Important information for patients and families
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Personal Health Information Protection Act
The Ontario Government has legislation, the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) that came into effect on November 1, 2004. This act has been established to set out rules for the collection and utilization of information that is collected about patients. This page is intended to provide you with information on the new Personal Health Information Protection Act.
Collection of personal information
We collect personal health information about you. We collect this information either from you directly or from the person acting on your behalf. The information that we collect may include your name, date of birth, address, health history, records of your visits and the care that you received. Occasionally, when we have received your consent, we receive and collect information about you from other sources.
Use and disclosure of personal health information
We use and disclose your personal health information as follows:
- To treat and care for you.
- To get payment for your treatment and care (from OHIP, WSIB, your private insurer or others).
- To conduct risk management activities.
- To conduct quality improvement activities, such as completing surveys.
- For teaching purposes.
- To conduct research.
- To compile statistics.
- For fundraising to improve our programs and services.
- To comply with legal and regulatory requirements.
- To fulfill other purposes permitted or required by law.
It's your choice
With regard to the above uses and disclosures of your personal health records, you have a choice. You may access and correct your personal health records, or withdraw your consent for some of the above (subject to certain legal exceptions). To do this, please contact us as outlined below.
Our pledge to protect your personal health information
The following are a list of pledges to you that we have made to protect your personal health information:
- We will take steps to protect your personal health information from theft, loss and unauthorized access, copying, modification, use, disclosure and disposal.
- We will conduct audits and complete investigations to monitor and manage our privacy compliance.
- We will take steps to ensure that everyone who performs services for us protects your privacy and only uses your personal health information for the purposes you have consented to.
Contact information
For more information about our privacy protection practices, or to raise a concern you may have about our practices, please contact:
Jeff Curtis, Chief Privacy Officer
SHSC Privacy Office
2075 Bayview Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M4K 3G9
416-480-6100 ext. 1236
privacy@sunnybrook.ca
You also have the right to complain to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario if you think we have violated your rights. The Commissioner can be reached as follows:
Dr. Ann Cavoukian
Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400
Toronto, Ontario M4W 1A8
416-326-3333
commissioner@ipc.on.ca
www.ipc.on.ca
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