Every Sunday, The Press broadcasts the content of Les As de l’info, a youth digital platform entirely devoted to daily news.
Private folders… not so private
Did you know that when you reach the age of 14, you can request that your parents no longer have access to your medical records? In principle, apart from you, only certain health professionals are authorized to access it. It’s private ! However, a survey of The Press recently revealed that medical records may not be as secure as one might think…
What is my medical record?
Your medical file is a file that brings together all the data related to your health. It can include notes your doctor took during your meetings, test results you may have had, a list of medications you take, etc.
In Quebec, you have the right to ask to be the only one who can consult your medical file (with the exception of a few health professionals) from the age of 14. If it is your decision, even your parents will not be able to consult it without your authorization. The same principle applies in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, but only from the age of 16.
In the rest of Canada, it’s much the same, except that the age is not specified. It is therefore up to the doctor to decide, depending on the situation, whether your medical data should be kept confidential or not.
Don’t touch my data!
Do you know host and producer Véronique Cloutier? He is a very popular Quebec star. She owns a magazine and has hosted several radio and television shows. Véronique took part in the investigation of The Press which we told you about a little earlier.
She asked the Pierre-Boucher hospital in Longueuil to provide her with the list of people who had consulted her medical file in recent years. Result: more than 15 visits in 10 years! It must be said that she had not been to this hospital since 2012, so there was no good reason for these people to consult her file.
Véronique says she’s not mad, because she doesn’t really have any secrets. But if she had had a serious illness, like cancer, these people would have known about it, against her will. The celebrity hopes the investigation of The Press will force the Quebec government to act so that confidential information… remains confidential!
A much bigger problem
Véronique is far from the only one to whom this situation has happened. The investigation of The Press revealed that thousands of medical files like his were consulted for no reason.
For example, at the Sainte-Justine children’s hospital in Montreal, four employees consulted 1,366 files “out of sheer curiosity”. Or again, in the Gaspé, a nurse examined the records of people she knew 2,339 times. These employees had no right to do so and were punished for their actions.
According to an article by Hugo Joncas, The Press
Let’s protect our bees
May 20 is World Bee Day. Why name a day in their honor? Mélanie explains the great importance of these insects and gives you some tips to protect them!
Mateo built a robot hand
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MATEO JARQUIN
The robotic hand designed by Mateo Jarquin
Do you know the superhero Iron Man? A Quebec teenager was inspired by the ultra-technological armor of this legendary character. He invented a robotic hand that can be controlled remotely. Thursday, this project allowed him to win silver at the Canada-wide final of the Expo-Sciences! We present to you Mateo and his incredible hand.
Mateo Jarquin is 15 years old and goes to secondary school Alexander Galt Regional High School, located in the city of Sherbrooke. At the end of April, he won the Réseau Technoscience bronze medal at the Quebec finals of Expo-Sciences Hydro-Québec, a scientific competition in which all Quebecers aged 6 to 20 can participate.
His project was selected for another competition: the Canada-Wide Science Fair, where the best projects in the country meet. Over the past few days, Mateo traveled to Edmonton, Alberta to show off his robot hand to the judges. Guess what ? He won a silver medal and scholarships to go to university! Mateo told us about his fabulous journey.
Can you tell us what your project is about?
The basic idea is to control a robotic hand without having to touch it. By doing computer coding, I created software that recognizes hand movements. I put my hand in front of the computer camera, I do the movement I want and then the robotic hand does the exact same movement.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MATEO
Mateo shows us his creation.
And what could this invention be used for?
Lots of different things. For example, to perform operations that are too dangerous for humans, such as defusing a bomb. It could also be used to perform remote surgeries, or just to turn on the television without a controller!
wow! It’s impressive. How did you get the idea to do this?
At first it was just a Halloween costume idea! I wanted to dress up as Iron Man. With the help of my grandparents, I used a 3D printer to reproduce one of his hands.
And then, did you want the hand to move?
Yes exactly ! I wanted to be able to control it remotely. I decided to learn computer programming on my own, using the Python platform. And then I heard about the Expo-Sciences. I said to myself: I have to submit my project to this competition! I only had two months left to finish everything.
What was the hardest thing to do?
Programming ! It’s a lot of work and you have to be super precise. For two months, I spent all my free time doing coding. In the evening, after finishing my homework… in the morning and at the end of the day on the bus… That was all I did!
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MATEO
Mateo with his silver medal around his neck
Was all that hard work worth it?
Oh yes, really! I can’t believe I won two awards. I loved my experience at Expo-Sciences in Montreal. Above all, I had a very special moment during the week in Edmonton for the Canada-Wide Science Fair. I’ve met lots of amazing people and seen some very impressive projects. It motivates me to participate in this contest again next year.
What advice would you give to young people who would like to live your experience?
When you have a project idea, the hardest part is the first step: you have to get started! Once you start, you realize that you are capable. You just have to be ready to work hard, but we can all achieve our dreams!
To see the robotic hand and learn more about Mateo’s project, you can watch this video (it’s in English with French subtitles):
Daily news
Do you think you know the news well? Come take our quiz every Sunday on the Info As website to find out! You can also read news written for you, comment on them, ask your questions and take part in surveys, quizzes and contests. And come back to see us every Sunday on the site of The Press for exclusive news and more. Remember that your curiosity is a superpower! The Info Aces are an initiative of the Coops de l’information.