Are health providers required by law to access the Nidus Registry or do other searches?

Written by Joanne on March 2, 2015
Q. Are health providers required by law to access or attempt to access the Nidus Registered information? This is critical for seniors who have no children or children are far away.

No the law does not require health care providers to access or try to access the Nidus Registry.

Nidus and other community groups recommended to government, during a previous legislative consultation, that the law be changed to include a duty to search for a patient’s personal planning documentation. The former Public Guardian and Trustee supported this effort. The government has not made that change.

Nidus has designed the Personal Planning Registry to enable access by third parties including Health Authorities—their staff in hospital, community and residential care, hospice/palliative care. There is no fee for access and the system is especially simple and quick in the case of an emergency.

Nidus agrees that use of the Registry is particularly important for isolated seniors and those whose personal supporters live a distance away. This view is shared by many community groups who support the Registry service and the Public Guardian and Trustee of BC.

We know many health care providers, particularly social workers, have expressed an interest in being authorized to access the new online Personal Planning Registry and are initiating discussions within their Health Authorities.

Nidus wrote a submission (December 31, 2014) about use of the Registry as a way to improve and support best practice for end-of-life care to the Standing Committee on Health.

RESOURCES

Registry FAQ

Demo of the Personal Planning Registry – Free webinar first Wednesday of the month

Nidus partnered with BC Courthouse Libraries to raise awareness about BC’s essential legal planning documents and the Nidus Registry. The kick off event was held on September 15th at the Vancouver Public Library CentralBranch with a panel of experts in the field. Questions that were submitted will be answered in a series of posts by Nidus and various panel members. To see photos from the event click Gallery; and click Registry Sing-a-long for the fun of it!