(Quebec) The Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ) demands that parliamentarians examine the issue of the confidentiality of Quebecers’ medical data in the wake of the revelations of The Press on the numerous cases of flouted medical secrets.
Liberal MPs André Fortin and Michelle Setlakwe ask that the Committee on Institutions examine the protection of Quebecers’ medical data. The PLQ wishes to hear in parliamentary committee the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, and the Minister responsible for Access to Information and the Protection of Personal Information, Jean-François Roberge.
“We have to make sure that the complete analysis is done, and that we call the right people to ask the right questions and understand the extent of the situation,” explained in an interview the MNA for Mount-Royal–Outremont, Michelle Setlakwe.
“The testimonies in The Press since yesterday affect me a lot and it worries me. It is probably only a few examples that are reported. You have to know how far it went. Does this kind of abuse happen daily? How many Quebecers does it affect? […] Is all this done in ignorance, with impunity? asks the deputy.
The Press reported Thursday that the medical file of host Véronique Cloutier was consulted several times by staff without valid reason. On Friday, it was reported that in Quebec, two women whose loved ones ended their lives noted with horror intrusions into their medical records, months after their death.
Following these revelations, Minister Christian Dubé ordered the CEOs of health establishments to verify illegal access to patients’ medical records and to dismiss offending employees, if necessary. Mr. Dubé also explained that he is considering the possibility of asking health establishments to “take samples” to try to measure the extent of the problem.
“It’s a good first step,” said Mr.me Setlakwe. However, the Liberals want to go further to try to determine the extent of the problem and impose mechanisms to avoid it. Michelle Setlakwe, who participated in the study of the Health and Social Services Information Act (former Bill 3), believes that the new legislation will do some of the work.
“We must focus on it right away because Bill 3 is a mechanism that is necessary, but it will not be in force for at least a year,” she argues. She recalls in passing that the Quebec-wide deployment of the Digital Health Record (DSQ), which should centralize the patient’s medical data, will take a few years.
The Liberals also want to hear from the Access to Information Commission, which had also raised concerns about Bill 3.
It is the members of the Commission des institutions, where the elected representatives of the Coalition avenir Québec are in the majority, who agree or not to hold a parliamentary commission.
With Hugo Joncas