“The Resource Matching & Referral program is committed to ensuring that a patients’ personal health information remains confidential and is only made available to the right clinicians at the right time.”
The RM&R application collects relevant personal health information (PHI) to match and refer patients to appropriate healthcare programs and services. A patient’s PHI is made available to other healthcare organizations and professionals, sometimes called health information custodians (HICs), in order to allow the referral to be reviewed, managed and to provide the patient with health care and treatment. All parties involved in the RM&R application handle a patient’s PHI with caution and sensitivity, in accordance with Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPPA), other applicable laws and RM&R policies and procedures. Clinicians sending referrals through the RM&R application rely on implied consent from the patient, unless they know that the patient has previously withdrawn or withheld consent. All organizations that use the RM&R application to make referrals have signed the RM&R Data Sharing Agreement, whereby agreeing to have policies and procedures that comply with the Agreement and PHIPA. Additionally, all RM&R program team members must annually complete a privacy education and successfully perform a privacy quiz to ensure they understand their roles and responsibilities in protecting privacy.
RM&R’s privacy program is overseen by the RM&R Privacy & Security Working Group and the RM&R Executive Committee. The privacy program ensures that the RM&R application and program adequately addresses potential privacy concerns. UHN acts as the Health Information Network Provider (HINP) for the system, sometimes as an Agent working on behalf of the Participating Sites, and also as a Participating Site that contributes and reviews referrals.
You can learn more about the RM&R program’s privacy and security program by clicking here to download a printable brochure.
Click here to view RM&R’s HINP notice.
Click here to view RM&R’s Privacy Training Manual.
Click here to view RM&R’s Privacy and Security HIC Manual.
- University Health Network's Privacy Policies
- The Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004
- Guidelines for the Protection of Health Information Canada's Health Informatics Association (COACH)
- Privacy Best Practices Guidelines Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR)
- Health Information Privacy Code Canadian Medical Association (CMA)
- Model Code for the Protection of Personal Information Canadian Standards Association (CSA)
- Canada Health Infoway Privacy & Security Architecture Canada Health Infoway (CHI)
- Guide to Information Security for the Health Sector eHealth Ontario