Links to Privacy-related Sites and Documents

The Law and the Regulation

• The Personal Health Information Act (PHIA)
  Available through the Web site of the Statutory Publications Office
  
  
• The Personal Health Information Act (PHIA) Regulation
  This regulation has no legislative sanction and the original should be consulted for purposes of interpreting and applying the law.
  

Related Legislation

• Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA)
  This Web site acts as a consumer's guide to Manitoba's access and privacy legislation.

• The Alberta Health Information Act
  Alberta's Health Information Act came into effect on April 25, 2001.

• The Saskatchewan Health Information Protection Act
  Saskatchewan's Health Information Protection Act came into effect on September 1, 2003.
   
• The Ontario Personal Health Information Protection Act
  Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act came into effect on November 1, 2004.
  
  
• The Federal Privacy Act
  This Act imposes obligations on federal public bodies when collecting, using, and disclosing personal information, much as FIPPA and PHIA do provincially.
  
  
• The Federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)
  PIPEDA is a federal law that applies to personal information collected, used or disclosed in the course of a commercial activity. It came into full effect on January 1, 2004.

Oversight Offices

• Ombudsman Manitoba
  The Web site of the office of the Manitoba Ombudsman includes a section on Access and Privacy. The Ombudsman is responsible for overseeing compliance with PHIA and FIPPA, and conducts investigations under both acts.
   
• The Federal Privacy Commissioner
  The federal Privacy Commissioner is responsible for monitoring compliance with the federal Privacy Act and the newly enacted Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act.

Compliance and Awareness Raising Tools

• Privacy Compliance Tools – Manitoba Ombudsman
  The Ombudsman has developed a PHIA Privacy Compliance Tool, and a combined PHIA/FIPPA Privacy Compliance Tool, to assist trustees and public bodies assess their compliance with the acts. 
  
  
• PIPEDA Awareness Raising Tools (or PARTs).  Important information on PIPEDA for the health sector.

Research Review Boards

• Health Information Privacy Committee
  The Health Information Privacy Committee has been established in accordance with The Personal Health Information Act of Manitoba.  The Committee is responsible for reviewing health research projects that involve personal health information held by a government department or agency.

• University of Manitoba Research Ethics Boards (Bannatyne Campus)
  The University of Manitoba Research Ethics Boards are also responsible for reviewing research proposals involving personal health information, if those projects involve personal health information held outside the Government of Manitoba.
  

For more information, please contact:

Legislative Unit Manitoba Health 300 Carlton Street Winnipeg MB  R3B 3M9 Phone:  (204) 788-6612 Fax:  (204) 945-1020