Should the proposed Privacy Act include rules for the indirect collection of personal information without consent?
If the OPA were to capture health information, then it must be recognized that a great deal of health information is collected indirectly through other health care providers and/or relatives or friends whom accompany patients to see health care providers. The ability to share information among providers on the clinical team is critical to the practice of medicine. Similarly, the information provided by third parties is vital to the timely care of persons who are incapable, do not speak English fluently, or whose medical condition has rendered them unable to communicate for themselves and to restrict such information would compromise the quality of care provided. The OMA would, therefore, support an exemption allowing health care providers to indirectly collect patient information as necessary. It should also be noted that many Ontario physicians use outside billing agencies to process their OHIP claims data. These physicians should not have to seek each of their patients consent to suc
