BC FIPA has published a Declaration of Medial Privacy Rights in light of the push towards electronic health records and electronic information management systems.
Declaration of Medical Privacy Rights
The Right to Privacy is a human right and is fundamental to my dignity as a human
being.My right to privacy extends to all my personal health information, regardless of the
format in which it is recorded.Any personal health record maintained on me by any health care provider is created through a special relationship, with the expectation that my information will remain confidential. The confidential nature of this relationship exists to safeguard and promote my physical and mental health. Any violation of this confidential relationship may adversely affect my health and is a violation of my right to privacy.
The right to privacy affirms my right to control access to and use of my personal health information. Any access or use without my consent is a violation of my right to privacy.
Fundamental to my right to privacy of health information is the right to:
a) be told why specific information is requested and if it will be part of a physical record,
b) know who will have access to any of my health information and for what purpose,
c) refuse access to all or portions of my information,
d) expect an audit trail that will identify who has accessed my health information,
e) expect my health information will be maintained in a secure environment that will prevent any unauthorized access,
f) request and receive an accurate and complete copy of my health records in a timely
fashion,g) have corrected any factual error in the records. If there is a disagreement about the
accuracy of the records, it is my right to have the disputed information clearly identified and to append to the records what I believe to be the correct information,h) expect the information will be retained for a length of time appropriate only to the primary reason for which it was obtained. Any retention beyond this length of time must be done with my consent, and
i) seek an effective remedy should any of these rights be violated.