Fraser Health staff and medical staff are committed to communicating with you about your care while protecting your privacy and personal information.
Email and text communication however, comes with risks and limitations that you should be aware of.
What you need to know:
- Detailed clinical discussions, counselling or crisis-related support will not be provided by Fraser Health staff or medical staff through email or text messages.
- Emails and texts are not an appropriate substitute for in-person or over-the-telephone communication, clinical examinations or for attending the Emergency Department when needed.
- Some email or text service providers may store your information outside of Canada. Personal information that you send in email or text messages could be at risk if an email account and/or device is compromised. It is your responsibility to protect your accounts and devices from inappropriate access and/or loss.
- There is no guarantee that Fraser Health will receive or be able to respond to emails or texts in a timely manner; therefore, email and text messaging should not be relied upon in urgent or emergency situations.
If you send an email or text to a Fraser Health staff member or medical staff expecting a reply and do not hear back within a reasonable time period, it is your responsibility to follow up with that person regarding your care and/or appointments.
Contact Information
We welcome your comments and questions regarding emailing and texting between patients and Fraser Health care providers. If you have questions, please contact Fraser Health Information Privacy email at: privacy@fraserhealth.ca.