Health Information Privacy and the Law: Narrowing Alberta's Accountability Gaps

Current Alberta law does not adequately respond to violations of health information privacy. While privacy is an ill-defined concept in general, there is no uncertainty as to the importance of privacy in relation to personal health information. The increasing use of electronic means to generate and store health information creates an urgent demand for legal regimes that protect the privacy of health information, and that provide mechanisms to facilitate accountability when privacy is infringed. This author explores health information management, Alberta’s current legal landscape in relation to personal information protection, and methods to enhance accountability that can and should be implemented in Alberta.