PHIPA Toolkit

On November 1, 2004, the Personal Health Information Protection Act  (PHIPA) came into force. The purpose of PHIPA is to provide consistent and comprehensive rules governing the collection, use, retention, disclosure and disposal of personal health information in the custody and control of health information custodians. Health information custodians, such as hospitals and long term care facilities, employ many social workers and social service workers.  Additionally, social workers or social service workers in private practice or who are employed by an agency that is not a health information custodian may, if they provide health care, be considered to be health information custodians under this legislation. To assist members’ understanding of this complex legislation, the College developed a toolkit. The toolkit explains the purposes of the PHIPA, provides important background information on the Act, and explains who is covered by the Act using a decision tree that will help members to determine their responsibilities under the Act.

The toolkit was mailed to all members in October 2005.  Additional copies are available to purchase from the College.  If you would like to order a copy, please complete the order form and return it by fax or mail to the College.

The funding for the toolkit was assisted through a grant received from the Health Information Privacy Unit of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.