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Statement of Personal Health Information Practices

Approved by Chief Executive Officer August 2024.

YOUR PRIVACY

East End Community Health Centre collects, uses and discloses personal health information under the authority of the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA), 2004. We use this information to provide you with health care, to support Centre operations, and to improve the quality of our services.

East End Community Health Centre is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your personal information, which includes following all the laws that control how personal health information is collected, used and shared.

We take steps to protect your personal information from theft, loss and unauthorized access, including security for our office space and electronic systems; training our employees and having them sign confidentiality agreements; and conducting audits to monitor our compliance with privacy regulations. If we learn that your information has been inappropriately accessed or used, we will contact you. If you think your information has been inappropriately accessed or used, please contact our Privacy Officer.

YOUR HEALTH RECORD

Your health record includes information relevant to your health including your date of birth, contact information, health history, family health history, details of your physical and mental health, record of your visits, the care and support you received during those visits, results from tests and procedures, information from other health care providers, and a record of your visits to Centre groups.

HOW WE USE AND SHARE YOUR INFORMATION

The people in your health care team who need to see your information to provide or support your care are allowed to see it. Your health care team at East End CHC may include doctors, nurse practitioners, allied health providers, clinical assistants, and medical secretaries.

We may also use your health information to:

  • Plan, administer and manage programs, services and internal operations, and enhance your safety;
  • Conduct quality assurance and quality improvement activities (such as sending client experience surveys);
  • Compile statistics and support the analysis, administration and management of the health system;
  • Conduct research (subject to certain rules);
  • Comply with regulatory requirements;
  • Fulfill other purposes permitted or required by law

We may share your personal health information with:

  • People you choose to share it with, such as family members.
  • Other healthcare providers who provide care for you, such as specialists or diagnostic labs that you are referred to.
  • Shared Electronic Health Information Systems, such as ConnectingOntario. These systems help improve client safety, reduce wait times and avoid duplicate testing by sharing information with authorized healthcare providers.

YOUR RIGHTS

Accessing your information

With limited exceptions, you have the right to access the health information we hold about you, whether in the health record or elsewhere. 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 might be present, and a reasonable fee may be charged for this access. If you need a copy of your health record or would like to transfer / release your records, please inform our reception staff. In rare situations, you may be denied access to some or all of your record, with any such denial being in accordance with applicable law.

Keeping your information correct

We make every effort to ensure that all of your information is recorded accurately. Please let us know if there is something that is incorrect. You have a right to ask for a correction to your record if you disagree with what is recorded, and in most cases, we will be able to make the requested correction. If we are not able to make the correction, we will ask you to prepare a statement of disagreement to be attached to the record.

Withdrawing your consent to use or share your information

You have a right to make choices and control how your health information at the Centre is collected, used, and shared, subject to a few exceptions.

For most health care purposes, your consent to use your health information is implied as a result of your consent to treatment, unless you tell us otherwise. We may also collect, use and share your health information in order to communicate or consult with other health care providers about your care unless you tell us not to do so.

You have the right to ask that we not share some or all of your health information with one or more of the Centre’s staff members or ask us not to share your health information with one or more of your external health care providers (such as a specialist). This is known as asking for a “lockbox”.  If you would like to know more, please contact our Privacy Officer.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

If you would like a copy of our Personal Health Information Privacy and Confidentiality Policy, please ask us for a copy.  We encourage you to contact us with any questions or concerns you might have about our privacy practices. You can reach our Privacy Officer at:

Privacy Officer
East End Community Health Centre
1619 Queen Street East,
Toronto, Ontario M4L 1G4
Email: privacy officer@eastendchc.on.ca
Tel: 416-778-5858
Fax: 416-778-5855

If, after contacting us, you feel that your concerns have not been addressed to your satisfaction, you have the right to complain to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.  The Commissioner can be reached at:

Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400
Toronto, Ontario M4W 1A8
Email: info@ipc.on.ca
Tel: 1-800-387-0073
Fax: 1-416-325-9195