TORONTO, ON – While the vast majority of people working in Ontario’s health sector respect patient privacy, there is still a small minority that have not gotten the message. Recently, there have been a number of privacy breaches where personal health information (PHI) was accessed by health professionals for unauthorized purposes. Whether out of curiosity, personal gain or simple concern about the health of friends and family, snooping through medical records can have devastating consequences for patients, health professionals and the health system as a whole.
To address this issue, the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) is hosting an International Privacy Day event – commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) – today at St. Michael’s Hospital featuring a panel hosted by the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Bob Bell. Key stakeholders from across the health care spectrum will examine the challenges and solutions to unauthorized access, and bring attention to the serious consequences for those who invade patient privacy.
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