Northern Ontario doctors rebel over Health Canada rules that breach First Nation patient’s privacy

Mark Blackburn reports:

Doctors providing medical services to First Nations patients in the Sioux Lookout region of Ontario are rebelling against Health Canada over requirements that force them to breach patient-doctor confidentiality.

Twenty-two doctors from the region signed a letter sent Sept. 30 to federal Health Minister Jane Philpott advising they would no longer be following the First Nation and Inuit Non-Insured Health Benefit (NIHB) program forms for patient travel support beginning Tuesday.

The doctors say the forms require doctors to provide confidential medical information that violates a patient’s privacy.

Read more on APTN.

Good for the doctors! I hope they continue to advocate forcefully for patient privacy and confidentiality.