input has greatly supported Doctors of BC advocacy efforts to ensure digital health solutions improve physicians’ professional lives. 

Key focus areas 

The following areas are, and continue to be, key focus areas for Doctors of BC. Here is a brief summary of the work that has taken place with regards to each of these three priority topics: 

Digital Referrals and Orders: eReferrals 

The Digital Referrals and Orders program (DRO) is a provincial platform that enables care teams to electronically exchange, track, and manage referrals, medical imaging requisitions, and lab orders in a more effective and efficient way. As part of this program, implementation of OceanMD eReferrals launched this past summer to help facilitate community-to-community connection between specialists and family doctors, and support referrals in a way that reduces administrative burdens and promotes transparency to patients. To date, 27 clinics have implemented the OceanMD eReferrals program and 88 specialist referral forms have been consolidated into 10 in the lower mainland.

Onboarding is still available for specialist clinics in select lower mainland regions and within the Fraser Health Authority that receive eReferrals, and clinics anywhere in BC that send eReferrals into the lower mainland. If you are interested in having your clinic participate, please complete this intake form after which the licensing fees for both OceanMD eReferrals and patient engagement tools (for patient messaging and reminders) will be covered by the DRO program. This means your clinic can access the platform at no charge. Doctors of BC members and their clinical staff will also be compensated for time spent participating, onboarding, and training.

AI Scribe Burdens pilot 

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Scribe Burdens pilot explores the potential for AI scribe tools to reduce physician burdens, with a focus on saving time and reducing stress for providers. AI scribes can generate medical notes from real-time verbal conversations between physicians and patients, removing the need for the physician to actively document during a patient visit. A formal evaluation of the pilot will be available in February 2025. You can learn more about the practical considerations around this technology on Doctors of BC’s AI Scribe webpage.   

EMR governance  

In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Doctors of BC will be launching an EMR governance committee with a mandate to support collaboration on provincial digital health projects impacting EMR vendors, reduce physician burdens, and facilitate vendor/user interaction. The committee’s objectives will include developing a strategic plan for engaging with EMR vendors, facilitating EMR standards and change management services, providing strategic guidance, and fostering provincial engagement on the development of an EMR Governance Program. The EMR governance committee will have its inaugural meeting in early 2025. 

Current opportunities to get involved in digital health 

Doctor of BC’s is currently seeking member input to better understand physicians’ interests when it comes to the integration of AI in health care. The feedback we receive will help guide our advocacy work related to AI and identify priority areas of interest to help us better support members in navigating and using AI technologies.  

Future engagement  

In addition to the above-mentioned priority topics, Doctors of BC will also be seeking member input on the following projects in 2025: 

• Digital Referrals and Orders, including: 
• eReferrals  
• Lab eOrders 
• Medical Imaging eOrders 
• Written advice (eConsults) 
• eSubmissions (Special Authority) 
• Artificial Intelligence  
• Patient Summaries 
• Credentialling and Privileging 

The commitment level will vary by project, and all engagement opportunities will be compensated through sessional payments.  

To learn about upcoming opportunities to share your perspective and expertise on digital health projects visit our Engaging with you on Digital Health webpage or contact the DH&P team at View Email Addressdigitalhealth@doctorsofbc.ca.