Conformance Standards

The conformance standards for developing interfaces to the ministry's health information exchange (HIE) systems include:

• Application enforced rules
• Business rules
• Message specifications and transport protocols
• Privacy and security rules
• Training development and delivery

BC Conformance Standards v3.4

• BC Conformance Standards - Release Notes (PDF, 410KB)

The following matrix provides the conformance packages for each domain:

Domain	Client Registry	PharmaNet	Provider & Location Registry	Provincial Lab Information Solution
Overview:
Volume 1	☑	☑	☑	☑
Privacy & Security:
Volume 2	☑	☑	☑	☑
Business Rules:
Volume 3A	☑	☑	☑	☑
Volume 3B	☑
Volume 3C		☑
Volume 3D			☑
Volume 3E				☑
Application Enforced Rules:
Volume 4A	☑	☑	☑	☑
Volume 4B	☑
Volume 4C		☑
Volume 4D			☑
Volume 4E				☑
Transport Protocols:
Volume 5C		☑

Conformance Standards Description

Glossary of Terms (PDF, 726KB):

Defines each key term, acronym, and abbreviation that is included in the Conformance Standards.

Volume 1 – Overview and Conformance Processes (PDF, 691KB):

Provides an overview of HIE with ministry systems; outlines the content of the conformance volume set; and explains the processes and requirements for organizations to access ministry HIE systems..

Policy for Secure Remote Access to PharmaNet v1.1 (PDF, 416KB):

Describes the information privacy and security rules that apply to end users accessing PharmaNet from a location outside a PharmaNet site, and the requirements of their organizations and their PharmaNet software vendors.

Note: End-users accessing remotely under this policy must be enrolled in PRIME. Remote access is explicitly prohibited under COMPAP and MPAP agreements.

Volume 2 – Privacy and Security (PDF, 612KB): 

Describes the information privacy and security rules that apply to all software solution providers. 

Volume 3 – Business Rules: 

Volume 3A describes the general business, privacy, and security rules that apply to all points of service (POS) accessing and exchanging health information with the Ministry.

Each domain has its own volume of business rules:

• Volume 3A – General (PDF, 548KB)
• Volume 3B – Client Registry (PDF, 475KB)
• Volume 3C – PharmaNet 
  • Note: Contact the CIS Support Team to request a copy of Volume 3C.
• Volume 3D – Provider and Location Registry (PDF, 401KB)
• Volume 3E – Provincial Laboratory Information Solution (PDF, 478KB)*

Volume 4 – Application Enforced Rules:

Volume 4A describes the general rules and controls required of applications interfacing to the ministry’s HIE systems.

Each domain also has its own volume of application rules:

• Volume 4A – General (PDF, 306KB)
• Volume 4B – Client Registry (PDF, 603KB)
• Volume 4C – PharmaNet  
  • BC PharmaNet Terminology Worksheet 
  • PharmaNet Implementation Guide (PDF, 1MB)
  • Volume 4C: Technical Supplement - PharmaNet Message Specifications (PDF, 3MB)
  • Note: Contact the CIS Team at HLTH.CISSupport@gov.bc.ca to request a copy of Volume 4C and/or the BC PharmaNet Terminology Worksheet.
• Volume 4D – Provider and Location Registry (PDF, 433KB)
• Volume 4E – Provincial Laboratory Information Solution (PDF, 775KB)*

* Note: At this time there are no new integrations permitted to use the HIAL transport mechanism. Since the HIAL is the only transport mechanism used to integrate with PLIS, new integrations with PLIS are not permitted until a new transport mechanism is determined. There are no known timelines for a new transport mechanism for PLIS; it could potentially be a year or more. In the meantime, existing applications with access to PLIS are permitted to continue.

Volume 5 – Transport Protocols:

The following documentation provides an overview of the technical mechanisms by which POS systems can connect to ministry HIE systems.

Each protocol has its own set of standards and message specifications:

• Volume 5C – API Gateway (PDF, 496KB)

Note: New vendors must use the API Gateway for PharmaNet integration.