In: Nursing
The ABC organization relies on personal health information provided to their home care nurses from the patients as well as their primary care physicians, specialists or case managers. Briefly explain PHIPA (Personal Health Information Protection Act) outlines regarding the use of patient information. What could and What couldn't they use, share, disclose etc?
Personal Health Information and Protection Act (PHIPA):
Personal Health Information and Protection Act ( PHIPA) is passed and established on 2004 in Ontario . The act is enacted by Legislative assembly of Ontario. It is presented with a set of rules , that guiding the Health information custodians such as Doctors, nurses, hospitals and other health care providers regarding the use , disclosure and collection of Personal Health Information of the patients, who is coming under their care.
Guidelines regarding the use of Patient information:
Most of the patients expect that their healthcare providers should protect their information without use or disclose it for any other purpose, otherthan patient's wellbeing. The PHIPA act provided the assurance to the patients and Guidelines to the health information custodians regarding the protection and privacy of health information. The key provisions of PHIPA are:
* Ensure patient's right to access their health information and the right for correcting if any error present.
* For the use, disclosure and collection of health information, consent should be required from patients.
* Confidentiality and security of Patient's health information should be maintained by the health information custodians.
* Provisions for the use personal health information for fundraising and Guidelines for it.
* Rules for the use of health data for Research purpose
* Right to complain, if the healthcare consumer is identifying any error in their health information or any breach in PHIPPA.
What they can use, disclose or share:
The PHIPA act is having an impact of all the residents in the Ontario state. But this act not applicable for all the health information of Patient, only it is applicable to the information collected by the health information custodians. The act is applicable to all health care providers, organisations, research and the agents of health information custodians such as homecare nurses or other staff working for the purpose of healthcare providers.
The act protect the information such as:
Information related to :
* Person's physical and mental health, family medical history.
* Name or identity of the healthcare providers
* Information regarding organ donations or and laboratory tests/ examination of body parts conducted
* Information regarding individuals, who need Long term care.
* Health number of the person and the decision maker identity.
The Act ensures that, a health information custodian should collect and use the personal health information only with the consent from the individuals. If other information are serving the purpose, a healthcare custodian should not collect or use the personal health information.
They can disclose personal health information only with the consent of the individual patient. The Act alows to disclose health information only on certain circumstances such as:
* disclosure related risks and about a deceased individual
* disclosure to a heir or successor.
* disclosure for proceedings and researches.
* disclosure for healthcare pavements.
A healthcare custodians should not disclose the health information to a non custodian