Connect Every Visit
Are you a patient in BC and wondered why your doctor is still using a fax machine? It’s because BC has over 40 different digital health systems that don’t talk to each other.
That means your health information doesn’t always follow you, costing time, safety, and continuity of care.
The system isn’t working for British Columbians
Systems that don’t speak to each other are undermining the care British Columbians depend on.
Family physicians want to spend their time with patients, not fighting the systems meant to support them. But across BC, outdated and disconnected digital infrastructure systems are getting in the way.
In a member survey conducted in February 2026, the BC College of Family Physicians (BCCFP) asked family doctors across the province how fragmented digital systems are affecting their practice:
of physicians routinely navigate between 2 to 5 different digital systems, just to manage a single patient’s care.
are duplicating patient information across multiple systems on a weekly basis.
minutes are lost every day to navigating clunky, disconnected systems, longer than the average patient visit.
It's time to connect health care in BC.
BCCFP - Connect Every Visit Campaign
Ever had test results your family doctor couldn't access because they were done elsewhere?
Ever wonder why you have to repeat your medical history at every appointment?
Ever wonder why clinics still use faxes and phones for referrals?
Case Study: A Broken Bone Away from Home
Picture this. You are visiting Kelowna from Victoria on a family vacation when you get into an accident and break your arm:
Current Disconnected System
At the point of injury
I go to the ER in Kelowna, get x-rays, and the fracture is set and casted. I try to relay my medical information (allergies, medications, medical history) because they cannot access my record, but I cannot remember all of the medications I am taking. They discharge me and tell me to follow up with my family physician to get a referral for an orthopedic surgeon when I get home.
First appointment with my family physician
My family physician fits me in for an urgent appointment when I get home. They have no access to the images that were done at the hospital in Kelowna.
Addressing the gap in information
My family physician contacts the hospital to fax the report over. They are still unable to see the original x-ray. They refer me for another x-ray which must be done before they can make a referral.
Second appointment with my family physician
I receive a new x-ray and now have to wait for the results of this x-ray and for a second appointment with my family doctor. Once I am able to see my family physician, they then can make a referral to an orthopedic surgeon by fax.
Waiting for a Referral
2-3 weeks go by. The specialist responds to the fax and states that they are not currently accepting referrals. My family physician makes several phone calls to specialists’ offices to ensure they are taking referrals. Several weeks after the initial hospital visit, I finally get to see a specialist.
Connected System
At the point of injury
I go to the ER in Kelowna; they have access to my complete medical history already. I get an x-ray and the fracture is set and casted. They send a full summary and images to my family doctor.
First appointment with my family physician
I arrive at my appointment in Victoria for a follow-up. My family physician has all the information from the point of injury and can make an efficient, effective, and accurate decision about the progression of my treatment. They are then able to send a referral with ease through a connected system to a specialist.
Case Study: A Broken Bone Away from Home
Picture this. You are visiting Kelowna from Victoria on a family vacation when you get into an accident and break your arm:
Under the Current Disconnected System
At the point of injury
I go to the ER in Kelowna, get x-rays, and the fracture is set and casted. I try to relay my medical information (allergies, medications, medical history) because they cannot access my record, but I cannot remember all of the medications I am taking. They discharge me and tell me to follow up with my family physician to get a referral for an orthopedic surgeon when I get home.
First appointment with my family physician
My family physician fits me in for an urgent appointment when I get home. They have no access to the images that were done at the hospital in Kelowna.
Addressing the gap in information
My family physician contacts the hospital to fax the report over. They are still unable to see the original x-ray. They refer me for another x-ray which must be done before they can make a referral.
Second appointment with my family physician
I receive a new x-ray and now have to wait for the results of this x-ray and for a second appointment with my family doctor. Once I am able to see my family physician, they then can make a referral to an orthopedic surgeon by fax.
Waiting for a Referral
2-3 weeks go by. The specialist responds to the fax and states that they are not currently accepting referrals. My family physician makes several phone calls to specialists’ offices to ensure they are taking referrals. Several weeks after the initial hospital visit, I finally get to see a specialist.
Under a Connected System
At the point of injury
I go to the ER in Kelowna; they have access to my complete medical history already. I get an x-ray and the fracture is set and casted. They send a full summary and images to my family doctor.
Appointment with family physician
I arrive at my appointment in Victoria for a follow-up. My family physician has all the information from the point of injury and can make an efficient, effective, and accurate decision about the progression of my treatment. They are then able to send a referral with ease through a connected system to a specialist.
We need to connect care in British Columbia
The provincial government must commit to a plan that reduces BC’s 40+ fragmented systems to a small number of systems that actually work together.
Connecting every visit would have direct, measurable impact on:
- Quality of care
- Patient safety
- Access to care
- Physician retention
This builds on progress already underway to stop wasting money on fragmented digital health systems and lays out a clear plan for a health system where every visit is connected.
Share Your Story
Your voice matters. Whether you’re a family physician, a patient or health care provider in BC, tell us what it’s been like navigating a health system where the pieces don’t connect.
Submissions will be published anonymously.
Your Stories
Patient
My recent experience as a patient being referred to a specialist is a clear example of what happens when health information systems do not speak to each other. My family physician had to spend time finding a specialist, arranging the referral and ensuring that someone communicated the appointment to me. I was then asked to […]
Physician
My hospital provides excellent care however their Meditech system is not connected with the private LTC homes that provide the majority of LTC in my area. To update a new FP in Meditech, there’s a cumbersome process that only works intermittently. Emergency department admin staff missed the new FP name on the patient’s chart notes […]
Patient
This year my sister received a breast cancer diagnosis and I have accompanied her to several appointments to help her manage her care. While navigating both the physical and emotional aspects of this diagnosis, I have also watched her become the primary coordinator of her care. She is responsible for ensuring all of her many […]
Physician
Particulalry in rural settings, access to specialty sevrices, with an aging complex popultaion is so unstable, fragmented and difficult that the related records are likewise and the impacts of these siloed systems stressful and diminish time and quality of care and connection with my patients. Furthermore the fundamental paradigm within the Interior Health authority electronic […]
Physician
I am a family physician in Vancouver. I’ve trained overseas and can quite simply say that by far in BC, the navigating the health system has been frustrating, a big administrative burden, and it has impacted on the quality of care that patients receive. Continuity of care and access to patient information across one platform […]
Patient
I was diagnosed with a chronic illness in 2024 in the ER, along with other conditions contributing to that illness. My healthcare needs have increased exponentially along with specialists referrals and an endless lab tests. I have learned that access to my health data helps my family physician stay on top of my medications and […]
Write to your MLA
Help us make the case for change. Add your voice and tell your MLA that connected care matters.
If you’re a family physician, you can access a modified template to send to your MLA here.
For more information, check out: www.bccfp.bc.ca