Explore this page

Privacy, Rights & Confidentiality

Privacy, rights & confidentiality

When we provide you with care or deliver a service to you, staff, physicians and other authorized individuals will collect your personal information. This is any information that identifies who you are, including your legal name, address, phone number, personal health number and any other identifying information such as your health information.

If you’re a patient in the hospital or long-term care, it’s standard practice to provide people who phone and ask about you with information confirming your admission and location. If you don’t wish us to release this information, please inform a staff member within patient registration or within your care area.

We’re committed to protecting your privacy. We collect, use and share your information under the authority of a variety of legislation within British Columbia, including the B.C. Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), E-Health Act, Health Authorities Act, Hospital Act, Hospital Insurance Act, Community Care and Assisted Living Act, Health Act, Public Health Act, and Mental Health Act.

We recognize the sensitivity of your personal health information and are committed and legally bound by FIPPA to protect your privacy. That means we will treat your personal information confidentially, only use and share it for authorized purposes, and securely store and protect it.

Your rights & personal information

Accessing & using your personal information

Only authorized individuals who "need to know" your information in order to provide care and other care-related services may access your personal information. They may use and share it for the following purposes:

To provide ongoing care and services which you may need to receive
To maintain contact with you about your health care
To gather information from family, friends, and other organizations (e.g. copies of records, medication information, or test results)
To confirm your identity and personal health number with the Ministry of Health Services
To determine your eligibility for benefits and services and for billing and payment purposes
To help us plan, maintain, evaluate and improve our care and services
To enable the British Columbia government and its ministries to conduct planning, performance measurement, funding, and research activities
To conduct research (as permitted by legislation and/or approved by our Research Ethics Board)
Teaching and education (e.g. training medical students)
Your personal information may also be disclosed to other authorized individuals as required by law (e.g. To respond to a court order).

Authorization from other individuals

In some cases, your family, friends, or a legally-authorized representative may provide us with personal information about you or we may obtain copies of records from other health-care organizations. We may also obtain information from other external sources (for example copies of records or test results), or from the Ministry of Health (for example, to confirm your identity and personal health number).

Rights of patients & staff

We protect your rights when you receive care, as well as the rights of employees.

During your care experience, you have the right:

To know you will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, political belief, religion, family status, disability, sex, sexual orientation, age, or criminal charge or conviction
To be cared for in a respectful, dignified and safe manner by competent health care professionals
To privacy and confidentiality of your health information
To expect that you’ll be consulted and will participate in decisions about your health care
To request access to the information in your own health record
To be acknowledged as an individual
To use names other than your legal name

Our employees have the right:

To rely on our patients and their families to participate with the health care team in their own health care planning and intervention, and to use hospital resources responsibly
To not tolerate violent acts and threatening speech/behaviour, both for their own protection and safety and that of other patients

Contact us with concerns or questions

The Information Privacy office exists to oversee the information and privacy practices of Interior Health and ensure they’re in compliance with policies, as well as the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. You may contact our office by phone (toll free) at 1-855-980-5020 or email us. To protect your privacy, please refrain from providing personal health information or any other sensitive information via email.

Visit the frequently asked questions section on this page for more information.

Please note that Information Privacy & Security does not manage release of information requests and will not respond to any inquiries related to obtaining health or corporate records. Visit our Information Requests page for more information

Frequently asked questions

What is information privacy?

Information Privacy refers to the right of an individual to have some control over the collection, use, and sharing of their personal information. In addition to it being an individual’s legal right, privacy is also a personal value that is interpreted differently by each of us and impacted by our age, gender, and societal norms – what privacy means to one person may not be the same to another. While one person may tell you their entire health history in five minutes, another may not wish to disclose anything to you.

What is confidentiality?

Confidentiality refers to the duty or obligation of an individual or organization to ensure that personal and confidential information in their custody and control is kept secure and is collected, accessed, used, and disclosed appropriately to only authorized persons.

What is information security?

Information Security is the protection of information against accidental or malicious disclosure, modification or destruction. Interior Health uses various safeguard methods to ensure that all information is protected accordingly.

Does Interior Health have a policy about privacy and confidentiality?

Yes. Interior Health is legally and ethically responsible to protect the privacy of personal information under our custody and control. Our policy AR0400 – Privacy & Management of Confidential Information provides a framework for the consistent management of personal and business information collected, used, disclosed and protected by Interior Health in accordance with the principles and requirements of various legislative Acts, including but not limited to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, professional bylaws, privacy codes, and standards of practice.

Why does Interior Health collect personal information about me?

We collect your personal information to help us provide you with proper care and services. We also need your information to determine your eligibility for various benefits and services. Under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, Interior Health is obligated to notify you about the reasons for the collection and use of your personal information, and does so on the Caring for Your Information notification sign posted at all facilities detailing the authority under which we collect information.

Is my personal information kept confidential in Interior Health?

We take the privacy of your personal information very seriously and have put measures in place to ensure your personal information is treated in a strict confidential manner according to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Our Caring for Your Information notification sign highlights the reasons for which we may share your information.

Who can I contact if I have concerns that my health record or personal information wasn’t kept confidential?

The Information Privacy office exists to oversee the privacy practices of Interior Health and ensure they comply with policies, as well as the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. You may contact our office by phone (toll free) at 1-855-980-5020 or by email. To protect your privacy, please refrain from providing personal health information or any other sensitive information via email.

How do I get access to my health record?

Under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, you can request access to your health record. Visit our Information Requests page for more information.

What is the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA)?

FIPPA came into force in British Columbia in 1993 and lays out the rules for public bodies’ management of personal and/or business information held in records within their custody or control. FIPPA makes the health authority more accountable to the public and provides strong protection for an individual’s personal privacy.

Under FIPPA, personal information is defined as any recorded information that uniquely identifies you. Some examples are: your name, address, phone number, sex, race, religion, sexual orientation, fingerprints, disability or blood type.

Confidential business information includes, but is not limited to: draft correspondence; financial forecasts not yet made public; some third party business information typically supplied in confidence; specific contract language; legal opinions prepared for the health authority; some quality improvement information; ongoing labour relations issues not yet resolved; or negotiations carried on or for the public body.

Further information is available from the Office of the Information Privacy Commissioner of BC website.