PATIENT PRIVACY CONSENT - FOR COLLECTION, USE AND DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

Privacy of your personal information is an essential part of our office providing you with quality care. We understand the importance of protecting your personal information. We are committed to collecting, using and disclosing your personal information responsibly. We also try to be as open and transparent as possible about the way we handle your personal information. It is important to us to provide this service to our patients.

In this office, the Privacy Information Officer is:
Michael Hamilton D.C
1070 Main Street West
Hamilton, Ontario
L8S 1B3
905-630-2851

All staff members, who come in contact with your personal information, are aware of the sensitive nature of the information that you have disclosed to us. They are all trained in the appropriate uses and protection of your information.

In this consent form, we have outlined what our office is doing to ensure that:
• only necessary information is collected about you;
• we only share your information with your consent;
• storage, retention and destruction of your personal information complies with existing legislation, and privacy protocols;
• our privacy protocols comply with privacy legislation, standards of our regulatory body and the law.

Do not hesitate to discuss our policies with me or any member of our office staff. Please be assured that every staff person in our office is committed to ensuring that you receive the best quality care.

HOW OUR OFFICE COLLECTS, USES AND DISCLOSES PATIENTS’ PERSONAL INFORMATION

Our office understands the importance of protecting your personal information. To help you understand how we are doing that, we have outlined below how our office is using and disclosing your information.

This office will collect, use and disclose information about you for the following purposes:
• to deliver safe and efficient patient care
• to identify and to ensure continuous high quality service
• to assess your health needs
• to provide health care
• to advise you of treatment options
• to enable us to contact you
• to establish and maintain communications with you
• to offer and provide treatment, care and services
• to communicate with other treating health-care providers, including specialists and referring doctors
• to allow us to maintain communications and contact you to distribute health-care information and to book and confirm appointment
• to allow us to efficiently follow-up for treatment, care and billing
• to complete and submit claims for third party adjudication and payment
• to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, including the delivery of patents’ charts and records to governing bodies in a timely fashion, when required, according to the provisions of the Regulated Health Professions Act
• to comply with agreements/undertakings entered into voluntarily by the member with governing bodies, including the delivery and/or review of patients’ charts and records in a timely fashion for regulatory and monitoring purposes
• to prepare materials for the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board (HPARB)
• to process credit card payments
• to collect unpaid accounts
• to assist this office to comply with all regulatory requirements
• to comply generally with the law

By signing the consent section of the Patient Consent Form, you have agreed that you have given your informed consent to the collection, use and/or disclosure of your personal information for the purposes that are listed. If a new purpose arises for the use and/or disclosure of your personal information, we will seek your approval in advance.

Your information may be accessed by regulatory authorities under the terms of the Regulated Health Professions Ace (RHP A) and for the defense of a legal issue.

Our office will not under any conditions supply your insurer with your confidential medical history. In the event this kind of request is made, we will forward the information directly to you for review, and for your specific consent. When unusual requests are received, we will contact you for permission to release such information. We may also advise you if such a release is inappropriate.

You may withdraw your consent for use or disclosure of your personal information, and we will explain the ramifications of that decision, and the process.