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Strengthening privacy and accountability in the health care system

15 June 2015

Ontario is improving privacy and accountability in the health care system with new measures to protect the personal health information of patients. Click here for the official announcement.

The province intends to introduce amendments to the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) that, if passed, would strengthen privacy rules, make it easier to prosecute offences and increase fines.

Bill 78, Electronic Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2013 will be reintroduced. It permits the establishment of electronic health records by non-custodians. Health information custodians will be given access to the electronic data bank in appropriate circumstances. The Bill involves a major revision to the Personal Health Information Protection Act. In addition, the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA) is amended to permit the Minister to make regulations requiring a regulated health professional College to collect from its members information specified in the regulations that is necessary for ensuring effective electronic health records and requiring the College to disclose such information to a prescribed organization. A member of the College would be required to comply with the college’s request for information.

The most significant privacy enhancements announced below read as follows:

• increasing accountability and transparency by making it mandatory to report privacy breaches to the Information and Privacy Commissioner and, in certain cases, to relevant regulatory Colleges

• strengthening the process to prosecute offences under PHIPA by removing the requirement that prosecutions must be commenced within six months of the alleged privacy breach

• further discouraging "snooping" into patient records by doubling the fines for offences under PHIPA from $50,000 to $100,000 for individuals and from $250,000 to $500,000 for the organization

• clarifying the authority under which health care providers may collect, use and disclose personal health information in electronic health records.

The earliest this Bill could be introduced is late September 2015. Further information about this legislation will be available at that time.

OFC 2014 Fair Registration Practice report

15 June 2015

The Office of the Fairness Commissioner (OFC) posted CMLTO's 2014 Fair Registration Practice (FRP) Report online here.
The OFC gathers regulatory bodies' exemplary licensing practices and it noted CMLTO's detailed 'process map' with timelines as an exemplary practice.

Raising awareness about MLTs' duty to report

12 June 2015

The Ministry of Children and Youth Services wishes to increase professional awareness and knowledge with respect to the “duty to report” suspected cases of child abuse and/or neglect under the Child and Family Services Act (CFSA).
The CFSA recognizes that the public, including professionals who work with children, must promptly report any suspicions that a child is or may be in need of protection directly to a children’s aid society. This is referred to as one’s “duty to report.”
Please click here to read the letter from the Ministry (PDF) which outlines MLTs' obligations relating to the CFSA.

MERS-CoV update: June 4, 2015

04 June 2015

Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health has issued this update (PDF) for health care workers regarding the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) outbreak in the Republic of Korea.
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care provides guidance for the health system on MERS-CoV here.

PHO: new Labstract for clinicians

26 May 2015

Laboratorians please note: Public Health Ontario Laboratories (PHOL) uses different algorithms for influenza virus and other respiratory viruses testing for the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter seasons. Click here for more information about the new PHOL labstract (LAB-SD-076-004).

CMLTO 2014 Annual Report released

25 May 2015

The CMLTO is pleased to announce the release its 2014 Annual Report. Published yearly, the Annual Report provides a snapshot of the CMLTO's achievements, committee reports and financial statements. Read or download the English PDF or French PDF now.

Member obligation reminder

21 May 2015

Reviewing and updating your information in the CMLTO database is not just for the registration renewal period. Members can access the database at any time to make updates. In fact, MLTs are required by law, to update the following information within 30 days of any changes:
• Name
• Home address and telephone number
• Name, address and phone number of each current employer
• Job titles.

Remember to update your information in CMLTO’s database when changes occur. It can be done easily from any computer, 24/7 year round.

MLT Health Human Resource Report released

24 April 2015

CMLTO is pleased to announce the release of its sixth annual Medical Laboratory Technologist Health Human Resource Exploration report. This analysis of the 2014 CMLTO membership data examines MLT practice, employment facility and status, and the provision of MLT education. Health human resource planning is informed and supported by health professional demographic and practice-specific data. Read or download the report (PDF) here.

Looking for a speaker?

20 April 2015

The CMLTO is committed to promoting and enhancing relations with members, other health profession colleges, key stakeholders, and the public. We are pleased to provide speakers on a wide variety of topics, including its regulatory role, the CMLTO quality assurance program, ethics and professionalism, interprofessional collaboration, and the regulation of medical laboratory assistants and technicians.
To request a CMLTO representative deliver a presentation at your organization, please send an e-mail to memberrelations@cmlto.com.

FOCUS: Issue 1 of 2015

11 March 2015

The newest issue of CMLTO's member newsletter is available online here. FOCUS is published electronically and delivered to members' email addresses. Members should ensure that CMLTO has their correct emails to not to miss an issue. Please note the PDF versions on the website are not interactive. Non-members may subscribe by sending an email to communications@cmlto.com.