Privacy of Personal and Health Information Policy

Policy

The protection of individual privacy is an utmost consideration in At-Home Hospice’s collection, use and disclosure of any personal information that has been provided to us. If you would like to review our policies regarding the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) please click here.

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Purpose

At-Home Hospice values client privacy and acts to ensure that it is protected. This policy was written to capture our current practices and to respond to federal and provincial requirements for the protection of personal information. This policy describes how this office collects, protects and discloses the personal information of clients and the rights of clients with respect to their personal information.

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Scope

Our requirements apply to all employees/contractors who provide services such as home care or office support on behalf of AHH.

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Responsibility

All AHH field and office staff.

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Definitions

Privacy Protection Policy: Protects the privacy of the Client and the confidentiality of personal information.

Personal Information: Any information, recorded in any form, about an identified client whose identity may be inferred or determined from such information.

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Guidelines

1. Employees and all other staff in this office 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.
2. This office employs strict privacy protections to ensure that;
   1. We protect the confidentiality of any personal information we access in the course of providing client care.
   2. We collect, use and disclose personal information only for the purposes of providing care and treatment or the administration of care, or for other purposes expressly consented to by the client.
   3. We adhere to the privacy and security policies and procedures of this office.
   4. We educate and train our staff on the importance of protecting personal information.
3. AHH will only collect the information that is required to provide care, administrate the care that is provided, and communicate with patients. AHH will not collect any other information, or allow information to be used for other purposes, without the client’s express consent (except where authorized to do so by law). These limits on collection ensure that we do not collect unnecessary information.

 

Refer to:
211.01– Consent to Collect, Use and Disclose Personal Health Information
211.02– Client Consent to Receive Services and Treatment

4. Personal information collected from clients is used by this office for the purpose of:
   1. Identification and contact
   2. Provision and continuity of care
   3. Administrating the care that is provided
5. Clients have the option to withdraw consent to have their information shared with other health care providers at any time.
6. Safeguards are in place to protect the security of client information. These safeguards include a combination of physical, technological and administrative security measures.
   1. Physical safeguards include; limited access to office, limited access to records, and locked file cabinets.
   2. Technological safeguards include; protected computer access for client health information with the use of passwords and system protections such as firewall software and virus scanning software.
   3. Administrative safeguards include; office information management practices (need to know basis and restricted authorized users), contractual privacy clauses/ agreements with third parties.
7. AHH also ensures that all staff have signed confidentiality agreements as part of their employment. This confidentiality agreement extends beyond the term of employment.

 

Refer to: 409 Schedule D – Confidentiality Agreement

8. AHH is sensitive to the privacy of personal information and this is reflected in how we communicate with our clients, client’s family members, staff involved in their care and all third parties. We protect personal information regardless of the format and use specific procedures to communicate personal information, such as;
   1. By telephone, client preference with regards to phone messages will be taken into consideration and unless authorized, AHH staff only leaves their name and number on messages in regards to clients.
   2. By fax, our fax machine is located in a secure/ supervised area with restricted public access.
9. AHH retains client records as required by law and professional regulations as well as uses secure offsite record storage.
10. When information is no longer required, it is destroyed according to set procedures that govern the storage and destruction of personal information. AHH uses shredding as the method to destroy/ dispose of paper records.
11. It is important to AHH that our privacy policies and practices address client concerns and respond to client needs. Client complaints can be made verbally or in writing.

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Procedure

AHH has a dedicated privacy officer that oversees ongoing activities related to the development, implementation, maintenance of, and adherence to our privacy protection policy.

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References

Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (Ontario) PHIPA