The Minister of Cybersecurity and Digital, Éric Caire, tabled a new bill on Wednesday aimed at ensuring that health data is “attached to the patient” rather than to the place where the care was provided.
“When a patient changes professional, when he changes doctor, when he changes place, he has to start his whole story over again,” said Mr. Caire. The bill respecting health and social services information and amending various legislative provisions aims to correct this situation by promoting better sharing of information between institutions.
A first version, Bill 19, was tabled in December 2021 by the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, but died on the order paper at the end of the last session.
Mr. Dubé underlined his joy at being able to submit the legislative text early during this second term of the Legault government, because it is essential to the realization of his plan to “refound” the health system. “We saw it particularly at the start of the pandemic that we lacked a lot of information to be able to take the right steps,” he said.
Like vaccination, “everything must be done by telephone or computer” in terms of health data, argued Mr. Dubé. “We are not here today. But according to him, the bill will promote a flow of information more “fluid but also safer”.
If adopted, the legislative text will also make it possible to consolidate the rules governing access to information on health and social services, which are currently scattered in various laws.
This situation complicates the work of personnel in the field, said Minister Dubé. “Who hasn’t heard a doctor or a nurse complain about not having access to their patient’s data? »
Éric Caire wanted to be reassuring to Quebecers who might have concerns about the protection of their personal information. Mechanisms are provided to ensure security and confidentiality.
Further details will follow.