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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1979-04-25, Page 10tsr 10 --The WinghrW Advance -Times, April 25. 1878 cords Confldenflafity of medical re is tfor OHA seminar here�c ti career of writing medical -legal contained in health records and can be released with a pa enis this led to the commission and to consent or even without consent reports for insurance companies, under a court order or search would walk into a hospital and a tightening up of the Mental warrant. obtain a patient's consent for a Health Act, he said. The majority of requests for cursory examination and would He commented that few people information come from police, then ask the nurse for the have any real idea of the sorts of lawyers and insurance com- patient's records. information their medical patties, he and Ms. Moran said, Another pretext being used by records might contain and en- noting that police must have a private investigators is to phone couraged hospital workers to search warrant or subpoena a hospital pretending to be a look out for patients' interests in while lawyers or insurance doctor at anoth ^ tai who releasing information, par- companies must have either the needs inform- patient ticularly if there is any patient's consent or a court or- admitted for •f._ y treat - psychiatric component to the der. meat. Such a ruse can be un - records covered by simply calling back "If you took a survey on what Ms. Moran also recommended the hospital from which the caller the average citizen knows about any consent forms should contain says he is phoning. medical records you'd be sur- the patient's original signature The Krevprised what they don't know and should be not more than six which was a established Commissions about what's in medical rec- months old. ords," he remarked. Requests for access to records December of 1977, is charged may also come from persons with investigating the con - He added medical records involved in research or com- fidentiality of patient records in workers should know what their pilation of statistical data, but public hospitals, looking into institution's policy is regarding these should be honored only if abuses of information contained release of information and said if properly authorized, Mr. Walsh in the records and recom- the board doesn't have a policy said. mending any changes in they should "rely on your own legislation needed to protect experience and the best advice He cited several examples of confidentiality. you can get". ways in which unauthorized He noted that while the record persons have gained access to bl• h ital doesn't medical records In one case a How medical records should be handled and to whom and under what circumstances information may be released was the topic for a seminal during an Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) education day held here last week. About 65 medical records workers and administrators from hospitals within ORA Region 2, which takes in 24 hospitals in the Wingham, Goderich, Woodstock, St. Marys, Tillsonburg and Kitchener areas, listened to Rod Walsh, a lawyer with the OHA, and Judy Moran from the association's health records section speak on the con- fidentiality of health records. Mr. Walsh noted this subject is a hot topic at the moment and is under study by a commission headed by Mr. Justice Horace Krever of the Ontario Supreme Court following allegations of misuse of medical records. It was alleged through the Toronto press that police officers had intimidated hospital per- sonnel into releasing information. 17 A R. W. BELL 01"om"111 ST WDWCH MileSq e ,524-7661. A FUND RAISING dinner for the Bob McKinley Progressive Conservative teaeraf election campaign was held in Brussels last Wednesday night. Guest speaker Geoff Scott, a former television broadcaster and now MP for Hamiltgp-Wentworth, is shown with Mr. McKinley and the PC riding association president, Margaret Bennett. to a pu tc os belong to the patient, information Toronto doctor, who made a Four hundred PC supporters orters pp attend fund raising n event It OPEN FIRE—Members of the Wingham Fire Department were called out at noon last Friday to douse a fire along the CN railway tracks behind Maitland Estates. A CN worker had gathered some old ties and planks and was burning them — a common disposal practice for many years. However Fire Chief Dave Crothers announced an intention to crack down on all open burnini4 in town, which is forbidden under the National Fire Code. Chris Sakasov and Dave Gosling together with some of their friends stopped by on their way home for lunch to watch the excitement. TODAYS CHILD +� BY HELEN ALLEN Tommy is a strong, slender boy with brown wavy hair and dark eyes. Anglo-Saxon in descent, he is in excel'ent health. Tommy 10, is an intelligent lad interested in almost everything. He Is not now working up to his potential because of unsettled early years and is in an ungraded class of only five students, working at the Grades 3 and 4 level. Keen on most sports, Tommy likes to be active. He plays soccer, baseball and floor hockey. He belongs to the Y and is taking swimming lessons. He loves camping. He likes art and is good in crafts. Tommy is living in a small Institution for children with emotional problems. The staff is ready to help him and a new family understand one another. Tommy will be a fine son forpparents who can be patient while he comes to believe cis really their son. To Inquire about adoptingg Tommyy, please write to Today's Child, Ministry of Corrtmunity and Social Ser- vice, Box 8f38 Station K Torohto, Ontario M4P 2H2. In your letter tell something of your present family and your way of life. For general adoption Information, contact your local Children's Aid Society. About 400 enthusiastic Pro- Trudeau government has Conservative leader would make gressive Conservatives gathered operated. a better prime minister than the in Brussels April 18 to raise funds All major political parties one the country has had for the and support for the campaign of supported in principle the move past 11 years. Huron -Bruce MP Bob McKinley. to the metric system on a trial Guest speaker at the fund basis, but the Liberals pushed raising rally was Geoff Scott, ahead with the plans, Mr. Scott Hamilton -Wentworth member of claimed. parliament. Though no estimates have ever Mr. McKinley, who has held his been made public on the cost of seat in parliament since 1965, metrification, the Liberal said spending has gotten out of government has forged ahead control in Ottawa. He charged with the program, making the that Prime Minister Pierre metric system mandatory, while Trudeau eliminated a process in Canada's largest trading part - which any member of parliament ner, the U.S., continues to use the could question government metric system on a voluntary spending estimates. Mr. Trudeau basis. replaced that practice with a The metric units adopted by system in which committees the Canadian government aren't hammer out differences of identical to those used in the U.S. opinion on government spending and Europe, he said. and closure is used if discussion Mr. Scott said he decided to is not completed, on time. enter politics and leave' jour - nalism because of what he saw on A government led by PC leader the political scene. Joe Clark would give members of parliament a chance to see how "I became heartsick at what money is being spent, Mr. Pierre Elliott Trudeau was doing McKinley said. to our country," he lamented. The present system has One of the ironies of the present allowed federal government political campaign presented by spending to increase to $52 billion the Liberals is that Mr. Trudeau a year from the $12 billion spent is claiming he is the only one who the year Mr. Trudeau took office can keep Canada unified, while in 1968. the same prime minister was in The most recent byelections power in 1968 and should have showed a definite swing in voter been able to prevent the current popularity in favor of the separatism crisis if what he now Progressive Conservatives and claims is true, Mr. Scott even at the local level, the tur- suggested. nout at PC fund raising dinners The guest speaker said he held at recent elections shows a makes as much use as possible in shift in the direction of the Torys, his riding campaign of the Mr. McKinley said. leadership of Joe Clark and told the crowd at Brussels that people In the 1972 election campaign wondering about the kind of there were about 250 supporters prime minister Mr. Clark would of the party at a local fund be if his party wins the election raising dinner, while attendance should know that the Progressive had grown to 400 at last week's fund raising meeting. s Support for the Progressive Conservatives is aided by the desire by many voters to get rid of the Trudeau government. Mr. Scott, a former television oil reporter, told the crowd the switch to the metric system was NOTICE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME commences in the Town of Wingham on SUNDAY, APRIL 29 at 2:00 a.m. William Renwick, Clerk Town of Wingham "What this country needs ...is effective leadership." - Moira Couper, Ed Broadbent NDP Huron - COUPER NDP Bruce Bayfield 565-2522 Exeter 229-6223 Seaforth 527-1860 Clinton 482-3208 Goderich 524-2756 Wingham 357-1594 (Authorized by official agent of Moria Couper, N.D.P., Bayfield) A a good example of the way the I I ctricity carelessly taking risks 40 i LIKES TO BE ACTIVE Some prop a use e e that can take lives. But the real shocker is that the mistakes they make are so easy to avoid. G � 7U4S7- WELL PONE I ,L-,� They mess with appliances while they're plugged in. NMMM.. • �1^��� , ST/L L ONEGi//RE • C o � J (_EFT Of/ER They do their own wiring... and don't have It inspected. ROUND THE OL D CAA4PF/RE� I They run extension cords under rugs. The cords get frayed and worn. Id iat.f iy��tlf�''Q ' lay I om two �i 1 , They mix electricity and water. e'' MY ' F-4 vouR/ iE O/W you wouldn't take risks like these, would you? your hydro