Health Care Planning is for Now

Back to Health Care & Advance Care Planning

Doing some homework now will ensure that your vital health history is delivered at all points of care, including in emergencies. This will reduce errors due to missed information, especially regarding allergies and medications.

• Your Past: Medical and Surgical History

• Your Present: current health, medications, testing & treatment.

• Your Future: Health Goals & Planning Ahead (Advance Care Planning)

Health Care Planning is especially important:

• If you have one or more complex diseases (ex., high blood pressure, heart disease, organ failure of any type - even if mild or well controlled).

• You've had any past surgery that might be important for future care (ex., heart surgery or stent; a joint replacement.)

• You're on medications that should not be interrupted (ex., high blood pressure or water pills, anticoagulants, antidepressants/antianxiety medications).

• If you have one or more serious allergies, especially to medications, chemicals, or foods (ex., a shellfish allergy might indicate you are allergic to iodine, which is used in many medical imaging contrasts; soy products are used in most nutritional supplements).

Know and Understand Your Past

Organize your health care history:

Your primary care practitioner (PCP) is the hub for all information and should be the keeper of all important information. However, now, doctors are retiring without notifying their patients, and your files can go with them. They are stored in centralized record systems, and it will cost you $100 or more to get them.

It is often challenging to locate hospital records, specialist consultations, and test results that are more than ten years old… so get them before it’s too late.

Stay on top of your records and ask for copies of everything new coming in. This is especially important if your past is relevant to your present or future care. Make a note to ask for reports and consultations about one week after the tests or specialist consultation.

Ultimately, it is your responsibility to find and organize documents that might be relevant to your future.

Your present: Know Yourself

Patient Pathways has created a free, downloadable, fillable, and printable In Case of Emergency form that doubles as your Health Care Planning document.

This is an excellent time to review your medications and ask what they’re for.

Do your research

… from credible sources on your medical condition, medicines and treatments. Examples include:

• HealthLink BC

• BC Cancer

• Canadian Cancer Society

• Alzheimer Society of BC (for all diagnoses of cognitive decline and dementia);

• Parkinson Society of BC (for all movement disorders) and other health societies.

Be taken seriously

• Know your diagnoses and learn to say the names.

• Know your medication names, what they’re for, the dosages, and the times you take them: consider having a cheat sheet in your wallet at all times.

Be your own medical assistant

Your primary care practitioner has hundreds of patients to look after, but you only have you. Testing and referrals that are recommended months or years from now often get lost.

• Think about the last time you had vital appointments and when the testing was recommended, and then follow up to get requisitions and referrals.

• Frequent examples: yearly physical and testing, ECGs and stress tests, mammograms, colonoscopies (yay), and bone scans.

• Put future testing on a calendar for at least six months before they are due and make appointments with your doctor.

Sign up for Electronic Patient Portals

MyCareCompass (formerly My Ehealth): Sign up for LifeLabs bloodwork and book appointments online.

• Routine test results are usually online within hours (unless special tests need to go to a specialized lab).

• Look for the results and book an appointment with your family practitioner flagged as “A” for Abnormal or that you don’t understand.

BC Health Gateway gives adults access to:

• Provincial laboratory results

• Medications you have received from BC pharmacies (as far back as 1995)

• Immunization history (but not those from family practices or travel clinics)

• Health visits

• Special Authority to see if coverage for drugs, medical supplies or devices has been approved

• COVID-19 PCR test results

• COVID-19 proof of vaccination

Fraser Health: MyChart Patient Portal was discontinued in January 2022. Those already registered will still have access to:

• Personal health records (including allergies, mood tracker, conditions, procedures, diary, upload other, immunizations, weight tracker, measurements, my contacts and medications)

• Messages

• Share my records

• Personal appointments

• Manage my account

• Quick links

• To get a copy of your clinical records, contact the Health Records department of the hospital you visited. How to request your records.

Interior Health: My Health Portal

After downloading and installing the MyHealthPortal app, you will be able to:

• Access and view lab results (including COVID results)

• Access and view Medical Imaging reports

• Access and view specific transcribed reports from physicians, nurse practitioners and midwives

• View your visit history

• View specific appointment details and instructions

• View and update allergies and conditions

• Update your address, phone number and contact information

• Share access to your account

• Request parental access for Minors (0-11 yrs) or Incapable Adults

So that you know, the BC COVID-19 Vaccine Card is not available via MyHealthPortal. Please visit gov.bc.ca/vaccinecard for more information.

Island Health: My Health

• Access and view Island Health lab results 

• Access and view Island Health medical imaging reports

• Access and view certain Island Health clinical documents from medical staff (physicians, nurse practitioners and midwives)

• View specific appointment details and instructions 

• Grant access to your account

• Request proxy access to someone else’s MyHealth account

Northern Health: HealthELife

• View your lab results, including most COVID-19 tests

• View your X-ray, ultrasound and other medical imaging reports

• View scheduled hospital lab and medical imaging appointments, with more appointment types coming soon

• Check in online for walk-in lab and other outpatient services

• Share your health information

• Book lab appointments at select medical labs

Vancouver Coastal Health: No Patient Portal available

Put Your Health Care Summary Together

1. Your name, birth date, and personal health number.

2. Any allergies.

3. Past surgeries.

4. Ongoing medical conditions.

5. Current medications and supplements (some affect medications).

6. Any information first responders or paramedics should know (e.g., things to take with you such as glasses, hearing aids, mobility devices) and if someone else in the home will need care, who will look after pets?

7. Your emergency medical contacts (hopefully, your Representative(s)

8. Any other important contacts (who have access to your home).

9. Where vital documents can be found.

Your Future Health

Set goals and preferences for your future health and care. This is the transition point to Advance Care Planning.

• If you are healthy, what goals can you set to stay that way?

• If you have mild to moderate chronic health conditions, what can you do to better control them?

• If you have a serious illness, what is your plan for the future, and what are your goals and preferences for future care?

Patient Pathways provides one-on-one support in helping patients access BC healthcare services, and determining Advance Healthcare Directives. See our Services and Fees.