Commissioner Cavoukian to Speak at the Toronto Board of Trade

Privacy by Design: An Essential Component of Electronic Health Records
Since the introduction of the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA), Commissioner Cavoukian’s mandate has included oversight of the collection, use and disclosure of personal health information within the Ontario health care system, applicable to both public and private sectors. As part of this work, the Commissioner has been involved in a wide variety of consultations with numerous organizations, including CHI, working towards implementing Electronic Health Records (EHRs) in Ontario. Commissioner Cavoukian strongly believes that it is better, far more efficient – and less expensive – to build privacy protections into the design of new systems, rather than bolt them on after the fact – when a privacy breach has occurred. However, in order to embed privacy protections directly into EHRs, some key concerns need to be addressed. Being uniquely positioned to observe and comment on EHR developments, Commissioner Cavoukian has identified a need for strong leadership and accountability in this area. Come hear Commissioner Cavoukian discuss the feasibility and importance of embedding privacy protection into EHRs and her recommended method of doing so through Privacy by Design – now an International Standard. Ensuring the privacy of all patients and the security of their personal health information is the ultimate goal.