Does FIPPA/FOIPPA (Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act) apply to my clinic or organization in British Columbia?
FIPPA/FOIPPA does not apply to most private clinics and practitioners. It applies to public bodies in British Columbia, including hospitals, public universities, and provincial ministries.
If you're unsure whether FIPPA/FOIPPA applies to your organization, contact your regulatory body for guidance.
Options for BC Public Bodies Using Jane
Jane uses Twilio, a US-based service, to send SMS reminders and verification messages. Because personal information passes through a non-Canadian service, BC public bodies have two options for maintaining FIPPA/FOIPPA compliance.
Option 1: Disable SMS reminders
If your organization requires all patient data to remain in Canada, you'll need to turn off text (SMS) reminders in Jane. Our guide on Email and SMS Reminders walks through how to manage those settings.
Option 2: Collect patient consent
Under FIPPA/FOIPPA, public bodies are permitted to store and process personal information outside Canada if they have obtained the individual's consent. Rather than disabling SMS reminders, you can ask patients to consent to receiving text reminders sent via Jane and Twilio.
You can build this consent into your existing intake forms. Our guide on Consent Forms walks through how to set that up.