Veterans Affairs needs to learn privacy protocols from hospitals: CMAJ

Please credit CMAJ, not the Canadian Medical Association. CMAJ is an independent medical journal; views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of its owner, the CMA.

OTTAWA, Oct. 20 /CNW/ - The breach of Captain Sean Bruyea's privacy by Veterans Affairs Canada could have serious health consequences for other veterans so the government must take immediate steps to restore confidence in how it handles medical records, states an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal)  
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/doi/10.1503/cmaj.101556.

Captain Bruyea, along with two other veterans who reported privacy breaches, suffered from mental health issues. As a result, veterans may not seek help for this type of illness because of privacy concerns which may have significant health consequences.

While the government has indicated the breach of Captain Bruyea's privacy is "completely unacceptable," immediate action is required to restore public confidence.

"The Prime Minister would do well to learn from Canada's leading hospitals about relevant privacy protocols," write Dr. Paul Hébert, Editor-in-Chief and Barbara Sibbald, Deputy Editor, CMAJ.

Hospitals in Canada take privacy very seriously and have stringent rules in place to safeguard patient privacy. Breaches are dealt with quickly and often punitively. "Such protection sends a message that the public can trust health institutions and professionals with their sensitive and very private health concerns," state the authors.

"Canadians should not accept inferior privacy standards for health information in federal institutions as compared to those in their provincial counterparts," they conclude.

Visit www.cmaj.ca for medical knowledge that matters.

For further information:

Media contact: Kim Barnhardt, Senior Strategist, Communications and Partnerships, CMAJ,
613-520-7116 ext. 2224, [email protected]