PRIVACY STATEMENT

Addiction Outreach Muskoka Parry Sound recognizes that the health information of consumers must be treated with respect and sensitivity and that consumer privacy must be protected.

Why Does The Service Collect Personal Information?

We collect personal health information about you directly from you or from the person acting on your behalf.  The personal health information we collect may include, for example, your name, date of birth, address and health history.  Occasionally, we collect personal health information about you from other sources if we have obtained your consent to do so or if the law permits.

Personal Information May Be Used For The Following Purposes:

• To identify your record quickly and accurately each time you have contact with the service.
• To treat and care for you.  You may have contact with several programs of the service.  All of this information is recorded in your file and made available to those involved in your care.
• To improve the quality and efficiency with which we provide health care services (such as asking that satisfaction surveys be completed).
• To collect and compile statistics.
• To conduct risk management activities.
• To comply with legal and regulatory requirements and, fulfill other purposes permitted or required by law.
• To get payment for your treatment and care as required (e.g. OHIP).

How Is Your Personal Information Protected?

The service takes steps to protect your personal health information from theft, loss and unauthorized access, copying, modification, use, disclosure and disposal.  Your information will be protected with appropriate safeguards.  For example, access to your information is limited to those involved in your care.  Anyone who performs services for us protects your privacy and only uses your personal health information for the purposes you have consented to.

Accessing Your Information

Addiction Outreach Muskoka Parry Sound respects your right to access your health information.  Under the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA), individuals have the right to access and correct personal health records, or withdraw consent for some of the above uses and disclosures (subject to legal exceptions).

An individual does not have a right of access to a record where the information in the record:

• Is subject to legal privilege (e.g. solicitor/client privilege or settlement privilege that prohibits the disclosure) or
• Is prohibited by law from being disclosed to the requester
• Is such that granting access could reasonably be expected to:
  • Result in a risk of serious harm to the treatment or recovery of the individual or a risk of serious bodily harm to the individual or another person
  • Lead to the identification of a person who was required by law to provide information in the record
  • Lead to the identification of a person who provided information in the record to the custodian explicitly or implicitly in confidence if the custodian considers it appropriate in the circumstances that the name of the person be kept confidential

Where an individual’s record contains information of a type listed above, the service is not required to give the individual access to the part of the record that contains such information. 

Requesting A Correction To Your Record

Individuals may request that the service correct personal health information if the individual believes that the record is “inaccurate or incomplete for the purposes” which the service uses the information.  The service has no duty to correct a record if the information requested to be corrected is a professional opinion or observation that was made in good faith about the individual.

Complementary Amendments

The PHIPA makes complementary amendments to other Acts, including:

• Mental Health Act
• Public Hospitals Act
• Health Protection and Promotion Act
• Long-Term Care Act, 1994
• Occupational Health and Safety Act
• Child and Family Services Act

How To Contact Us

To access your information, for more information about our privacy protection practices, or to raise a concern you have with our practices, contact us at (705) 645-1311 or 1-800-668-1856 and ask to speak to or leave a message for the Privacy Officer.  The service will respond to requests for access within 30 days from date of request.

You have the right to complain to the Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario if you think we have violated your rights.  The Commissioner can be reached at (416) 326-3333, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , website: www.ipc.on.ca.