Rosen Sunshine’s Top 10 Posts of 2020

Each year Rosen Sunshine strives to provide its readers with up-to-date analysis of important developments in health and regulatory law in Ontario. Here we present the top 10 posts from 2020 which generated the most interest among our readers.

1. Delivering Health Care and Social Work Services Remotely during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Many providers of health care services are providing or proposing to provide those services to their clients (or patients) remotely. This blog outlines some considerations for the delivery of remote health care services during a pandemic.  Read More

2. Bill 188 Amendments to PHIPA

The Ontario legislature enacted Bill 188, the Economic and Fiscal Update Act, 2020 on March 25, 2020. This post discusses Schedule 6 of Bill 188, which amends various provisions of the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA). Read More

3. Ontario Expands Access to Telemedicine in Response to COVID-19

Ontario’s COVID-19 management strategy is leveraging telemedicine to reduce the risk to patients and health care providers of contracting or spreading COVID-19, and to reduce the strain on emergency hospital services. This will be the first-time telemedicine has been deployed on this scale in Ontario. Read More

4. Regulatory Consequences for Professionals’ Statements to the Public and on Social Media

In a time of increasing social media use, health professionals should consider the risks when posting on social media. In this blog post, we outline potential regulatory consequences. Read More

5. Decision from CPSO Discipline Committee Offers Rare Example of Rejection of Joint Submission on Penalty

A decision from the Discipline Committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons offers a rare, and at least to some, shocking example of a discipline committee rejecting a joint submission on penalty. Read More

6. Case Sheds Light on OHIP Billing Amendments

A recent decision by the Ontario Superior Court sheds light on the practical implications of amendments to the Health Insurance Act, and in particular, how they may impact ongoing disputes related to a physician’s billings. Read More

7. Lawyer Disciplined for Suing Complainant

We are often asked by clients whether they have any recourse to take legal action against a complainant. A recent case from the Discipline Committee of the Law Society of Ontario confirms the advice that we typically provide, which is that taking legal action against a complainant is not a good idea. Read More

8. Top 10 Things to Know about the CPSO’s new Advertising Policy

In December 2020, the CPSO enacted a new Policy on advertising by physicians. Here are the top 10 things physicians (and other health professionals who advertise) need to know. Read More

9. Commissioner finds custodians must exercise discretion when considering request for records by access parent

Requests from parents to access their children’s personal health information, particularly in connection with custody disputes, are the most common and most challenging issue faced by health information custodians. In this video update and blog post, we review a recent decision by the Information & Privacy Commissioner. Read More

10. What Service Providers Need to Know About Part X of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017

The Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017 came into force in 2018, aimed at putting children and youth at the centre of decision-making, and also recognizing that consistent, high-quality services require appropriate sharing of information. In this blog post, we provide an overview of what service providers need to know about Part X of the Act. Read More