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Fax cover page – friend or foe?

Posted on November 25, 2013 by Jean Eaton in Blog

Fax cover pages often act as ‘dividers' to piles of paper – electronic or hard copy.  Many offices still receive faxes by hard copy – and this remains the default assumption as the ‘lowest common denominator'.  I think that the dividers still serve a purpose.

Perhaps more importantly, there is a common practice that the cover page is the identifier of where the document originated, the intended purpose the information was provided, who the information is addressed, and who authorized the sending of the information.

Often the cover page provides clarity to the identify of the individual the information is about.  Many healthcare providers use the cover page as their ‘disclosure log' to meet legislative compliance to clearly document disclosure of health information of a individual.  I don't think it is feasible to add the information to the source document.

The receiver of the information needs this information in order to determine if they will accept the responsibility of collecting the information and the purpose for that information.

Perhaps the better approach is to make the cover page more useful – to both the receiving and sending party – by improving the documentation and adding suggested indexing categories.  This can be easily generated if the sending party is using an EMR.

See also:  Canadian EMR http://blog.canadianemr.ca/canadianemr/2013/11/a-complication-of-paper-faxes.html

best practice, cover pages, disclosure log, EMR index, fax, health information, healthcare, template

Charges laid under the Health Information Act

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Jean Eaton in Blog

A self-reported breach by an individual to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner resulted in an offence investigation being opened into suspicious access to health information. The completed investigation, after being referred to Crown prosecutors at Alberta Justice, led to thirty-one charges under the Health Information Act being laid for improperly accessing other individuals’ health information. Another charge was laid for inappropriate use of health information, another for inappropriate disclosure of health information, and one more charge for knowingly falsifying a record. In addition to these thirty-four charges under the Health Information Act, six charges were also laid under the Criminal Code.

The Calgary Herald reports that Brian Hamilton, OIPC Director for the Health Information Act, would only confirm the accused is not a doctor or other medical professional. The matter will be heard in Airdrie Provincial Court on Thursday, October 18, 2012.

The Edmonton Journal also reported that, in addition to the charges under the Health Information Act, the accused may face up to six Criminal Code charges.

Each organization has a responsibility to ensure that their employees (affiliates) receive education and training in their roles and responsibilities under the HIA. Information Managers can help you by providing training on-site and now by webinar. Click here for more information.

For more information, see:
the OIPC Website (http://www.oipc.ab.ca/Content_Files/Files/News/NR_Oct_2012.pdf)

http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/Charges+laid+improper+access+health+files/7400003/story.html

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/Alberta+Justice+lays+charges+improperly+accessing+health+information/7399425/story.html

access, Alberta, complaint, disclosure log, Health Information Act, HIA, improperly accessing health information, OIPC, privacy, privacy breach, training

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