AD-23 PHIP - Administration

Section:  Administration
No:  AD-23
Date Revised:
Date:  10 Apr 06 

Personal Health Information Protection - Administration

To ensure that the Superior North EMS staff comply with legislated requirements for the collection, retention, use, disclosure, and disposal of Personal Health Information (PHI).

Paramedics and support staff shall ensure that measures are taken to protect the privacy of the PHI of our patients.  This policy is informed by the Personal Health Information and Protection Act (PHIPA), 2004.

 All Management and Support Staff

1.  All paper ACRs will be stored in locked and secure cabinets.  Only management staff and some support staff will have access to ACRs.  ACRs will be retained as per SNEMS Policy AD-8.

2.  All electronic ACRs will be stored in a secure database.  Only management staff and some support staff will have access to electronic ACRs.  Electronic ACRs will be retained as per SNEMS Policy AD-8.

3.  Under no circumstances will either paper or electronic ACRs be modified once submitted by the paramedics.

4.      Superior North EMS will have a statement that is publicly available which includes:

a)  the name of SNEMS’ privacy co-ordinator, and contact information;

b) a description of our privacy policies;

c) how an individual can obtain access to or request a correction to PHI collected and retained by SNEMS; and,

d)how to contact the Information and Privacy Commissioner to file a complaint.

This statement will be available to the public on the SNEMS website.

5)  In the event that any document containing PHI is stolen, lost, or accessed by an unauthorized person, SNEMS will notify the individual at the earliest available opportunity providing that SNEMS has the contact information.

6) Should there be a compromise of any PHI, SNEMS’ privacy co-ordinator will be notified.  The SNEMS privacy co-ordinator will then determine appropriate actions to be taken.

7) All requests for ACRs or other documents containing PHI must be accompanied by a SNEMS “Release of Information” form signed by the individual or his/her legal designate.  Forms submitted by insurance agencies are not acceptable.

8) Requests for documents containing PHI from police services will be accepted providing that there is a letter on official letterhead, and that the letter specifies that the police are “conducting an investigation.”

9)  According to the ‘Circle of Care’ principle, SNEMS may share documents containing PHI with allied agencies under the “implied consent” of the patient when allied agencies are participating in the patient’s care.  This means that ‘express consent’ (a signed waiver from the patient) is not required for this purpose.