Placing appropriate controls on health data users, while conferring rights on data subjects …that, in a nutshell, is what the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA) accomplishes.

The Ontario government-enacted law that came into force on November 1 applies to all individuals and organizations involved in health care services delivery. These include physicians and other healthcare practitioners – referred to in the Act as “health information custodians” – as well as any agent, who is authorized to collect, use and disclose personal health information on behalf of that custodian.

PHIPA has comprehensive provisions for healthcare practitioners and others to ensure personal health information of patients is kept confidential and secure.

But the scope of the Act goes much further.

It addresses two fundamental requirements – the need for privacy and the equally important need for seamless sharing of health information within the circle of care, whenever necessary, to ensure proper delivery of services.

These are often viewed as competing needs though they certainly need not be.

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