Patient Privacy
Your Health Information and Your Privacy at NHS
At Niagara Health System, we treat your personal health information with respect and sensitivity and do so in accordance with the Ontario Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA, 2004) and all other applicable legislation.
Personal Health Information (PHI) Protection
The Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) is consent-based legislation which establishes legal requirements for the collection, use, disclosure and disposal of your personal health information. We have administrative, physical and technical security measures in place to protect your Personal Health Information from theft, loss, unauthorized use, access, copying, modification, disclosure and disposal. We conduct audits and perform investigations to monitor and manage our PHI privacy compliance.
Who can use and see your Personal Health Information
You, or a person who can legally make decisions for you about your personal health information. Your PHI is shared with doctors, nurses, residents and all other members of your healthcare team. We collect, use and share your PHI with others as necessary to:
- Provide your healthcare, both inside and outside our NHS hospital sites
- Communicate or consult about your healthcare with your doctor(s) and your other healthcare providers
- Receive payment for your healthcare and hospital services, including OHIP, WSIB and private insurance
- Plan and manage the health system
- Report PHI required or permitted by law
Consent
When you come to a Niagara Health System hospital site(s) for service and/or treatment, we function under your implied consent. This means by coming to the hospital(s), you have consented to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal health information by and among your healthcare providers in support of providing you with the best care possible. You may withdraw, or limit your consent in writing and we will stop collection, use and disclosure of your information at our earliest opportunity. However, please note - this may have treatment implications and is not retrospective.
Your Rights and Choices
You, or a person who can legally make decisions about your PHI, have the right to:
- See and get copies of your personal health information or hospital records.
- Ask us to make corrections to inaccurate or incomplete PHI.
- Ask us not to share your PHI with other healthcare providers unless we are permitted or required to do so by law.
- Be informed if your PHI is lost, stolen, compromised or improperly accessed or disclosed.
Some exceptions apply to these rights.
Family and Friends
Your family and friends may be told general information about you, such as your location in the hospital and your general health condition, unless you tell us not to provide this information.
Spiritual and Religious Care
If you provide us information regarding your faith group affiliation, parish or congregation, we may give your name and room location to a member of the clergy of your faith group, unless you tell us not to provide this information.
Fundraising
The Niagara Health System relies on patient and community support for part of our funding. We, or a NHS Foundation Office, may use your name and address and contact you for support, unless you tell us not to provide this information.
Research, Education and Planning
We obtain your consent before we disclose your information for research projects. Note: some research projects DO NOT require your consent and have safeguards in place to protect your privacy. We may use your PHI without your consent for education, training, planning and management in the NHS. We may also provide your PHI to certain ‘prescribed entities’ allowed under PHIPA for planning and management of our healthcare system. Prescribed entities are:
- Cancer Care Ontario (CCO)
- Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI)
- Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES)
- Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO).
Electronic Health Record
Our federal and provincial governments have established a goal of providing Canadians with an electronic health record (EHR). This will be done to improve access to and coordination of your care, enhance patient safety, reduce wait times, avoid duplicate testing and provide timely access to your health information by your healthcare providers. Your information will be stored securely on shared health information databases, accessible by authorized healthcare providers.
For questions or concerns about our privacy practices, please contact:
NHS Chief Privacy Officer
(905) 378-4647, ext 44475
If you need more information on your privacy rights or you are unable to resolve a problem with the Niagara Health System, you may contact:
Ontario Information & Privacy Commissioner:
1-800-387-0073 or email concerns to
info@ipc.on.ca