Features continued
31 Addressing Privacy Breaches
The College is now consulting on a draft policy
that addresses patient privacy and unauthorized
collection and access of personal health
information.
32 Medical Records Consultation
Let us know what you think about our
reorganization of our most referenced policy – the
Medical Records policy. It has now been divided
into two, newly titled draft policies that cover
distinct topics related to medical records.
34 Policy Redesign Initiative
Council has approved a second batch of policies
redesigned to enhance their readability for
physicians. As with the first batch of redesigned
policies approved by Council in May, the
expectations articulated within these nine policies
have not changed.
35 C
larifying the Expectations of Effective
Referral
As part of our policy redesign process, Council has
taken the opportunity to clarify the language of its
“effective referral” requirement that is embedded
within two high profile policies.
36
Closing a Practice
What steps can a physician take when closing his
or her practice in order to minimize the impact on
patients? Read about our new policy.
Practice Partner
39
37 Safeguarding Patients’ Health Information
The Information and Privacy Commissioner has set
out some steps to help health-care custodians keep
the health information of their patients private and
safe.
39 Opioid e-Learning Opportunities
Helping clinicians acquire the skills to improve pain
and opioid management is a priority. The University
of Toronto and McMaster programs show that the
right e-Learning offers an effective prescription for
progress.
43 A
ddressing Intimate Partner Violence in
Your Practice
Every family physician has patients in their practice
who are experiencing abuse at home. As such, FPs
have a crucial opportunity to be a support, perhaps
even a lifeline, to such patients.
47
Fast Access to Specialists
The Ontario eConsult Program enables requesting
primary health care providers to ask clinical
questions to a specialist electronically and receive a
response within days, often eliminating the need for
an in-person patient.
49 A
ssessing Potential Suicidality – Patient
Safety
32
Health-care practitioners are reminded to document
all relevant history when assessing individuals with
potential suicidality, says a committee of the Chief
Coroner’s office.