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What is BC’s e-Health framework?

In 2008, BC’s E-Health (Personal Health Information Access and Protection of Privacy) Act (e-Health Act) was enacted to support the development of the e-Health system.

Under the e-Health Act, the Minister can designate any health database in the public system as a health information bank (HIB) and require it to be filled with information from doctors, other health care providers, labs and others in the broader health care system.

An example of an HIB is the Provincial Laboratory Information System (PLIS) Repository. PLIS holds all diagnostic laboratory test results done in BC and is intended to provide simple and quick access for authorized health care providers to an individual’s lab test results. Additionally, PLIS enables collection of laboratory information meant for analyzing and managing chronic disease in BC.

An HIB can be created only for one or more of the following purposes:

to identify an individual who needs or is receiving health services
to provide or facilitate the provision of health services to a patient
to identify providers
for chronic disease management
to facilitate health insurance and billing
for public health, planning, maintenance and research purposes

For more information about HIBs, please visit the BC government’s Health Data Access: Data Management and Oversight resource.

For more information, please visit our health information resource.

Updated 2024.07. 27

These pages were last updated and reviewed in the summer of 2024.

The information on these pages only contains general information and guidance; none of the information constitutes legal advice. If you have a specific issue that you believe is a legal problem, the best practice is to consult a lawyer.

The information is non-partisan, dynamic and ever changing. It is the result of FIPA’s research and public education programs.

If you note something that needs to be added, corrected, or removed, please contact us by email: fipa AT fipa.bc.ca.

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