Privacy Policy

Through the use of our website (https://www.hwclinic.org/) your anonymous/non-personal information may be subject to collection. Anonymous/non-personal information is information that cannot be associated with, or traced back to, a specific individual or business entity. 

This may be done through the use of third-party analytic tools, such as Google Analytics, to help us measure traffic and usage trends and to understand more about our user demographics. You can learn more about Google’s practices at https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites and view the currently available opt-out options at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

And we may use the standard “cookies” feature of major web browsers, but these do not contain any confidential information. You may choose to disable cookies through your own web browsers settings.

In some cases, such as when you book an appointment over the Internet, your consent will be obtained electronically. Your provision of Personal Information to Hamilton Women’s Clinic means that you agree and consent that we may collect, use and disclose your Personal Information in accordance with our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with these terms, you are requested not to provide any Personal Information to Hamilton Women’s Clinic. 

Hamilton Women’s Clinic is a medical abortion clinic. As a provider of a healthcare service, we are dedicated to maintaining high standards of confidentiality with respect to all information that has been provided to us, particularly health information. It is our policy to protect the personal information of all our patients in accordance with the legal obligations set out in Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) and in accordance with good business practices and privacy and security best practices.

PROTECTING PERSONAL INFORMATION 

Patient information is sensitive by nature. While the doctor is ultimately accountable for the protection of the health records in his/her possession, employees and all others at HWC who assist with, or provide care, are required to be aware of, and adhere to, the protections described in this policy for the appropriate use and disclosure of personal information.

At Hamilton Women’s Clinic, access to personal information is strictly managed, such that:

• Access is on a need-to-know basis
• Access is restricted to authorized users
• Contractual privacy agreements with third parties (including cleaning and security personnel, landlords, etc.)

The Hamilton Women’s Clinic collects, uses and discloses personal information only for the purposes of providing care and treatment, or the administration of that care, or for other purposes expressly consented to by the patient.

This policy describes how Hamilton Women’s Clinic collects, uses, discloses, secures, and disposes your personal information.

COLLECTION, USE AND DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION 

Collection of Personal Information

We collect the following personal information:

• Demographic information — this would include details such as: Name, Date of Birth, Home Address, Phone Numbers, Email Address, etc.
• Billing information — This would primarily include either a patients Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) Number, or their Private Medical Insurance details.
• Health information — This would include details such as: Medical History, Prescriptions/Medications, Results of Diagnostic Tests and/or Examinations, Dates of Consultations, etc.

Hamilton Women’s Clinic will only collect the information that is required to provide and administrate care, and/or to communicate with patients. We will not collect any other information, or allow information to be used for other purposes, without the patient’s express consent – except where authorized to do so by law. These limits on collection ensure that we do not collect unnecessary information.

Use of Personal Information

Personal information collected from patients is used by the Mississauga Women’s Clinic for the purpose of:

• Identification and contact
• Provision, administration, and continuity of care
• Historical record
• Appointment scheduling
• Billing provincial health plan
• Professional requirements
• Risk or error management, i.e., medical-legal advice (CMPA)
• Prescriptions

Disclosure of Personal Information

Implied Consent (Disclosures to other health care providers)

Unless otherwise indicated, we assume that patients have consented to the use of their information for the purposes of providing them with care, including sharing the information with other health providers involved in their care. By virtue of seeking care from us, the patient’s consent is implied for the provision of that care.

Relevant health information is shared with other providers involved in the patient’s care, including (but not limited to): 

• other doctors in this practice, and 
• any health professionals in the after-hour call group.

Without Consent (Disclosures mandated or authorized by law)

There are limited situations where the physician is legally required to disclose personal information without the patient’s consent. Examples of these situations include (but are not limited to):

• Billing provincial health plans
• Reporting abuse, threats to life/health/safety, etc. to an identifiable individual or group
• By court order (when subpoenaed in a court case)
• For quality assessment (peer review)
• For risk and error management, e.g., medical-legal advice

Express Consent (Disclosures to all other third parties)

The patient’s express consent (oral or written) is required before Hamilton Women’s Clinic will disclose personal information to third parties for any purpose other than to provide care or unless authorized to do so by law.

Examples of situations that involve disclosures to third parties include (but are not limited to):

• Third party medical examinations
• Provision of charts or chart summaries to insurance companies

Before a disclosure is made to a third party, a notation shall be made in the file that the patient has provided express consent, or a signed patient consent form is appended to the file.

Withdrawal of Consent

Patients have the option to withdraw consent to have their information shared with other health providers at any time. They also have the option to withdraw consent to have their information shared with third parties.

If a patient chooses to withdraw their consent, the physician will discuss any significant consequences that might result with respect to their care and treatment (e.g., possible negative impact on the care provided).

STORAGE, SECURITY, AND DISPOSAL OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

Safeguards are in place to protect the security of patient information. These safeguards include a combination of physical, technological, and administrative security measures.

Physical safeguards are two-fold; first, access to records is strictly need-to-know, and secondly, the records are kept in a safe and secured office (locked with an alarm) where access is limited. 

Technological safeguards include; protected computer access for patient health information, the use of passwords and user authentication, as well as firewall and virus scanning software.

Administrative safeguards cover both employees of Hamilton Women’s Clinic, and any third parties that we contract that may have access to sensitive personal information.

In the course of daily operations, access to private, sensitive and confidential information is restricted to authorized employees who have a legitimate purpose and reason for accessing it. Access is on a need-to-know basis and restricted to authorized users only.

As a condition of their employment, all employees of Hamilton Women’s Clinic are required to sign a confidentiality agreement that prohibits the disclosure of any Personal Information to unauthorized individuals or parties, and which extends beyond the term of employment. 

Further, any other persons having access to these premises (e.g., cleaners, security staff, landlords) are to provide a comparable level of protection, as mandated through contractual privacy clauses/agreements.

Record Retention

The Hamilton Women’s Clinic will retain patient records, as required by law and professional regulations, for a minimum of 10 years from the date of last entry, as recommended by The Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA). Although some records may be retained for longer, particularly if we are aware of any potential issues – i.e. medical-legal issues.

Procedures for Secure Disposal/Destruction of Personal Information

When information is no longer required, it is destroyed in a way that maintains confidentiality, and ensures that the record cannot be reconstructed in any way.

For example, for paper records, records shall be shredded. With regards to electronic records, they are permanently and irreversibly deleted/erased, and Hamilton Women’s Clinic ensures that all information is wiped clean where possible prior to disposal of electronic data storage devices (e.g. surplus computers, internal and external hard drives, diskettes, tapes, CD-ROMs, etc.).

QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS

Please contact us if you have any questions and/or concerns regarding your personal information, or our privacy policy and practices. Our contact details are as follows:

Hamilton Women’s Clinic

19 Bold Street (Unit 2A)
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
L8P 1T3
 

Phone: (905) 540–1900
E-Mail: info@hwclinic.org