CMA Policy Summary. Confidentiality, ownership and transfer of medical records.
The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) regards medical records as confidential documents, owned by the physician/institution/clinic that compiled them or had them compiled. Patients have a right to information contained in their records but not to the documents themselves. The first consideration of the physician is the well-being of the patient, and discretion must be used when conveying information contained in a medical record to a patient. This medical information often requires interpretation by a physician or other health care professional. Other disclosures of information contained in medical records to third parties (eg. physician-to-physician transfer, lawyer, insurance adjuster) require written patient consent or a court order. The CMA is opposed to legislation at any level which threatens the confidentiality of medical records.
D002170:Canada; D032781:Codes of Ethics; D003219:Confidentiality / Q000592:standards; D008499:Medical Records / Q000592:standards*; D010067:Ownership; D033283:Patient Access to Records; D028701:Patient Rights; D012955:Societies, Medical