Surveillance cameras will soon be allowed in CHSLDs
On March 7, the draft Regulation respecting the terms governing the use of monitoring mechanisms by a user sheltered in a facility maintained by an institution operating a residential and long-term care centre (CHSLD) will come into effect.
The FIQ has been following the government’s work to combat mistreatment in care institutions for a long time, including its regulation for the installation of cameras in patients’ rooms, as it will directly impact the work of healthcare professionals.
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The FIQ believes its members should be vigilant following the government issuing of certain guidelines, such as signalling the presence of cameras and the obligation to notify other residents in the institution of camera installations.
We will need to be ready to deal with issues that could threaten patients’ dignity and privacy, professional secrecy as well as the potential harmful use of footage recorded by employers or camera users, such as posting it on social media.
This type of monitoring cannot serve as a surveillance mechanism for monitoring the quality of care and services offered, despite what the Ministère de la Famille’s press release may imply. For the FIQ, the struggle against mistreatment is closely tied to the financial and organizational methods used. The best ways to ensure proper treatment are by ensuring conditions of practice conducive to providing quality care and adequate health care financing.