PLEA gratefully acknowledges our primary core funder the Law Foundation of Saskatchewan for their continuing and generous support of our organization.
You have a right to access your personal health information. Subject to some exceptions, you can look at and get copies of the records containing your information.
The Information and Privacy Commissioner handles complaints related to privacy in Saskatchewan. If you are denied access to your medical information or charged an unreasonable fee, you can file a complaint with them.
You have a right to access any health information that a health care provider has about you. This includes:
You can request access to your records orally. If, however, your oral request is denied you should make another request in writing. Written requests must be responded to within 30 days. This can be extended by up to 30 days if needed.
You must prove your identity to the health care provider. Health care providers may also charge a reasonable fee for your request. This is to cover expenses related to providing access to your records and copies, if requested.
A health care provider has a duty to assist you when you request access. This means that they must respond to a written access request openly, accurately and completely. If you ask, they must give you an explanation of any term, code or abbreviation that appears in your record. This will often be done by a records clerk and it does not entitle you to a detailed review of your health history with the physician or provider.
If you review your health information and discover an error, you have the right to request in writing that it be fixed. Within 30 days, the health care provider must either:
There are situations when you can be denied access to your health records. These include when your information:
If part of a medical record cannot be disclosed, health care providers must still grant access to any other parts.
PLEA offers free online training on preventing and addressing workplace harassment.