Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The question I have today is for the Minister of Health and Social Services, and it may seem like a small issue, but it’s a very important issue when a family is in crisis and a loved one is in the care of a health care facility.
So, I’d like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services if he is aware of a policy that would guide a health care professional or a person in administration when answering an inquiry about the condition of a patient. Let me give you an example. I recently had a constituent who was in the hospital who was nearing end of life, and her son called from another jurisdiction to inquire about his mother’s condition. When the person speaking on the phone checked the list – which I wasn’t aware there was such a thing – this individual’s name was not on the list, so they were notified, I’m sorry, your name is not on the approved list of people we can discuss your mother’s condition with.
I’m bringing this up today because I know it seems like a small thing that I could just as easily ask you personally, but I want other people to be aware of it, too, who may be listening. If people are required to have a list of approved contacts when they are a patient in the hospital, it is very important for them to know that, because, like I say, the family could be in great strife or stress.
I’d like to ask the Minister, is he aware of the policy of the health care facilities with respect to providing information to people calling to inquire about family members. Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Minister of Health, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the health care system, privacy and privacy rights is an incredibly important factor in providing services, and effective today we have the Health Information Act that actually guides our ability to share information. It indicates when we can share the information and also indicates when we can’t share information. Prior to today we were bound by ATIPP.
So, when it comes to health privacy and those types of concerns, I would strongly encourage you and I would strongly encourage all Members to make sure that when individuals are in the health care system, they are very clear and articulate who can and can’t receive information, and who can be told that somebody is in a particular facility. But if we don’t have that information, we can’t and we won’t share people’s personal information. So, as of today’s Health Information Act, it went live today, prior to that it was ATIPP. Thank you.
For the benefit of patients and patient’s families, then, is there a protocol or any requirement on the part of people in admitting or people who are in administration on the front desk of a health care facility to advise a patient or a patient’s family that this list needs to be articulated and held by the people who might be in a position to give out information on that patient’s condition?
Prior to the actual implementation and the go-live date of the Health Information Act, and recognizing that we have eight health authorities here in the Northwest Territories who have all of their own operational procedures and protocols within the institutions, I can’t say for sure that there was one policy for all authorities.
Moving forward with the system transformation, we will be able to have consistent standards that are clearly articulated and informed by the Health Information Act moving forward.
I would further just like to ask the Minister, then, if he would ensure that there is consistency across the health authorities going forward and some mechanism that would remind patients or families of the need that if they want the information to be made available that they have to grant that authority or that approval in some form, maybe attached to the admission form, or some way, so that we don’t end up in the situation where someone is wanting to find out about something, which they rightfully probably should know and their parent or their loved one may want them to know.
Can we make sure that there is a formal system-wide process attached to this so that people are fully aware of it?
It’s a great idea and I will certainly share that information with the department and ask them to ensure that we have mechanisms to ensure that our patients are adequately informed about their privacy rights and their information rights, and to encourage them to include people who should be involved or be aware of their files, particularly family.
This will be a lot easier moving forward with one system as opposed to multiple systems, and this is the type of conversation I know that the professional staff that we have working on amalgamation have been having.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Final, short supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could that also include provision for a patient to designate someone other than themselves as a decision-maker to work with the health care providers to make sure that list is comprehensive? So if the patients themselves are not capable of providing that information, if they could be asked to confirm a designated decision-maker who could provide that list for the patient?
I know that with the new proposed Mental Health Act we actually have that provision in the legislation to designate an alternative decision-maker. As far as patients not covered under the Mental Health Act or the future Mental Health Act, I’m not actually sure, but I will check and I will get back to the Member.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
