Category: Privacy

I am a calm and logical person. We are facing unprecedented impact in our world and that causes uncertainty and instability for everyone.  I have felt a bit unsettled for a few days now. When I feel like that, I need practical, concrete information to help me make informed choices.  If I am feeling like… Read more »

This is a summary of the new Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario‘s Decision 109, which deals with snooping. Six months after an employee left her employment at a family health clinic, a patient of the clinic complained she suspected the employee had looked at her patient’s record. That prompted the clinic to do an… Read more »

We are the trust builders.  Privacy Officers assist their organizations to earn the trust of their clients, patients, residents, consumers and their caregivers.  These are their stories. Simeon Kanev, Alliance for Healthier Communities   Alliance for Healthier Communities is an association of community-governed primary health care organizations. Alliance members serve diverse communities across Ontario, and they… Read more »

Just when you thought it was safe … a new class action was recently certified after a health privacy breach at a hospital in Ontario. Here’s what every health Privacy Officer needs to know. Stewart v. Demme and William Osler Health System (2020) “The central question … is whether a privacy violation can be “highly… Read more »

Yesterday was Privacy Day. I came to work and saw a new email newsletter from the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. It opened … “Today is Privacy Day. It also marks my last Privacy Day as the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. As my term comes to an end, my thoughts turn to… Read more »

It’s not enough for health care organizations to respect patient privacy rights.  I believe we have an obligation to help our patients understand those rights and activate them. There is a definite power imbalance between health care providers and patients when it comes to their understanding of privacy. Patients (and their caregivers) don’t receive a… Read more »

First of all – it’s time to celebrate. There have been now more than 100 decisions of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario on health privacy.  That’s a celebratory day in my office.  (Note: the IPC did not publish Decision 100 today – so I’ve got to celebrate Decision 101 instead!) Okay – back… Read more »

The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) just released a new blog titled: “Cameras in Doctors’ Exam Rooms? Not in Ontario” and released Decision 98. In this decision, a media outlet notified the IPC that a cosmetic surgery clinic was using surveillance cameras in examination rooms. The clinic had 24 security cameras recording continuously… Read more »

In a new Decision 96 of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC), a father who had access-only (not custody) of his children wanted a certain information from a health care provider. The health care provider refused to confirm or deny they had information about the children. The father complained to the IPC. The… Read more »

Hey Health Privacy Officers in Ontario – you need to know this! The Information and Privacy Commissioner just released new guidelines on its internal procedures for health privacy:  The Code of Procedure for Matters under the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004.  It was updated August 2019. Why does this matter to you as a… Read more »