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Getting Started

Last updated on May 11, 2023

Organizations developing interfaces to the ministry's health information exchange (HIE) systems must meet all the requirements defined within the British Columbia Professional and Software Conformance Standards.

To get started:

  1. Download the full package of conformance standards.
  2. Review the full set of conformance standards to ensure you can fulfill the requirements.
  3. Fill out the Request for Integration Services (PDF, 520KB) form to initiate assistance from the ministry.
  4. Follow the integration processes outlined in Volume 1 of the conformance standards. For more information about connectivity, go to the access to environments page.

Integration Process

The integration process and requirements are described in Volume 1 of the conformance standards.

Organizations must understand the commitment required to integrate with ministry HIE systems, including:

  • Conformance standards requirements (e.g., privacy and security, training development and delivery, transport protocols)
  • Message specifications for each system being accessed
  • Vendor and user agreement obligations
  • Connectivity requirements (network, configuration), process and costs
  • Time frame to integrate
  • Acceptable use policy for non-production environments
  • Conformance testing process
  • User/organization support model
  • Audit and compliance checks

The following diagram illustrates the process to develop an interface and integrate with a ministry HIE system:

Note: The timeline is an estimate and will vary depending on the organization's size and experience.

 

For any related questions, please email Conformance, Integration and Standards at:

HLTH.CISSupport@gov.bc.ca