Responding To Third Party Requests

Standard of Practice

Under Review: No
Issued by Council: January 1, 2010


  1. A regulated member must provide details of his or her findings, assessment, advice and treatment given to a patient, when requested by the patient or an authorized agent or required to do so by law.
  2. When responding to requests in clause (1) for information about a patient, a regulated member must respond to the authorized request as soon as possible, generally within thirty (30) days of receiving the request, in one of the following ways:
    1. providing the information requested
    2. acknowledging the request and giving an estimated date for providing the information requested, or
    3. explaining why all or part of the information will not be provided.
  3. Notwithstanding clause (1), a regulated member is not obligated to:
    1. provide a report containing a medical-legal opinion,
    2. provide an expert opinion, or
    3. become an expert witness in a legal proceeding.
  4. Notwithstanding clause (1), if the request is made under a contractual agreement, regulated members must comply with the specifics of that agreement.

About the Standards of Practice

The CPSA Standards of Practice are the minimum standards of professional behaviour and ethical conduct expected of all physicians registered in Alberta. Standards of practice are enforceable under the Health Professions Act and will be referenced in the management of complaints and in discipline hearings.

Questions?

For questions or archived standards, policies and guidelines contact our Standards of Practice Advisor.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.