17³Ô¹Ï

How patients can raise concerns

Complaints about the quality of care in a diagnostic facility in BC are best raised at the time and in the place that the diagnostic service is provided.

Patients who have a complaint about a diagnostic facility are encouraged to bring it first to the attention of

• the medical director of the diagnostic facility, or
• the Patient Care Quality Office in the health authority where the diagnostic facility is located.

Depending on the nature of the complaint, the DAP may need to investigate the facility in question to determine whether it is meeting the applicable standards expected, or not. In such cases, the complaint information would be provided to the facility medical director to which the complaint is directed for review and follow-up. The DAP may also use information received in a complaint in planning for future assessments of the facility.

The DAP does not handle formal complaints against individual physicians or surgeons, as that is managed by the complaints department of the College.

Process for filing a complaint against a diagnostic facility

Patients are encouraged to report complaints in writing and may be contacted by the DAP if further clarification is needed.

A written outline of the complaint should include:

• complainant name and contact information
• location and service where care was received
• information about the diagnostic service received; examples include, but are not limited to:
  • diagnostic imaging (e.g. X-ray, MRI)
  • laboratory medicine (e.g. blood or body fluid test)
  • neurodiagnostic tests (e.g. EMG/NCS, EEG, evoked potentials)
  • polysomnography (also known as sleep testing)
  • pulmonary function (also known as lung testing)
• date of occurrence
• a short explanation of what happened
• names of people involved
• names of people with whom the concern has been already raised
• expectations for resolution

All complaints are handled as swiftly as is reasonably practical depending on the nature and complexity of the matter.