Use of Laptops and Handheld Devices

The increased use of electronic communications by organizations and individual practitioners means registrants must use new measures to protect the privacy of patients in order to meet their professional obligations.

If you are using electronic devices for storing, collecting and sharing health information, consider the following:

Avoid using portable equipment in public places such as public transportation, waiting rooms, restaurants, hotel lobbies or sports venues where people around you may view confidential health information.
Always use a password to protect health information stored on your equipment.
Adopt practices for protecting the privacy of information you are transmitting over the internet. These may include:

the use of initials to identify a patient rather than a full name;

password protection of files;

assigning a numeric code; or

the use of encryption.

When travelling with portable equipment such as a laptop, guard it from theft by securing it in the trunk of your car or where it is not visible or easily accessible.