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Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act establishes the rules for the collection, use and disclosure of personal health information and is intended to protect the confidentiality of this information and a patient’s privacy across the health care system. Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act creates a comprehensive approach to protecting personal health information across the health care system.

Personal health information means any information that identifies an individual and relates to his/her physical or mental health, including information about family health history, and any information that identifies the individual’s Substitute Decision Maker.

Everyone has a right to access their own personal health information and our role at SPLC is to ensure a patients personal health information is kept just that — personal.

Our Commitment to You
As part of our commitment to protecting our patients, residents and clients information, we have a number of policies in place for staff specifically addressing confidentiality and privacy, security, release of records and the procedure for making corrections to records created here at SPLC.

To ensure transparency and accountability, we have published our privacy principles and other privacy-related information below.

We use and disclose your personal health information to:

  • Treat and care for you
  • Link you with other health service providers
  • Improve our care processes
  • Conduct risk management activities
  • Ensure your safety
  • Administer our programs and services
  • Comply with legal/regulatory requirements
  • Get payment from government agencies for your treatment and care
  • Compile statistics

In some cases, we may use your personal health information to conduct research, provided the information cannot identify you. We will also use your personal contact information to inform you about our fundraising activities.

Our privacy policies provide for the collection, use, disclosure and retention of personal health information are based on 10 internationally recognized “privacy principles” of fair information practice.

  1. Accountability
    Senior Persons Living Connected is responsible for personal health information under its control and has designated an individual, the Chief Privacy Officer, who is accountable for St. Paul’s compliance with these privacy principles.
  2. Identifying Purposes
    Senior Persons Living Connected, at or before the time information is collected, shall identify the purposes for which the personal health information is collected. The primary purposes are to monitor, evaluate and provide care and treatment for the patient/resident/client, the administration of the health care system, to collect statistics, and to comply with legal and regulatory requirements.
  3. Consent
    The knowledge and consent of the individual are required for the collection, use or disclosure of personal health information, unless the Act[1]allows Senior Persons Living Connected to do so without consent.
  4. Limiting Collection
    The collection of personal health information shall be limited to that which is necessary for the purposes identified by Senior Persons Living Connected. Information shall be collected by fair and lawful means.
  5. Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention
    Personal health information shall not be used or disclosed for purposes other than those for which it was collected, except with the consent of the individual or as required by law. Personal health information shall be retained only as long as necessary for the fulfillment of those purposes.
  6. Accuracy
    Personal health information shall be as accurate, complete and up-to-date as is necessary for the purposes for which it is to be used.
  7. Safeguards
    Personal health information shall be protected by security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information. Senior Persons Living Connected shall follow reasonable information practices to protect personal health information against theft, loss and unauthorized access, copying, modification, use, disclosure and disposal.
  8. Openness
    Senior Persons Living Connected shall make readily available to individuals specific information about its policies and practices relating to the management of personal health information.
  9. Individual Access
    Upon request, an individual shall be informed of the existence, use and disclosure of his or her personal health information and shall be given access to that information. An individual shall be able to challenge the accuracy and completeness of the information and have it amended as appropriate.
  10. Challenging Compliance
    Any questions or concerns about SPLC’s privacy policies or practices should be directed to Chief Privacy Officer at 416-493-3333 ext. 270 or by email to privacy@splc.ca, or to the Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario at 416-326-3333 or 1-800-387-0073 or by email to info@ipc.on.ca.

[1] Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004

Q. What does “personal health information” mean?

Personal health information means any information that identifies an individual and that relates to the individual’s physical or mental health, including information about the individual’s family health history, and any information that identifies the individual’s Substitute Decision Maker.

Q. What personal health information does Senior Persons Living Connected collect and how will the information be used?

SPLC collects only information that is needed to provide health care and support to our patients, residents and clients.  This information is used to plan and deliver health care.

Q. To whom will my personal health information be disclosed?

Personal health information is primarily disclosed to those individuals directly involved in your “circle of care” and only if the information is relevant to the care being provided. At Senior Persons Living Connected, unless you tell us not to, we use a secure electronic system to share your assessment information with other health service providers who will look after your health and support your needs now and in the future. Please talk to your Integrated Care Managerr if you do not want to share this information with other health service providers and to discuss the positive and negative consequences of sharing or not sharing the assessment.  Disclosing information to any third party will require your written consent. Choosing to use email to communicate with an external service provider or family member/Substitute Decision Maker will also require written consent. Please note email communication is not secure and could result in the disclosure of the information to another party other than the recipient.

Q. Will my personal health information be used by anyone else?

Senior Persons Living Connected may also use personal health information to plan, deliver, evaluate and monitor programs and services, to allocate resources to those programs and services, to manage risk, to ensure your safety, to improve quality of care, to process claims for payment, and to conduct research provided the information cannot identify you.  Unless you tell us not to, we may share your assessment information with other health service providers who will provide you with support now and in the future.  Also, unless you indicate otherwise to your Integrated Care Manager, SPLC may use only your name and contact information for the purpose of fundraising activities.  Other uses require the consent of the patient, resident or client.

Q. If the patient, resident or client is not capable of providing consent to collect, use or disclose his/her personal health information, who can give consent?

A Substitute Decision Maker will be asked to make these decisions. According to the Personal Health Information Protection Act, the individual(s) who is/are highest on the following list will have the authority to approve or refuse consent to the collection, use and/or disclosure of your personal health information if that person is capable of consenting, is at least 16 years old or the parent, is not prohibited by court order, is available and is willing to assume the responsibility of making the decision.

  1. Court appointed guardian for personal care
  2. Attorney for personal care
  3. A representative appointed by the Consent and Capacity Review Board
  4. Spouse or partner
  5. Child or parent (or other person lawfully entitled to take the place of a parent)
  6. Parent who only has right of access
  7. Brother or sister
  8. Any other relative related by blood, marriage, or adoption
  9. Public Guardian and Trustee

Q. Do I have the right to access my personal health information?

Yes. You also have the right to request corrections. See our main Privacy page for more information.

Q. My relative is a patient at Senior Persons Living Connected, but he is not capable of asking to see or review his own health record.  As the Substitute Decision Maker, am I allowed to access my relative’s records?

Yes.  A Substitute Decision Maker has the same right to access the patient’s record as the patient would if he/she were capable.  You will be asked to complete a form requesting access and you will need to provide evidence that you are the patient’s Substitute Decision Maker.

Q. What kind of information can staff members provide to family and friends if they call or ask about my condition?

Unless you object, we will provide general information about your health status.  This includes the name of the clinical program you are in, where your room is located, and your general health status, such as ‘doing well’ or ‘no change’. If someone is seeking more detailed information on your health, they will require written consent from you or your Substitute Decision Maker.

Q. What happens to my health record after I am discharged from Senior Persons Living Connected?

Upon discharge, health records are kept on file for a period of 10 years, in accordance with provincial legislation.

How to Access and Correct your Personal Health Information

You may access and correct your personal health information or withdraw consent for some of the uses and disclosures by contacting your Integrated Care Manager. You may also contact the Customer Service department at 416-493-3333.

Questions? Please direct any questions or concerns about SPLC privacy policies or practices to:

Chief Privacy Officer
Senior Persons Living Connected
416-493-3333 x270
privacy@splc.ca
Information and Privacy Commissioner
Bloor St. East, Suite 1400
Toronto, ON M4W 1A8
416-326-3333 or 1-800-387-0073

 

 

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