Effective June 22, 2026, physiotherapists are designated custodians under the Health Information Act.
Physiotherapists were designated as custodians under the Health Information Act through a combination of the proclamation of the Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 (no.2) and a Ministerial Regulation (M.O. 19/2026).
What is Changing?
Historically, registered physiotherapists were subject to several pieces of privacy legislation, depending on the context of their practice. When this change takes effect, the privacy legislation for regulated physiotherapists will be simplified considerably.
All health records generated by physiotherapists when providing health services will be subject to the Health Information Act.
Action Required
Effective June 22, 2026, all registered physiotherapists in Alberta must comply with the requirements of the Health Information Act when collecting, using, storing, disclosing, or disposing of health information, regardless of the practice setting in which they work.
If you are a physiotherapist who was previously subject to multiple pieces of privacy legislation or were primarily subject to the provisions of the Personal Information Protection Act, it is now time to review your existing privacy collection statement, privacy policies and procedures, and privacy impact assessments to ensure they are compliant with the provisions of the Health Information Act.
Resources Available
The College of Physiotherapists of Alberta recognizes that this is a significant change for many registrants. The College has prepared a suite of resources to support this transition which will be available on the College’s website in the coming days. The College will add to this suite of resources as new items become available. Check this page regularly.
The transition to being designated a custodian under the Health Information Act is also the topic of the 2026 College Selected Activity. A learning module designed to help all registrants understand key considerations of the HIA and their roles and responsibilities under the Act will be available in early July.
Additional resources from the Government of Alberta will be available later in June.
Physiotherapists can also look at the website of the Office of Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta for HIA resources.
Effective June 22, 2026
This change takes effect on June 22, 2026.
Until then, physiotherapists are subject to the privacy legislation applicable to their practice immediately prior to this announcement.
