Privacy and Confidentiality
The physicians and staff of the Hopewood Opioid Addiction Clinic are bound by law and ethics to safeguard your privacy and the confidentiality of your personal information.
This includes:
• Collecting only the information that may be necessary for your care;
• Keeping accurate and up-to-date records;
• Safeguarding the medical records in my possession;
• Only sharing information with other healthcare providers and organizations on an urgent “need to know” basis where required for your healthcare or otherwise with your express consent;
• Only disclosing information to third parties with your express consent, or when necessary for legal reasons;
• Retaining/destroying records in accordance with the law;
Your request for care from the Hopewood Opioid Addiction Clinic implies consent for our collection, use and disclosure of your personal information for purposes related to your care. As noted above, other purposes require your express consent.
You have the right to see your records. You may also obtain copies of your records, please see our staff to request your records and for fees associated for providing this service. Please speak to your physician if you have any concerns about the accuracy of your records.
Legislation
Hopewood Opioid Addiction Clinic complies with the Health Information Protection Act (November 2004) which is comprised of both the Personal Health Information Protection Act (2004) and the Quality of Care Information Protection Act (2004).
• Personal Health Information Protection Act 2004
• Quality of Care Information Protection Act 2004
Applicability of Our Privacy Policy
Our Privacy Policy informs you of our commitment to privacy and tells you that ways we ensure that your privacy is protected. Our Privacy Policy applies to protect the personal health information of all patients that are in our possession and control.
What is Personal Health Information?
Personal health information means identifying information about an individual relating to their physical or mental health (including medical history), the providing of health care to the individual, payments or eligibility for health care, organ and tissue donation and health.
The 10 Principles of Privacy
1. Accountability
Each physician and employee associated with the Hopewood Opioid Addiction Clinic is responsible for the personal information under his/her control.
2. Identifying Purposes: Why We Collect Information
We ask you for information to establish a relationship and serve your medical needs as they relate to addiction medicine and associated health issues.
3. Consent
You have the right to determine how your personal health information is used and disclosed. For most health care purposes, your consent is implied as a result of your consent to treatment; however, in some circumstances, your express, sometimes written consent may be required.
4. Limiting Collection
We will collect information by fair and lawful means and collect only that information which may be necessary for the purpose related to the provision of your medical care.
5. Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention
The information we request from you is used for the purposes defined; we will seek your consent for any other purposes. We will retain your information only for the time it is required for the purposed we described.
6. Accuracy
We endeavour to ensure that all decisions involving your personal information are based upon accurate and timely information. While we will do our best to base our decisions on accurate information, we rely on you to disclose all material information and to inform us of any relevant changes.
7. Safeguards: Protecting Your Information
We protect your information with appropriate safeguards and security measures. Access to personal information will be authorized only for the physicians and employees associated with the team, and other agents who require access in the performance of their duties, and to those otherwise authorized by law.
8. Openness: Keeping You Informed
Hopewood Opioid Addiction Clinic can provide you with a copy of our Privacy Policy to keep you informed. You may ask to receive a copy of it from your physician’s office.
9. Access and Correction
With limited exception, we will give you access to the information we retain about you within a reasonable time, upon presentation of a written request and satisfactory identification. If you find errors of fact in your record, please notify us and we will review your concerns and make the appropriate corrections where appropriate.
10. Challenging Compliance
We encourage you to contact us with any questions or concerns you might have about your privacy or our Privacy Policy. We will investigate and respond to your concerns about any aspect of our handling of your information.
If your complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction by Hopewood Opioid Addiction Clinic, you may contact the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario at 416-326-3333 or 1-800-387-0073.