WEBSITE PRIVACY NOTICE
INTRODUCTION
Stratford Family Health Team (“We”, or “Us”) is committed to developing safe, effective, and secure storage for your Personal Health Information, and making sure that your privacy is respected. We are responsible for making sure your private information is protected, and that we follow the Personal Health Information Protection Act (“PHIPA”) as it applies to Us. Below are a set of Principles that we follow to better serve you. If you have questions, please contact our Privacy Officer at privacy@sfht.on.ca.
1. Accountability for confidential information
Stratford Family Health Team is accountable for your personal information which we process. We will ensure to:
a. Have procedures and policies in place to protect your personal health information.
b. Train our staff and affiliates on how to follow our policies and procedures. We will also educate them about their duties with regard to confidentiality.
c. Engage with your complaints and inquires.
2. Identifying Purposes for the Collection of Confidential Information
We will identify the purposes for which confidential information is collected at or before the time of collection. We collect the information you give to us so that it may stored securely, for administrative purposes, and to comply with the law.
3. Consent
We will not use, collect, and disclose without your knowledge and consent except where allowed to do so by the law. You may withdraw consent for use and disclosure at anytime subject to contractual and legal rules. We may only disclose and use your personal health information without your consent under strict conditions as allowed by law.
4.Limiting Collection of Confidential Information
We will limit the scope of the information collected to that which is needed for the purposes identified. We only collect information that you provide to us. You are not obliged to provide more information than what you want.
5. Limiting Use, Disclosure, and Retention of Information
The information we control will be retained for only as long as needed as required by the law. It will be securely destroyed in accordance with our policies and the applicable legislation.
6. Accuracy of Confidential Information
Stratford Family Health Team will take all reasonable measures to maintain accurate, complete, and up-to-date information. You have the right to amend, and challenge inaccurate information.
7. Security of Confidential Information
Your information will be stored appropriately, and proportionally to the nature of its sensitivity. Protection may include physical locks, codes, key passes, or other restrictive measures. It may also include organizational measures, and technological measures, such as passwords, encryption, and anonymization. Contracted agents are bound to privacy and confidentiality and will take care of your confidential information. In the event of a breach, the Privacy Officer shall be immediately notified.
8. Openness about Confidential Information Policies and Practices
This privacy policy is available online and in our clinics. Included in our policy is the contact information for our Privacy Officer, how you can access your personal health information held by us, and a description of what information we are holding, and how we may share said information.
9. Individual Access to Own Personal Information
Upon being requested in writing, Stratford Family Health Team will furnish an individual with their medical information where reasonable and practicable. There may be a fee. We reserve the right to deny frivolous or vexatious requests. You must provide sufficient information so that we can properly identify the information requested and may be asked to use our specific
patient file request forms.
10. Compliance with our Privacy Policy
In the event you have any questions, please contact our Privacy Officer at privacy@sfht.on.ca. If you feel that our policies or practices are not in compliance, alert Us and if necessary, changes will be made. If you are still unsatisfied, you can reach out to the Information & Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. The Commissioner’s address is 2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, ON, M4W1A8, or can be reached at (416)- 325-3333, or 1-800-387-0073.
11. Changes to this Privacy Policy
In order to enhance your care, and respect the law, it might be necessary to modify this Privacy Policy from time to time. We therefore reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy in accordance with the applicable data protection laws.
12. Governing Law
Stratford Family Health Team controls and operates this site in Canada. Our online privacy practices are governed by the laws of Canada and Ontario, which may differ from privacy laws in your province, state, or home country. By submitting your personal health information to this site, you consent to the transfer of your personal information across Canada and its use and disclosure in accordance with Canadian federal and Ontario provincial law and with this Privacy Policy.