Your Rights
With regards to your personal health information, you have the right to:
- see and get a copy of your personal health information with limited exceptions. Under the Personal Health Information Act (PHIA); if you request information about the care you are currently receiving, you have the right to:
- see the information no later than 24 hours after requesting it if you are an inpatient in a hospital, or
- see and get a copy of it no later than 72 hours after requesting it if you are a resident in a personal care home, outpatient or receiving health care in Northern Health Region (“NHR”)
- name another person, such as a family member to access your personal health information on your behalf
- ask us to make corrections to inaccurate or incomplete personal health information
The Act also requires that we protect the privacy and confidentiality of your personal health information and sets out clear and certain rules for how we can collect, use and disclose your personal health information.
Click here if you want to learn more about the Personal Health Information Act (PHIA).
Who Else Can See Your Personal Health Information?
PHIA permits the NHR to collect and use your personal health information and, in certain circumstances, to share it with others both inside and outside the NHR, without your consent for purposes such as:
- To provide you with health care;
- To get payment for your care which could include private insurers;
- To do health system planning and research; and
- To report as required by law.
Unless you tell us not to, we can:
- Share your general health status (i.e. critical, stable) and location (i.e. room number) with your family, friends and others upon request. If we believe it would be acceptable to you , we may also share information about the care you are currently receiving with your family and friends.
- Share your name, general health status and location when you are receiving care in one of our facilities with a representative of a religious organization.
- Share your personal health information with any health care provider who has, is or will be providing you with health care. Members of your health care team are only allowed access to the information they need to provide you with the care you need. If you tell us not to share your information with specific health care providers, we will not share your information with that provider unless permitted or required by law to do so.
Please tell a member of your health care team if you do not want your information shared with a family member or friend, or a religious organization or health care provider.