Guidance

Guidance


How does BC’s health sector respect your personal health information privacy? 

British Columbia’s health sector is mainly governed by two privacy laws. The first is the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) which applies to government bodies including hospitals, health authorities, and clinics. The second is the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) which applies to the private sector offices of doctors and other […]

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How do I access Court Records in BC?

Your ability to access court records will depend on the court you were attending and the types of charges.   Court files contain many different documents about a legal matter. The public’s access to court files and documents is determined by policies set by the Provincial Court, B.C. Supreme Court, and the Court of Appeal. The […]

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What is the No-Fly List / Passenger Protect Program?

Since 2001, the Canadian federal government has undertaken a startling number of programs and initiatives requiring the collection and sharing of vast amounts of previously uncollected personal information of Canadians. Many of these programs have been shown to have inaccuracies in the data resulting in demonstrably arbitrary decision-making.  The most recognizable program is the Passenger […]

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Does the purpose of my request matter and does the public body have a duty to assist me?

The purpose of your request is usually irrelevant; however, it may be necessary for you to prove your identity if you are requesting personal information.   A public body typically has a legal duty to assist individuals requesting information.   If your request doesn’t include enough detail, the organization should work with you to identify what you […]

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What are the privacy risks of the No-Fly List?

The Privacy Commissioner of Canada has reviewed the Passenger Protect Program and has significant concerns about it. The Commissioner has said that the Passenger Protect Program involves the secretive use of personal information. Some problems include:  The process for putting an individual’s name on the list is secretive and not transparent  Individuals are not told […]

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Do I have a right to my personal information from a private sector organization?

Private sector organizations generally must give you access to your personal information; however, there are exceptions, which differ depending on whether BC’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), or the Federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) applies to the organization.  Under PIPA, an organization may refuse to give you access to your personal […]

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How much does an information request cost? 

There is usually no fee for you to request your personal information. In some cases, a fee may apply to general information requests, but you have the right to file a complaint about the fee or request the fee to be waived for justified reasons.   For example, under BC’s Personal Information Protection Act, private sector […]

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Do I have a right to access my health record held by a private sector healthcare provider?

You have the right to access your personal health information held by your healthcare provider. In general, your healthcare provider cannot refuse to let you see the information in your file, except if they believe that the access may put you or someone else at risk.   Typically, the easiest way to access your health records […]

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What if I believe my information request has not been properly fulfilled or the information is incorrect?

You have the right to submit a complaint if you believe that either your request has not been properly fulfilled or you have been mistreated. If you live in BC, you can file a complaint through the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia for matters involving private sector organizations or provincial […]

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Do I have a right to access my records held by hospitals or other government facilities?

You have a right to access your medical records held by a hospital, clinic or care facility operated by the government, or in the electronic health record (EHR) system. Your right to access is limited when there is a legal reason that the information in the record should not be given to you.  You must […]

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What is the timeline of an information request?

Once a request is submitted, the information holder usually has 30 days to respond to the request; however, it is common for the information holder to extend the response deadline by an additional 30 days. Information holders can extend the response deadline if it is approved by the Privacy Commissioner, if the requestor has not […]

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What is BC’s e-Health framework?

In 2008, BC’s E-Health (Personal Health Information Access and Protection of Privacy) Act (e-Health Act) was enacted to support the development of the e-Health system.  Under the e-Health Act, the Minister can designate any health database in the public system as a health information bank (HIB) and require it to be filled with information from […]

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