Alberta Commissioner finds minor breaches of Health Information Act by Calgary Health Region

The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta has recently found that the Calgary Health Region violated the province's Health Information Act in the way it responded to an individual's request for access and correction of his health records. The violation was minor and probably resulted from the confusing, multiple access requests made by the individual. See the Commissioner's press release:

Commissioner finds only minor breaches of Health Information Act by Calgary Health Region

January 3, 2006

Information and Privacy Commissioner Frank Work has found that the Calgary Health Region's failure to provide an Applicant with some of the records he requested under the Health Information Act (HIA) within the 30-day time limit imposed by the Act was a minor breach of the HIA.

The Calgary Health Region had provided many of the records to the Applicant in a timely way, but there were delays in providing some of the records, resulting in part from the confusing nature of the Applicant's various requests for records. The Commissioner also found that the Calgary Health Region's failure to centralize and recognize the full scope of the Applicant's various requests for records, which gave rise to the delays, was a minor breach of the duty to assist under the HIA.

As most of the requested records had been provided to the Applicant, the Commissioner found that the Calgary Health Region had conducted an adequate search for records.

Finally, the Commissioner drew the parties' attention to the fact the Calgary Health Region had yet to consider the Applicant's correction request to place information on his chart.

To obtain a copy of Order H2005-004, contact:

Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner
410, 9925-109 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2J8
Phone: (780) 422-6860
Fax: (780) 422-5682
E-mail: generalinfo@oipc.ab.ca
Website: http://www.oipc.ab.ca/