What is considered personal health information?

What is considered personal health information?

Personal health information includes oral or written information about the individual, if the information: relates to the individual’s physical or mental health, including family health history; is the individual’s health number; or • identifies an individual’s substitute decision-maker.

Why is PHIPA important?

PHIPA governs the manner in which personal health information may be collected, used and disclosed within the health sector. It regulates health information custodians (custodians), as well as individuals and organizations that receive personal health information from custodians.

When can you disclose personal health information?

Health information may be disclosed without the individual’s consent for the purpose of complying with a subpoena, warrant or order issued by an Alberta court, or if there is an enactment that requires or authorizes the information to be disclosed.

What is personal health information under PHIPA?

Personal health information is information in any form that identifies you and that relates to your health and health care including, health history, health care programs and services, health care providers, substitute decision-makers, health card number and other personal identification numbers.

What are examples of personal health information?

Examples of PHI

• Patient names.
• Addresses — In particular, anything more specific than state, including street address, city, county, precinct, and in most cases zip code, and their equivalent geocodes.
• Dates — Including birth, discharge, admittance, and death dates.
• Telephone and fax numbers.
• Email addresses.

Under what circumstances is it OK to share information that someone has disclosed to you?

Ask for consent to share information unless there is a compelling reason for not doing so. Information can be shared without consent if it is justified in the public interest or required by law. Do not delay disclosing information to obtain consent if that might put children or young people at risk of significant harm.

Under what circumstances can a doctor breach confidentiality?

He or she cannot divulge any medical information about the patient to third persons without the patient’s consent, though there are some exceptions (e.g. issues relating to health insurance, if confidential information is at issue in a lawsuit, or if a patient or client plans to cause immediate harm to others).

Can someone share my personal information without my consent?

Organisations don’t always need your consent to use your personal data. They can use it without consent if they have a valid reason. These reasons are known in the law as a ‘lawful basis’, and there are six lawful bases organisations can use.