Nova Scotia Takes Lead in Health Record Privacy
Department of Health (To Jan. 11)
February 13, 2003 4:26 PM
Nova Scotians will be the first to benefit from a system that
will emphasize an individual's privacy in the creation of
electronic health records.
Canada Health Infoway (Infoway) announced today, Feb. 13, it will
partner with the Nova Scotia Department of Health to develop a
privacy toolkit that will be used by the health-care sector in
the development of electronic health records across the country.
"Electronic health records play an important role for individuals
using our health-care system," said Sarah Kramer, chief
information officer, Department of Health. "Nova Scotians will be
on the cutting edge of developing and benefiting from this
system, which will incorporate leading privacy knowledge and
techniques."
"Protecting privacy is fundamental to the creation of effective
electronic health records," said Susan Hyatt, vice-president,
portfolio management at Infoway. "This initiative supports our
efforts to protect the security of information and the privacy
of individuals, and the result will benefit all Canadians. When
complete, the privacy toolkit will be available for other provinces
to use."
Electronic health records provide a secure and confidential
record of health history and care, including doctor's visits,
hospital stays, prescription drugs, laboratory tests, and other
key information that helps health professionals provide better
care.
The privacy toolkit will give health-care professionals samples
and reliable information to use when building their privacy
programs. It will include privacy policies and principles from
different jurisdictions, and summaries of providers' practice
standards. Best practices will be identified on a national and
international basis.
Infoway is an independent corporation whose members are federal,
provincial and territorial deputy ministers of health. Its
mission is to foster and accelerate the development and adoption
of compatible electronic health information systems in Canada by
investing strategically and working in partnership with governments,
the health sector, the private sector and other stakeholders.
Information on Infoway is available on the Web site at
www.infoway-inforoute.ca .
FOR BROADCAST USE:
Nova Scotians will be the first to benefit from a system
that will emphasize an individual's privacy in the creation of
electronic health records.
Canada Health Infoway will work with the Nova Scotia
Department of Health to develop a privacy toolkit for the health-
care sector that will be used in the development of electronic
health records across Canada.
The new system puts Nova Scotia on the cutting edge by
incorporating leading privacy knowledge and techniques in
electronic health files, says Sarah Kramer, the health
department's chief information officer.
The privacy toolkit will eventually be available to health-
care professionals in the private and public sectors across
Canada.
-30-
Contact: Richard Perry
Department of Health
902-424-7942
E-mail: perryrg@gov.ns.ca
Eloi Courchesne
Infoway (Columbia Communications)
514-987-1707
kjd February 13, 2003 4:25 P.M.
Nova Scotians will be the first to benefit from a system that
will emphasize an individual's privacy in the creation of
electronic health records.
Canada Health Infoway (Infoway) announced today, Feb. 13, it will
partner with the Nova Scotia Department of Health to develop a
privacy toolkit that will be used by the health-care sector in
the development of electronic health records across the country.
"Electronic health records play an important role for individuals
using our health-care system," said Sarah Kramer, chief
information officer, Department of Health. "Nova Scotians will be
on the cutting edge of developing and benefiting from this
system, which will incorporate leading privacy knowledge and
techniques."
"Protecting privacy is fundamental to the creation of effective
electronic health records," said Susan Hyatt, vice-president,
portfolio management at Infoway. "This initiative supports our
efforts to protect the security of information and the privacy
of individuals, and the result will benefit all Canadians. When
complete, the privacy toolkit will be available for other provinces
to use."
Electronic health records provide a secure and confidential
record of health history and care, including doctor's visits,
hospital stays, prescription drugs, laboratory tests, and other
key information that helps health professionals provide better
care.
The privacy toolkit will give health-care professionals samples
and reliable information to use when building their privacy
programs. It will include privacy policies and principles from
different jurisdictions, and summaries of providers' practice
standards. Best practices will be identified on a national and
international basis.
Infoway is an independent corporation whose members are federal,
provincial and territorial deputy ministers of health. Its
mission is to foster and accelerate the development and adoption
of compatible electronic health information systems in Canada by
investing strategically and working in partnership with governments,
the health sector, the private sector and other stakeholders.
Information on Infoway is available on the Web site at
www.infoway-inforoute.ca .
FOR BROADCAST USE:
Nova Scotians will be the first to benefit from a system
that will emphasize an individual's privacy in the creation of
electronic health records.
Canada Health Infoway will work with the Nova Scotia
Department of Health to develop a privacy toolkit for the health-
care sector that will be used in the development of electronic
health records across Canada.
The new system puts Nova Scotia on the cutting edge by
incorporating leading privacy knowledge and techniques in
electronic health files, says Sarah Kramer, the health
department's chief information officer.
The privacy toolkit will eventually be available to health-
care professionals in the private and public sectors across
Canada.
-30-
Contact: Richard Perry
Department of Health
902-424-7942
E-mail: perryrg@gov.ns.ca
Eloi Courchesne
Infoway (Columbia Communications)
514-987-1707
kjd February 13, 2003 4:25 P.M.