One patient, one record, better health

Imagine this: A patient comes into your facility. You look him up on the system and you’re able to see his health care history—his last blood test results, the x-ray that was taken when he broke his leg skiing in Whistler three years ago, the report on his last round of radiation treatment—all in a single health record. This information will support your clinical decision making and plan of care for the patient, resulting in efficient delivery of care and improved quality outcomes.

That day is coming. VCH, PHC, and PHSA are partnering on a clinical and systems transformation initiative that will implement one clinical information system (Cerner) in all acute, ambulatory, and residential care sites across the region. This initiative received final Board approvals last week. Work on the project will begin immediately.

Right now, the three Health Authorities use five separate patient information systems. Four of these systems are at end of life and can’t be easily updated, nor can they talk to each other to share information. The use of Cerner in all our facilities ensures clinicians and researchers have the real-time health information they need to provide the best care possible to British Columbians.

The new system will also support the standardization of processes, such as ordering tests and administration of medications, as well as other administrative functions like referrals, scheduling, and registration. This will allow us to better manage and measure patient wait times.

We intend to keep you informed at all key stages of this initiative. Future communications will also help explain what a new Cerner CIS platform will look like and how it will streamline patient care and information sharing.