As virtual visits become an accepted method of providing health
care, it is important to ensure that health privacy laws are
observed. Whether care is provided by telephone consultation, video
conferencing or secure messaging, providers must be mindful of
their obligations relating to the collection of personal health
information, health information security, and ensuring that those
involved have the necessary training in privacy and security.
Ontario's health privacy law, the Personal Health
Information Protection Act (PHIPA), applies to virtual care as
well as in-person care. Custodians1 must comply with
PHIPA in a virtual care setting. The Information and Privacy
Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) recently released
guidelines with respect to privacy and security considerations
for virtual health care. The guidelines set out certain
requirements that must be met when a custodian uses an electronic
service provider. There are different requirements depending on
whether
