Medvisit Doctors Housecall Service Privacy Policy  Your Privacy and the Law  

Medvisit Doctors Housecall Service  (Medvisit) is committed to ensuring that the privacy of your personal  information is respected and maintained at all times. We are bound by the Personal Information  Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and the Ontario Personal Health Information  Protection Act, 2004.  

This Privacy Policy outlines how personal information about you and your health is recorded  and managed by Medvisit..  

What personal information do we collect?  

The ‘personal information’ we collect includes your name, date of birth, address/es, contact  details, health card number, healthcare identifiers and health fund details. Medical information  may include medical history and any care you may need. Doctors need information about your  past and present health in order to provide you with high-quality care.  

Medvisit follows the guidelines of the CMA’s Health Information Privacy Code and Code of Ethics, as well as the CPSO’s Confidentiality of Personal Health Information Policy for the management  of health information. These policies incorporate federal and provincial privacy legislation, which  requires that your personal information is kept private and secure.  

Why do we collect, use, hold and share your personal information?  

Medvisit will need to collect your personal information to provide healthcare services to you. Our  main purpose for collecting, using, holding and sharing your personal information is to manage  your health. We also use it for directly related business activities, such as financial claims and  payments, practice audits, and business processes (e.g. staff training).  

We may also collect your personal information for the purpose of telling you about our services  or products that might better service your healthcare or lifestyle requirements or other  opportunities in which you may be interested. You may opt out of receiving marketing  communications from us at any time by following opt out instructions provided in such marketing  communications.  

Why and when your consent is necessary  

When you register, or on your initial booking with Medvisit, you provide consent for staff and  doctors to access and use your personal information so they can provide you with the best  possible healthcare. Only staff that needs to see your personal information will have access  to it. If we need to use your information for anything else, we will seek additional consent from  you to do so.  

How do we collect your personal information?  

Medvisit will collect your personal information:  

• When you register with our service i.e. pre-registration 
• When you make your first booking or attempt at booking with our service
• During the course of providing medical services, we may collect further personal information 
• We may also collect your personal information when you visit our website, send us an email or SMS, telephone us, make an online appointment or communicate with us using social media. 

In some circumstances, personal information may also be collected from other sources. Often this  is because it is not practical or reasonable to collect it from you directly. This may include  information from:  

• your guardian or responsible person 
• other involved healthcare providers, such as specialists, allied health professionals, hospitals, community health services and pathology and diagnostic imaging services your health fund, or the Ministry of Health. 

Your medical records  

Medvisit takes steps to ensure that your medical records:  

• are accurate, complete, well-organised and legible 
• are up-to-date 
• contain enough information to allow another doctor to care for you 

If you are uncertain why information is being requested, please ask our Privacy Officer. If you  wish to remain anonymous while accessing healthcare services, please speak to one of our staff.  

Disclosing your personal information  

Subject to the particular restrictions on sensitive information (see below) we may disclose your  personal information to:  

• any person you request or consent to receiving the information 
• in the case of a minor, to the parent with parental responsibility 
• to any other authorised representative such as a legal guardian or Power of Attorney • your treating doctor or regular general practitioner 
• anyone we are required or authorised by law to disclose the personal information • Provincial health insurance program or other health insurance companies where it is necessary for you to obtain Provincial health insurance payments or other health insurance rebates, or 
• our contractors assisting us to facilitate the provision of healthcare services or other services to you; 
• anyone included in a transfer of all or part of our assets or businesses • there is an overriding public health and safety interest in the release of the information. 

In the above cases, only information necessary to meet the requirements will be provided. Your  health information will not ordinarily be sent overseas unless:  

• you are informed and provide consent for this to occur, and 
• the overseas country receiving the information has privacy laws that are very similar to the Canadian Privacy Principles.

Sensitive information will only be used for the purposes for which it was provided or for a purpose  directly related to such purpose, unless you agree otherwise or the use or disclosure of the  sensitive information is required or authorized by law.  

 

By providing your personal information, you are consenting to provisions outlined previously and  to the collection, use and disclosure provisions described.  

 

Medvisit requires that organizations to which it discloses your personal information have in place  reasonable safeguards for protecting personal information. These organizations are only  permitted to use the information for services or functions for which they have been engaged.  

Providing your information to Family Doctors and others  

Medvisit respects your right to decide how your personal information is used or shared. Personal  information that identifies you will be sent to you, your family doctor or family with your consent,  unless there are exceptional circumstances. Gaining your consent is the guiding principle  used by Medvisit in using and sharing your information.  

Using health information for quality improvement and research  

Medvisit may use your health information to assist in improving the quality of care we give to all our  patients, by reviewing the treatments used in the service.  

Your information held by Medvisit may be used in research projects to improve healthcare in the  community; however, this information will not include data that can identify you.  

The information used for research, including the publication of research results, will not be in a  form that would allow you to be identified, unless the research serves an important public interest.  In such cases, identifiable medical records can be used for medical research without your consent  under guidelines issued by the Canadian Government. Before providing such  identified information, Medvisit will discuss with you the information that she or he is obliged to  disclose.  

How can you access your health information?  

Sharing information is important for good communication between Medvisit and yourself. You can  request access to your medical record and any other information Medvisit records about you. You  may also ask our staff about any aspect of your healthcare, including information contained  in your record.  

In the case of minors or individuals who are not capable of making this request, a parent  with parental responsibility or legal guardian can request access to the medical records and any  other information Medvisit records of the relevant child or person.  

If you or an authorized representative (such as a parent or legal guardian) requests access  to your medical record, Medvisit will need to take reasonable steps to confirm the identity of the  person making the request. For authorized representatives, such as parents or legal guardians,  Medvisit will also take reasonable steps to confirm the identity of the patient and confirm the  requestor is an authorized representative by means such as confirmation from both parents,  court orders indicating parental responsibility, or other legal documents demonstrating legal  guardianship. 

 

When reviewing requests for access, Medvisit will need to consider if there may be a risk of  physical or mental harm to you or any other person that may result from disclosure of  your health information. Medvisit may need to remove any information that will affect the privacy of other  individuals. Depending on what is involved, you may be asked to contribute to the cost of providing  the information.  

Dealing with us anonymously 

You have the right to deal with us anonymously or under a pseudonym unless it is impracticable  for us to do so or unless we are required or authorised by law to only deal with identified  individuals.  

How do we protect your personal information?  

Canadian privacy legislation applies to all personal health information recorded in electronic  and paper records. All records must be kept secure to protect against unauthorized access.  Medvisit complies with these requirements to protect your information. Unauthorized use of  confidential information is grounds for litigation in Canada. Medvisit does not tolerate any misuse of  confidential information.  

Use of Cookies on the website  

Medvisit measures traffic to its website and uses cookies to monitor return visits. A 'cookie' is a  small file that is sent to your computer when you visit our website. Cookies may store user  preferences and other information. The cookies we use do not store any personal data or  otherwise collect personally identifiable information. You can set your browser to refuse cookies  or to indicate when a cookie is being sent.  

Changes to our privacy policy  

We reserve the right to change this policy at any time.  

Resolving concerns regarding the privacy of your health information  

If you have any concerns regarding the privacy of your personal health information or the  accuracy of the information held by Medvisit, you should discuss these with our Privacy Officer.  Inaccurate information can be corrected or your concerns noted in your record. For legal  reasons, the original notes will be retained.  

Contact Us  

If you wish to contact us about your personal information or make a complaint about possible  breaches of privacy, you should direct enquiries to:  

Privacy Officer  

Medvisit Doctors Housecall Service

505 Consumers Rd, Suite 901, North York ON M2J 4V8  

Email: info@medvisit.ca

Ph : 416 631 3000  

The Privacy Officer will endeavour to deal with your enquiry or complaint as soon as is reasonably practicable.