2.2 Privacy/Confidentiality
Effective September 2015; Revised June 2022
Standard
A regulated member of ACSLPA practices in compliance with relevant legislation and requirements.
Indicators
To demonstrate this standard, the regulated member will:
a) Comply with all relevant privacy legislation.
b) Maintain an environment and engage in practices that protects the privacy and confidentiality of client information (e.g., paper-based, audio, video and electronic) in all contexts of service delivery (e.g., collection, storage, use, disclosure and destruction of records).
c) Access information and archival systems (e.g., electronic records, paper files) only as required for the provision of professional services.
d) Ensure any risks to privacy and confidentiality of client information involved in the transport of records from one location or medium to another are minimized.
Expected Outcomes
Clients can expect that their rights to privacy and confidentiality are maintained according to existing legislation and regulations.
Glossary
Client refers to “a recipient of speech-language pathology or audiology services, and may be an individual, family, group, community or population. An individual client may also be referred to as a patient.”
Professional services refer to “any service that comes within the practice of a regulated profession; for the professions of speech-language pathology and audiology, these are as outlined in section 3 of Schedule 28 of the Health Professions Act.”
Record refers to “information in any form or medium, including notes, images, audiovisual recordings, x-rays, books, documents, maps, drawings, photographs, letters, vouchers and papers and any other information that is written, photographed, recorded or stored in any manner.
Regulated member refers to “an individual who is registered with ACSLPA in any of the regulated categories of membership prescribed by ACSLPA Bylaws, the Health Professions Act and our Regulations.”