Introduction
Newfoundland and Labrador’s Personal Health Information Act (PHIA) is a law which establishes rules regarding how your personal health information is to be handled. It protects your privacy as well as your right of access to your own personal health information.
PHIA governs information held by custodians of your personal health information, whether in the public sector, such as your nearest hospital, or the private sector, such as a dentist or pharmacist. Most personal health information, with few exceptions, is considered to be in the control or custody of a custodian and is therefore covered by PHIA. Examples of some major custodians include:
- Eastern Health, Central Health, Labrador Grenfell Health and Western Health;
- Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information;
- Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission;
- Regulated health professionals in private practice, such as doctors, dentists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, etc.;
- Faculty of Medicine and the Schools of Nursing, Pharmacy, and Human Kinetics and Recreation at Memorial University.
PHIA recognizes that you expect your health information to remain confidential and that it should only be collected, used or disclosed for purposes related to your care and treatment. However, PHIA also acknowledges that personal health information is sometimes needed to manage the health care system, for health research and for other similar purposes. Furthermore, law enforcement officials, health officials and others may also have a legitimate need to access personal health information, under limited and specific circumstances. PHIA balances your right to privacy with the legitimate needs of persons and organizations providing health care services to collect, use and disclose such information.
If you wish to access your personal health information, or if you have an inquiry about how your personal health information is being collected, used or disclosed, you may contact your health care provider. For more information about PHIA, visit the PHIA web page of the Department of Health and Community Services at http://www.health.gov.nl.ca/health/PHIA/.