Each provincial and territorial regulatory college publishes its own policies on patient ID verification for virtual care. Providers are responsible for the services they provide through the Maple platform; as such, they are required to comply with the policies of the regulatory bodies to which each is registered. Most colleges require providers to take reasonable steps to accurately identify the patient, with some placing stricter requirements.
It is ultimately the provider's responsibility to verify the patient they are consulting with, including verifying their location. It is recommended that a patient’s ID is verified at each visit and documented in the chat or private notepad. For any prescriptions, the provider is stating that they have personally verified the patient’s ID and date of birth, so many Maple providers will always personally verify ID or ensure there is an uploaded ID with a matching name/DOB.
You can accept any government-issued ID, such as a health card, passport, or driver's license. If it has been incorrectly verified in the past, Maple customer support can alter the name on the patient account.
ID verification can be completed in one of the following ways:
You have seen photo ID of the account holder during a video chat
You have seen photo ID of the account holder via a document they uploaded.
Below are several excerpts from the regulatory colleges surrounding identity verification. For more detail, refer to the Canadian Medical Association's Virtual Care Playbook.
Physician requirements by province
Physician requirements by province
College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia
College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia
“When providing virtual care, registrants must:
ensure that the patient is aware of their name, location, and licensure status, and that they confirm the identity of the patient at the initial consultation if the patient is not known to the registrant;
ensure that the identities of all other participants involved in the virtual care encounter are disclosed to and approved by the patient, and documented in the patient record.”
Date of excerpt: May 6, 2022
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta
“A regulated member providing virtual care must take reasonable steps to confirm the identity and location of the patient during each virtual care encounter.”
Date of excerpt: January 1st, 2022
Collège des Médecins de Québec
Collège des Médecins de Québec
"During the consultation: Physician must verify the patient's identity by asking them to display their Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) card on the screen or to mention his RAMQ number (over the phone) and, if applicable, the file number of the number of the establishment concerned."
From: http://www.cmq.org/publications-pdf/p-1-2021-05-18-fr-fiche-9-tenue-dossiers.pdf?t=1666103893738
Date of excerpt: August 2022
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
“All physicians must take reasonable steps to protect PHI, including protection against theft, loss, and unauthorized access, use, and disclosure of PHI. When providing virtual care, physicians must:
take reasonable steps to accurately identify the patient (e.g., verify their name and date of birth).”
Date of excerpt: June 2022
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia
“During the course of a virtual visit, physicians must ensure reasonable processes are in place to confirm the identity of the patient.”
Date of excerpt: May 28, 2021
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Prince Edward Island
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Prince Edward Island
“When practicing virtual care, a physician must:
ensure that the physician’s identity, location, and licensure status is known to the patient;
take reasonable steps to ensure that all medical information is transmitted in a manner which protects the privacy and confidentiality of the patient and their personal health information.”
Date of excerpt: December 7, 2021
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland and Labrador
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland and Labrador
“When practising virtual care, a physician must:
ensure the reliability, quality, and timeliness of the patient information obtained via virtual care are sufficient;
ensure that the physician’s identity, location, and licensure status is known to the patient;
explain any limitations related to virtual care to the patient;
take reasonable steps to ensure that all medical information is transmitted in a manner which protects the privacy and confidentiality of the patient.”
Date of excerpt: March 13, 2021
Yukon Medical Council
Yukon Medical Council
“The physician must confirm the identity of the patient if the patient is not known to the physician.”
From: https://www.yukonmedicalcouncil.ca/images/downloads/physicians/YMCS-3.11_Telemedicine_Std_Final.pdf
Date of excerpt: April 1, 2022
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba
“Registrants using virtual medicine to provide medical care to patients must take reasonable steps to confirm the patient’s identity and that the patient is located in Manitoba.”
Date of excerpt: September 29, 2022
College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick
College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick
“Members initiating virtual care must:
disclose their identity to the patient and confirm confidentiality of the encounter;
take reasonable steps to confirm the patient’s identity.”
Date of excerpt: February 2022
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan
“Physicians using telemedicine to provide medical services to patients:
are expected to disclose their identity, location and licensure status to the patient;
must take appropriate steps to confirm the identity of the patient.
Date of excerpt: November 2019
Nurse Practitioner requirements by province
Nurse Practitioner requirements by province
British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives
British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives
“Nurse practitioners acting as an assessor or assessor-prescriber may provide their assessment virtually if they comply with the following conditions:
Virtual assessments must meet the requirements set out in federal legislation and all other standards and expectations that apply to in-person assessments.
Virtual assessment must include video of sufficient quality to ensure expected safeguards are in place.”
Date of excerpt: June 2022
College of Registered Nurses of Prince Edward Island
College of Registered Nurses of Prince Edward Island
“It is the responsibility of the RN or NP to verify their client’s identity.
When providing and documenting care the RN or NP must remember the following:
Prior to providing virtual care, the RN or NP must obtain and document consent.
The RN’s or NP’s documentation of the virtual care delivered must include: the date and time of the interaction; name or initials of client when applicable; reason for the interaction; advice/care provided; any follow-up required; and the documenting RN or NP signature and designation.”
Date of excerpt: December 2020
College of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador
College of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador
“The RN/NP must: ensure processes are in place for proper client identification, informed consent, disclosure of limitations, privacy and confidentiality, and documentation of care. Documentation should include (but not be limited to):
Client’s name, location, and demographics.
Evidence of confirmation of client’s identity as per employer/self-employment policy.
Evidence of an informed consent received from the client (e.g., documentation of verbal consent)”
Date of excerpt: June 2020
Nurses Association of New Brunswick
Nurses Association of New Brunswick
“Nursing services must be documented in tele-practice or when using a virtual platform to provide care. Tele-practice and virtual nursing are subject to the same documentation requirements as nursing in all other settings and should include (NSCN, 2017):
consent for treatment;
the date and time of the incoming call, including voice mail messages from clients that contain pertinent information;
the name and contact information of the caller, or some other unique identifier if anonymity is important;”
Date of excerpt: June 2020
Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association
Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association
“Telepractice is any nursing care or service delivered by an electronic means such as video or audio conferencing, telephone calls, fax or email communication. When documenting telehealth services, the RN shall document the date and time of the
communication, the name and contact information of the client, age of the client if it is relevant and the reason for the call.
As with all care provided consent for care needs to be obtained. All information provided, including client consent needs to be
accurately and thoroughly documented in the client record.”
Date of excerpt: February 2, 2021