Commencing January 1st 2004 The Personal
Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) applies to all
organizations in Canada that collect, use or disclose personal information in the
course of doing commercial business. Personal information is information about
an identifiable individual. Personal Information includes information that
relates to a person’s personal characteristics, health, activities or views.
Business information, including information on a business card,
and collated information where the individual’s information cannot be
identified is not protected by privacy legislation.
Our Privacy
Policy provides rules for the collection, use, disclosure and retention of health
information. It is based on the ten privacy principles as stipulated by PIPEDA.
HRG is
responsible for personal information under its control and has designated a
Chief Privacy Officer who is accountable for HRG’s
compliance with PIPEDA.
David Corey
HRG Chief Privacy Officer
M2P 2E9
Tel: 416-226-4722
Email:
info@healthrecoverygroup.com
HRG will
identify the purposes for which personal information is collected. The primary
purposes are the delivery of direct patient care, the administration of the
health care system, research, teaching, statistics, and meeting legal and
regulatory requirements. The kind of information that Health Recovery Group may
collect may include but is not limited to:
·
Personal
characteristics (gender, age, identification or claim number, home address,
phone number, language spoken, etc.).
· Health Information (health history, health condition, test results, physical examination findings, diagnosis, clinical opinion, functional measurements, treatment notes, prognosis, treatment responses, recommendations, etc.).
· Activities (occupation, profession, employer, work hours, etc.).
HRG will ensure that individuals will be advised
of the purposes for which the information will be used.
The collection of personal information will be
limited to that which is necessary for the purposes identified by HRG.
Information will be collected by fair and lawful means.
Personal
information will 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
Information will be as accurate, complete, and up-to-date as is necessary for
the purposes for which it is to be used.
Safeguards will protect personal information
against loss or theft, as well as unauthorized access, disclosure, copying,
use, or modification. HRG will protect personal information regardless of the
format in which it is held.
Principle 8 – Openness About Personal Information Policies and Practices
HRG will make information on its policies and
practices available in a variety of ways. For example, HRG may chose to post
signs, make brochures available in its place of business, or provide online
access.
Principle 9 –
Individual Access to Own Personal Information
Upon request, an individual will be informed of
the existence, use, and disclosure of his/her personal information and will be
given access to that information. An individual will be able to challenge the
accuracy and the completeness of the information and have it amended as
appropriate.
Note:
In certain situations, HRG may not be able to provide access to all the personal information it holds about an individual. Exceptions to the access requirement will be limited and specific. The reasons for denying access will be provided to the individual upon request. Exceptions may include information that contains references to other individuals, information that cannot be disclosed for legal, security, commercial proprietary reasons, and information that is subject to solicitor-client or litigation privilege.
To gain access to personal information individuals can make a verbal or written request and must provide proof of identity. HRG may require some time to retrieve the requested information. Nominal fees will apply for the making of copies of personal information. In some circumstances HRG may request that the personal information be sent to an appropriate health practitioner for explanation if the information is sensitive. HRG reserves the right to deny access to personal information with a complete explanation why
Principle 10 – Challenging Compliance with HRG’s
Privacy Policies and Practices
An individual will be able to address a challenge
concerning compliance with this policy to the Chief Privacy Officer. HRG will
put procedures in place to receive and respond to complaints or inquiries about
its policy relating to the handling of personal information.
For
more general inquiries, the Information and Privacy Commissioner of
Phone: 613-995-8210
Toll-Free: 1-800-282-1376
Fax: 613-947-6850
TTY: 613-992-9190
www.privcom.gc.ca