Streamlining how physicians respond to CPSA complaints

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Introducing the AHS Physician Use and Disclosure of AHS Health Information Protocol

While most physicians will receive at least one complaint over the course of their medical careers, it can still be a stressful and overwhelming process. This is why CPSA and Alberta Health Services (AHS) have worked together to develop the AHS Physician Use and Disclosure of AHS Health Information Protocol, which allows physicians who have received a CPSA complaint to access health information directly from AHS for the purpose of responding to the complaint.

Under this process, if CPSA receives a complaint and information from a patient record is required for the physician to respond, the physician can submit the AHS Physician Use and Disclosure of Health Information for Responding to a CPSA Complaint form to AHS, to request authorization to access the patient record. The information accessible is limited to details relating directly to the complaint and must be relevant to the physician’s response to CPSA.

Physicians must meet the following conditions to use the form:

• The physician must be a current member of the AHS medical staff.
• AHS must be the custodian of information in the patient record that is required.
• The patient record accessed must contain information used by the physician to provide the care under investigation, or directly relate to or emanate from the care that is the subject of the investigation.
• The information must be relevant to the physician’s response to CPSA.

Members of the AHS medical staff can log into the AHS Unified Access Portal to access the form, FAQs and additional information. Please note, this form must be submitted to AHS via an AHS email account.

For more information about accessing health records, please visit Health Information Management’s Access and Disclosure webpage.

Questions about CPSA’s complaints process? Email complaints@cpsa.ab.ca.