Newfoundland and Labrador’s premier is promising to fix a policy that prevents parents from accessing the medical records of children 12 or older without their consent.
Premier Tony Wakeham has announced an immediate review of the Personal Health Information Act and other relevant legislations, saying the province’s new health information system—CorCare—does not sufficiently respect a parent’s right to make decisions for their children.
The launch of CorCare’s digital MyHealthNL tool this spring exposed a gap between policy and public expectations, Wakeham said in a statement, citing negative feedback from parents.
“It has become clear that there is significant confusion and concern regarding parental access to their children’s medical records following the rollout of the new healthcare information system,” Wakeham said. “I want to be categorical: Parents are the primary protectors of their children. Our government believes that parents or guardians should always have the right to access their children’s healthcare information.”…