Minimizing the Risk of Abandoned Health Records

Posted: May 7, 2019

Publié le 7 May 2019

The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario has circulated a fact sheet that recommends the best practices for appropriately transferring records to another authorized health information custodian.

Abandonment of health records is a serious problem in Ontario healthcare. The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario receives many complaints about abandoned records and privacy breaches. The Commissioner is encouraging health information custodians to be proactive in planning the transfer of records should there be a change in their practice due to a relocation of practice, a bankruptcy, retirement, incapacity or death. A proper succession plan ensures that clients have access to their health records and minimizes the risk of privacy breaches. To see the Commissioner’s detailed strategy for preventing abandoned records see, Succession Planning to Help Prevent Abandoned Records.