Disclaimer: I’m not a GDPR expert by any stretch of the imagination.   GDPR stands for the General Data Protection Regulation – it came into force today – May 25, 2018. It provides new protections for citizens of the European Union.  Here is a great website with videos and text to explain it. You may be wondering… Read more »

IPC just released Decision 72 It’s another correction request. The IPC decided not to review the complaint. The medical clinic did not have to make the correction. A medical clinic received a correction request asking that a specific reference prepared by a physician be removed. The author physician had died. The clinic refused the request…. Read more »

The Information and Privacy Commissioner was in Hamilton, ON on Friday with one of the popular “Reaching Out to Ontario” road shows. The Commissioner provided an update on Latest Developments at the IPC. Here are some highlights: The IPC received 629 health privacy complaints in 2017 – up from 269 in 2006 The vast majority… Read more »

Ransomware and phishing attacks are rampant in health care. Ever get an email from a bank you don’t use saying your account has been compromised? Ever get a message from a company with whom you do business saying “Click on this link to update your profile”? But you think to yourself, hmmmm, that’s weird, I… Read more »

One of the top 5 questions I get asked when I do privacy training in primary care offices is: What patient information am I supposed to share with an insurance company? It’s an every day reality that health care organizations receive release of information forms to send insurance companies information about patients.  The queries can… Read more »

The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario just released a new decision under the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004. In Decision 71,  a hospital received a correction request relating to four records (six pages) of information documented in the emergency room. The information was used by physicians to report the patient to the Ministry of Transportation… Read more »

Decision 69 of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario was just released. A former hospital employee (registered health professional who was employed as a Research Coordinator) removed 15 health records, 36 research files and 2 data collection sheets from the hospital’s premises without authorization. The hospital notified police – although the hospital did not… Read more »

Last Friday, the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario released two new health privacy decisions. Decision 68 reads like a made for tv movie. It’s a doozy.  Hold on to your socks. The facts are complicated. I’ll try to simplify the back story. Back Story A patient complained that her former spouse (a physician) was… Read more »

Are you having any fun? I downloaded the Starbucks app this morning and ordered my coffee and egg bites to go.  Easy. When I got to the store I announced “Hi. This is my first time. I’m so excited.”  The 4 baristas shouted in unison “hooray!”  We all laughed. (Yes, I realize I’m a bit… Read more »

This article in the Guardian, Should a doctor always disclose a terminal illness?, had me hopping at the title. Should a doctor always disclose a terminal illness? Absolutely yes.  Every time. Then I read the article.  It gave me pause. Doctors and other health care providers must be truthful and forthcoming.  But, it gave me pause… Read more »