TORONTO — Hospitals should step up their efforts to protect patient privacy by trying to generate less paper and ensure confidential files are shredded rather than recycled, a new study suggested Tuesday. Dr. Nancy Baxter, study author and St. Michael’s chief of general surgery, said the vast majority of patient information appeared to be properly disposed of. “Before, if you got a test, … you treated that piece of paper as precious,” Baxter said in a telephone interview. Researchers collected 591.6 kilograms of paper and found 2,687 documents containing personal information, a number Baxter characterized as relatively low. Hospitals in the province, in fact, must comply with legislation meant to safeguard patient privacy.

Source: National Post March 20, 2018 15:04 UTC