Data Sharing Agreement for Disclosure of Information About Medical Assistance in Dying
With which third party is Health Canada sharing personal information
Under this Data Sharing Agreement (DSA), the Health Policy Branch (HPB) at Health Canada (HC) shares personal information to the Office of the Chief Coroner (OCC) for Ontario. This one-way, indeterminate disclosure came into effect on June 19, 2024 HC and the OCC will review this DSA by June 19, 2026 to ensure its accuracy and compliance.
Why is Health Canada sharing personal information
HC will share Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) information with provinces and territories (PTs) that have chosen to have HC collect this information from health practitioners. Section 24 of the Regulations for the monitoring of MAID allows this information sharing.
This DSA explains how HC will share information with the OCC about MAID requests that do not lead to the provision of MAID, such as cases where the requestor is ineligible for MAID, dies from another cause, or withdraws their request. HC collects this information from medical and nursing practitioners, as well as pharmacist and pharmacy technicians in Ontario.
What personal information is Health Canada sharing
The personal information about the person that requested MAID shared by HC may include:
- Health information number
- Date of birth
- Postal code
- Gender identity, race, Indigenous identity and disability of persons requesting MAID (if the person consents to sharing this information)
- Usual place of residence and living arrangements of the person on the day on which the request for MAID was received
- Information about the person's medical circumstances including length of time a person has had a serious and incurable illness, disease or disability
- Data on the means used to ensure that the person seeking MAID understood the information that was provided to them and communicated their decision
- Person's previous request(s) for MAID (if applicable)
- Length of the MAID assessment process, in cases where MAID is provided to a person whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable
- Cases where the person has been found eligible to receive MAID, but the practitioner is unable to administer MAID due to procedural safeguards not being met
The personal information about the health practitioners involved with the MAID request shared may include:
- Name
- Email address
- Province or Territory
- License / registration number
For more information on what personal information is reported for MAID, please visit the Regulations for the Monitoring of MAID, and the Guidance document on reporting requirements.
Info Source describes how HC manages your personal information at infosource.gc.ca. Refer to the Personal Information Bank HC PPU 435 - Medical Assistance in Dying.
Who can I contact for more information
End of Life Care
eolc-sfv@hc-sc.gc.ca