Public consultation for Health Information Act
The Department of Health and Social Services is currently working on developing health specific privacy legislation to address the collection, use, access, and disclosure of personal health information. The proposed legislation would cover both electronic and paper health records and is an integral step to ensuring the protection of patients’ privacy as we continue to develop and implement an integrated health services delivery model in the NWT.
The legislation would be similar to the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, but would be limited to matters related to health information. The Department hopes to prepare a legislative proposal for the project by mid-2009 and have a Bill ready to present to the Legislative Assembly sometime in 2011.
In 2007, the Department established a Northerners’ Panel, made up of interested NWT residents, and an Experts’ Panel, made up of professionals active in the health and privacy sectors. These Panels reviewed issues surrounding health information privacy legislation and provided input and advice to the Department.
The Department would now like to ask the public for its input and is pleased to share the following discussion papers.
- Health Specific Privacy Legislation Introductory Discussion Paper (July 2007)
- HIA First Discussion Paper (January 2008)
- Recommendations for Health Specific Privacy Legislation (April 2008)
- Rights of Access and Correction (April 2008)
- Recommendations for Access and Correction (June 2008)
- Recommendations for Use (June 2008)
- Discussion on Collection (June 2008)
- Discussion on Disclosure (June 2008)
- Enforcement and Compliance (November 2008)
- Privacy Impact Assessments (November 2008)
- Feedback and Recommendations Summary (November 2008)
Any feedback is welcome and may be submitted by Monday, March 16, 2009.
If you would like to provide comments on the discussion papers and the content
of future NWT health specific privacy legislation, click here, or send your
comments to the attention of “Comments on Health Specific Privacy Legislation”
by fax to 867-873-0484, by email to hia@gov.nt.ca or by mail to:
Policy, Planning and Evaluation
Health and Social Services, GNWT
PO BOX 1320
YELLOWKNIFE, NT X1A 2L9
For further information on health information privacy legislation: