Personal health information practices

We collect personal health information that may include any details about you, your health and / or your health history. This could include:

• Your name, address or date of birth, and in limited circumstances, your Ontario health card number, if it is required to provide service
• Facts about your health and your health care history including services you have received to date and any pertinent hospital records

Having access to up-to-date personal health information allows Niagara Region Public Health to provide you with public health services to meet your needs.

We collect personal health information directly from you, or from the person who is legally acting on your behalf. If you were referred to a Niagara Region Public Health or Mental Health service, we may also collect information from one of your other health care providers, such as your family doctor, nurse practitioner or specialist.

We collect information through face-to-face meetings, the phone, written materials and electronic documents. Niagara Region Public Health uses an electronic health record program, provincial records reporting systems, a hospital health records system and office-based files.

If a lab test is ordered, your information and lab results may be entered into a laboratory database that may be available to other health care providers involved in your care.

We collect personal health information to promote and protect your health and to prevent disease. We use it to provide service, and it may also be used to:

• Plan, deliver and evaluate our Public Health services
• Notify you of an appointment or change to an appointment
• Ensure your safety and the safety of the community
• Compile statistics
• Make administrative decisions to plan for future programming

At any time, you can ask to see your personal health information we have on record. If you believe the information we have is incorrect or incomplete, you can request to make a correction to that information.

Public Health clients: Call 905-688-3762 or 1-800-263-7248

Mental Health clients: Contact your case manager by calling 905-688-2854 or 1-800-263-7248

If you would like to obtain a complete copy of your health record, contact Freedom of Information.

Whether your records are paper or electronic, we are responsible for keeping your personal health information private and confidential. We take steps to protect your information from theft, loss and unauthorized access, copying, modification, use, disclosure and disposal.

Paper records are kept in locked files or secured areas accessible only to your health care providers. Electronic records require a password and can only be accessed by people providing you with health care. We conduct audits and investigations to monitor and manage your privacy.

Niagara Region Public Health will never share your personal health information without your expressed consent or the expressed consent of your designated substitute decision maker.

With your consent, we will share relevant personal health information with other health care providers when making referrals as part of your service.

We may be required to enter your information into a provincial database or disclose it to meet legal requirements related to the function of the Medical Officer of Health and Board of Health under the Health Protection and Promotion Act.

We also have a legal and professional responsibility to notify the proper authorities when:

• A Mental Health team member assesses that you may harm yourself or others
• There is suspicion of abuse or risk of abuse to a child under 16
• Your health records are required by court order
• Certain health matters could affect the health or safety of the public, as outlined in the Health Protection and Promotion Act or other legislation

The choice to share personal health information is yours. However, your decision to withhold information may limit our ability to meet your needs.

With your consent, a family member, significant other or legal representative can access your personal health information. You can be specific about what information you would like us to share.

At any time, you have the right to change the conditions of your consent, or cancel a previous consent.