Frequently Asked Questions
The Reproductive Care Program (RCP) and the Rh Program are committed to protecting the privacy of personal information contained in the Nova Scotia Atlee Perinatal Database (managed by RCP) and the Rh Program Database. Management and protection of personal information in these databases is under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (the FOIPOP Act) and other related laws.
1. Why do the RCP and the Rh Program collect health information?
Both are programs of the IWK Health Centre and have a role in helping health care professionals provide the best care possible for pregnant women and their babies. We are authorized by law to collect health information from hospitals, health care professionals and, occasionally, directly from women. We use this information to measure and improve the health of Nova Scotians by setting standards of care, providing education, supporting research, and producing reports that identify important trends in health and health care.
2. What information is in the RCP and Rh Program Databases?
The RCP collects selected data points about babies born or cared for in Nova Scotia, babies born to Nova Scotia residents, and the mothers of these babies. The Rh Program collects similar information but only for women who have Rh negative blood or an antibody that might cause health concerns for the baby. There are no narrative or clinical notes in either database, nor interpretation of any of the data points collected.
3. How does the RCP/Rh Program protect my health information?
RCP and the Rh Program have a privacy policy that describes the steps that must be taken to keep your information safe. These include staff orientation to principles of privacy and confidentiality; restricted access to the servers/computers where the Database is located; and additional security measures for all electronic files, including user names and passwords, firewall and antivirus software.
4. How do the RCP and Rh Program use my health information?
The Programs use the information to evaluate care provided to mothers and newborns, to plan education programs for health professional, in statistical reports, and approved research projects. If personal health information is used for research purposes, the research request must receive approval from a recognized Research Ethics Board and a Data Access Committee. Individuals will never be identified in any published reports. The RCP and the Rh Program also have Data Management Principles designed to protect all the information in the Databases.
For more information about privacy, confidentiality, and access to information click here.