Privacy and your Electronic Medical Record
Whitecap Dakota First Nation and Saskatoon Health Region are working together to deliver your health services at the Whitecap Dakota First Nation Health Centre. To improve the quality of your health care, an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) secure computer program now stores your personal health information. The EMR system has been in place at the Whitecap Dakota First Nation Health Centre since July 31, 2013 but similar systems have been successfully used in Saskatchewan since 2009.
Why use EMR?
The EMR system provides better security of your health information than paper charts and files. EMR also makes health records easy to read and improves efficiency in the delivery of your health services.
What personal health information is collected?
The same information routinely entered in a medical chart is now stored in your EMR. This includes things like:
• Name, address, date of birth
• Health services number
• Status number
• Medical history, treatment notes, prescriptions, lab test results
Who has access to EMR?
Only health care providers directly involved in your care have access to your health information.
Each provider is permitted access only to the portions of your health information appropriate to the level of care they are providing. For example, nurses see medical information while receptionists do not. Receptionists that book appointments have permission to access only information such as your name, address, date of birth, status and health services number.
Is EMR information secure and confidential?
Yes. All Whitecap Dakota First Nation Health Centre employees sign legally-binding confidentiality agreements and take great care to protect your personal health information. Your health information is only shared with another health care provider if they are granted permission to access this information and if they are directly involved in your care.
Each health care provider is given a unique password so that access to your EMR is permanently tracked in the system with the time, date and the name of the person who looked at your information. Random audits are conducted on the EMR system to further ensure its appropriate use, and to deter any “snooping around”. Your EMR is not stored on any local computers at Whitecap Dakota First Nation Health Centre.
If you have questions, contact:
Roberta Fiddler
A/Health Manager
Whitecap Dakota First Nation Health Centre
316 Moose Woods Drive
Phone: 306-373-4600
