Source: IAPP

Canada's provincial data protection authorities have each published or are publishing jurisdictional guidance on the use of AI "scribe" transcription and notetaking tools in clinical settings, and representatives from British Columbia, Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador discussed those guides during a breakout session at the IAPP Canada Symposium 2026. Ontario's Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner issued guidance that applies to AI developers and to entities procuring or deploying AI scribes, focusing on the core transcription functionality while noting the potential for expansion into e-referrals, lab-test recommendations and broader clinical decision‑support functionalities. The symposium discussion cited a trial by OntarioMD of 150 physicians estimating AI notetaking tools could save clinicians up to 10 hours per week, and officials warned that improper deployment poses risks to patients' sensitive data.

British Columbia's IPC published guidance in January targeted at procurers to ensure models comply with the provincial Personal Information Protection Act and emphasized privacy and access oversight rather than broader policy goals. Newfoundland and Labrador issued guidance after reviewing Ontario's and BC's documents and concentrated on custodians' contractual relationships with AI vendors under the Personal Health Information Act, noting that designating a vendor as an agent or information manager affects whether expressed consent is required and that consent must remain knowledgeable even if implicit. Speakers highlighted statutory variation across provinces, the differing enforcement powers of provincial DPAs, and a "fragmented network of instruments" — including federal private‑sector privacy rules, provincial statutes, court orders and tribunal decisions — shaping how AI is regulated in the healthcare sector.