Our Privacy Policy

Collection, Use & Disclosure of Personal Information

• We collect the following personal information: identification and contact information (name, date of birth, emergency contacts, etc), billing information, health information as disclosed to your healthcare providers
• We only collect information that is required to provide care, administrate the care that is provided and communicate with you.  We do not collect any information or allow information to be used for other purposes without your express (i.e. verbal or written) consent - except where authorized to do so by law.
• Implied consent for provision of care: By virtue of seeking care from us, your consent is implied for your information to be used by this office to provide care and to share with other providers involved in your care
• Disclosure to other health care providers: There are limited situations where we are legally required to disclose your reporting information without your consent.  These include (but are not limited to) billing provincial health plans, reporting infectious diseases, fitness to drive or by court order.
• Disclosure to all other parties: Your express consent is required before we will disclose your information to third parties for any purpose other than that to provide you with care unless we are authorized to do so by law.  Examples of disclosures which need your express consent: third party medical examination, enrolment in research trials and provision of charts or chart summaries to insurance companies.
• You can withdraw consent to have your information shared with other health care providers or other parties at any time, except where disclosure is authorized by law.  However, please discuss this with your physician first.

Patient Rights

• You have a right to access your record in a timely manner.  If you request a copy of your record, one will be provided to you at a reasonable cost.  If you wish to view the original record, one of our staff must be present to maintain the integrity of the record and a reasonable fee may be charged for this access.  Patient requests for access to the medical record can be made verbally or in writing to your doctor or the office staff.
• In extremely limited circumstances you may be denied access to your records, but only if providing access would create significant risk to you or another person.
• We make every effort to ensure that all of your information is recorded accurately.  If an inaccuracy is identified, you can request that a note be made to reflect this on your file

Office Safeguards

• Safeguards are in place to protect the security of your information.  These safeguards include a combination of physical, technological and administrative security measures that are appropriate to the sensitivity of the information.  These safeguards are aimed at protecting personal information against loss or theft, as well as unauthorized access, disclosure, use or modification.
• We protect personal information regardless of the format.  Specific procedures are in place for communicating by phone, email, fax and/or post courier.
• We retain patient records as required by law and professional regulations.
• When information is no longer required, it is destroyed in a secure manner, according to set procedures that govern the storage and destruction of personal information.

If you believe that this office has not replied to your access request or has not handled your personal information in a reasonable manner, please address your concerns first with your doctor.  You may also choose to make a complaint to the relevant licensing authority, provincial privacy commissioner, or federal privacy commissioner.