Statement describes way WHSCC handles personal health information
The Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission (WHSCC) of Newfoundland and Labrador has released a privacy statement to meet the requirements of the province’s Personal Health Information Act (PHIA).
The WHSCC prepared a privacy statement to describe the way it handles personal health information.
The statement outlines the rights of workers, which include the ability to know who has access to a worker’s records and for what reasons, the right to request a correction of records and the right to be informed about the commission’s policies.
The document outlines the reasons why the WHSCC collects certain pieces of information. Income information is collected in order to calculate the wage loss benefit amount. Bank account numbers are collected for direct deposit of benefits, according to the statement.
“The commission uses and discloses your personal information only for the purposes for which it was collected, except with your consent or as required or permitted by law,” the document said.
The document also outlines what groups have access to certain types of information and why. Groups with access to information include commission staff, employers and third parties, the statement said.
Commission staff, including contracted health care consultants, have access to personal information for tasks such as determining eligibility for benefits and managing recovery and return to work. All staff have had privacy training and have signed an oath of confidentiality, according to the WHSCC.
Employers receive copies of all return-to-work plans, summaries of labour market re-entry (LMR) cost benefit analysis, approved LMR plans, functional abilities information, decision letters and appeal letters which may contain confidential and personal health information.
There may be times when a third party, such as a government agency or private insurance company, requests personal information. Consent is required before any information is disclosed to a third party, except where the commission is authorized by law or where the commission is in the course of pursuing a legal action in the name of the worker or the commission, said the statement.
