How does the emergency department access my registered plan?

Written by Joanne on March 12, 2015

1. How does the emergency department access my registered advance care plan? Do they need a passport? Do you need to allow hospitals individually to access you records?

The Personal Planning Registry does not require you to allow individual hospitals to access your records. This is not practical as people can be treated at different hospitals depending on the services offered for your condition or if you are traveling and are ill or injured.

A passport is not used for searching your record as a passport number is not a unique identifier—it changes.

To enable access to registered documents in case you are in a health crisis, you need to make sure you have entered your date of birth and care card number as your personal identifiers when you create your Registry Account. When you register your personal planning document related to health care—for example, your Representation Agreement—make sure you select ‘Permit Access by Health and Personal Care Institutions.’

It also helps to carry your Registry wallet card on your person. Authorized staff of emergency departments can search the Registry using your name and the Nidus ID as shown on your wallet card.

Health care providers in non-emergency hospital departments, in community and residential care or hospital and palliative care can find your record using your first and last name and at least two personal identifiers. They most often use your date of birth and care card number; they can also use your Nidus ID as one of the identifiers.

RESOURCES

Registry Fact Sheet: Personal Planning Documents

Registry FAQs

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!