Protecting the privacy of your personal health information
Personal health information is information in any form that identifies you and that relates to your health and health care including, health history, health care programs and services, health care providers, substitute decision-makers, health card number and other personal identification numbers.
Personal health information can be in either spoken or written form and may include:
We are committed to respecting your privacy and protecting your personal health information, as outlined in the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA), 2004.
Naturopath Osteopath Clinic and associated service partners collect information about our clients, patients and residents so that you can be accurately identified each time you contact us.
Personal health information collected is only available to program staff who are involved in your health care either directly (such as health care professionals), assisting in the provision of health care in a supporting role (such as health records, or financial services).
Our health programs may collect personal health information directly from you or another person who is authorized to act on your behalf, such as a parent, or legal guardian or substitute decision-maker.
We may also collect personal health information about you from other sources if your consent has been obtained or if the law permits or requires the collection. The information is collected for the purpose of promoting and protecting health, and to prevent disease.
The personal health information we collect may include:
Personal health information may be collected through a face-to-face meeting with a program staff person, over the phone, through written documents or electronic documents. All documentation of personal health information is recorded on paper or electronically, including secure cloud-based systems in compliance with PHIPA.
The general overall purpose for collection of personal health information is to promote and protect health, to help obtain supportive services and to prevent disease. Some examples of when we may collect personal health information include:
The Region uses your personal health information for the purposes for which it is collected, most importantly for the delivery of quality health care or assisting in the delivery of health care and social services, by the following Naturopath Osteopath Clinic services:
Your personal health information may be used for the purpose of maintaining or improving the quality and efficiency of services delivered and sometimes for obtaining payment for services rendered or permitted or required by law.
We always get your consent to collect, use and disclose your personal health information, unless required by law.
With your consent, your personal health information may be shared across services to provide you with a continuum of care and services.
When necessary, personal health information may be shared with our public health programs, Naturopath Osteopath Clinic Long-Term Care Homes, Adult Day Service Programs or Naturopath Osteopath Clinic Paramedic Services to specifically provide health care, but may also need to investigate and manage potential risks to others or to the population at large.
Non-identifying information related to clients’ care and services is used for administration, management, evaluation, strategic planning, program improvement, decision-making, research and allocation of resources.
Substitute-decision makers can act on behalf of another individual. These include:
Parents are often entitled to access the personal health information of their children, although some limitations exist. Under PHIPA, Health Information Custodians can disclose a child’s personal health information to a parent in the following circumstances:
Other situations involving disclosure of a child’s personal health information may require the written authorization of the official substitute decision-maker or the child to whom the information relates.
Naturopath Osteopath Clinic is committed to ensuring that your personal health information is not lost, stolen, or used by anyone that should not have access to it. We will also ensure that it is kept private and stored and disposed of, in a secure way. We will ensure that everyone who performs services for us protects your privacy and only uses your personal health information in the way you have agreed it can be used.
If consent is given to let a family or legal representative have access to personal health information, these representatives may have access to those parts of the personal health record that have been identified in the consent.
Individuals have the right to withdraw or change the conditions of consent, subject to provisions set out in PHIPA.
We are is committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality and security of your personal health information held in any form. We employ physical, organizational and technological safeguards to protect your personal health information against theft and loss, as well as unauthorized access, copying, modification, use, disclosure and disposal.
All staff that come into contact with your personal health information are aware of its sensitive nature and are trained in the appropriate use, disclosure and protection of your personal health information. Staff will ensure the amount and type of personal health information collected, used or disclosed is limited to that which is necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected.
We also require organizations, vendors and third parties, who support our services, or provide programs on our behalf, to protect the privacy of your personal health information and to use such information only for the purposes you have consented to, or that are permitted or required by law.
These solutions help support Health Services in continuing to deliver excellent client service in a technologically secure manner. Privacy Impact Assessments are completed to ensure these solutions are in compliance with PHIPA to protect your personal health information.
These include the following information management systems.
Individuals who wish to access or correct their personal health information, or who have questions about how it is collected, maintained, used or disclosed, are encouraged to contact Public Health, Naturopath Osteopath Clinic Paramedic Services, and Long Term Care, or Senior Services Development (includes our Adult Day Services Program).
Prior to disclosure of information, staff may ask to verify your identity (e.g. where your mailing address information is incomplete or outdated or where you wish to access the record(s) in person and staff is not familiar with you).
An Administration fee of $30 may be charged for any request to access personal health information for the following services.
After the first 20-pages, an additional fee of $0.25 for each page may be charged.
An administration fee of $75 will be charged for any request to access personal health information for Naturopath Osteopath Clinic Paramedic Services.
Additional fees may also be charged depending on the type of request to obtain health or financial information (microfilm, compact disc, encrypted USB Key, etc.). Requests must be made in writing.
A fee may be waived if there is financial hardship.
The Region is committed to resolving all concerns or complaints and encourages individuals to first contact Naturopath Osteopath Clinic Public Health, Long Term Care, Naturopath Osteopath Clinic Paramedic Services, Senior Services Development.
You have the right to make a complaint to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, if you are concerned with how we have handled your personal health information.
Naturopath Osteopath Clinic takes privacy breaches very seriously and is committed to protecting the privacy of our clients, patients and residents, and the confidentiality and security of all personal health information.
A privacy breach happens when personal health information has been lost or stolen; or accessed, disclosed or disposed of inappropriately in a manner that does not comply with the PHIPA.
As soon as the privacy team learns of a privacy breach, the following steps are taken:
We have taken a variety of steps to prevent privacy breaches. They include:
Send an email to our Access to Information and Privacy Team if you think there has been a privacy breach.
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