Health region not to share patient information

The Prince Albert Parkland Health Region is one of many regions in the province stepping away from a fundraising plan that shares patient information with hospital foundations.

“At this time our region is not sharing patient information with the foundation. The board has had a discussion and I think the board and staff at the Health Region is looking at ways where we can support the foundation’s efforts, but at this time the patient information is not being shared,” said Doug Dahl, communications officer for the health region.

“I think there were concerns about the process in making sure patients would be comfortable with any information the foundation would have had.”

There was a change in provincial regulation in April that would allow foundations, such as Victoria Hospital Foundation, to have limited access to the names and addresses of former hospital patients.

A change in privacy legislation about 10 years ago stopped regions from being able to collect this information from certain patients like they had historically.

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Some provinces have already allowed foundations to start collecting this information again.

People are able to opt out and so-called people vulnerable would not be included.

Rob Dalziel, executive director of Victoria Hospital Foundation, said they are continuing to work with the health region board to protect people’s privacy and still have some information released.

“But it takes a long time to put all the processes in place so that privacy and confidentiality can be respected,” he said.

ahill@panow.com