TRAnsparency
What we heard during the consultation
A number of questions from respondents were repeatedly posed.
We have pulled the most frequently asked questions and answered them here.
Q&A
Criminal Code and Health Insurance Act violations usually result in a referral to the Discipline
Committee. Given that decisions of the Discipline
Committee are already publicly available information, why post redundant information?
It is true that some convictions result in a referral to
the Discipline Committee, which is public, but this
occurs after an investigation, which is some time after
the conviction itself. This process will make this public
information more accessible earlier in the process.
If a Court decision is under appeal, the decision is
not final. Why should an accusation which is not
yet proven be publicized?
The fact that a matter has been appealed does not mean
that it has not been proven. It means that one of the parties has asked for a review of the decision. The decision
still stands until the outcome of the appeal is decided.
40
Dialogue Issue 4, 2014
This is not unlike Court decisions, which remain
publicly available, regardless of an appeal.
Why would a patient need to know that a physician committed a criminal act if it is unrelated to
how he or she practises medicine?
In public polling conducted by AGRE, members of
the public rated information about criminal convictions as something they very much wished to know.
Some patients consider this to be relevant to their
choice. It will be up to patients to decide if the information influences them.
Why can’t this type of information be mailed out
to patients who request it? Why does it have to be
posted on the internet for all to see?
Requiring patients to request information is a barrier to
access. It is our philosophy that if information is public,
it resid