	Horseshoe Hill Massage Therapy
Contents Home Massage Helps Services Thermal Palms Massage The Therapist Massage Therapy Training Insurance Coverage Fee Schedule Location Map Gift Certificates Privacy Policy	Horseshoe Hill Massage Therapy – Privacy Policy Your Personal Information, PHIPA & PIPEDA and Your Therapist The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) is a Federal Act that came into force January 1st, 2004. It requires any business or group (non-profit or otherwise), that performs "commercial transactions" (buying or selling), to take responsibility for the personal information they collect. On November 1, 2004, the Ontario government enacted the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA). This act establishes rules for the collection, use and disclosure of personal health information. While the two acts are similar PHIPA specifically applies to health information. Personal information is defined as anything other than the sort of information that appears on a business card or in a phone book. This would include credit card information, dates of appointments, buying preferences, records of past purchases, health information, and any other information that can be connected with a person. In addition, both Acts gives people more clearly defined rights to control their personal information. What does this mean to you? Under the new act you have new rights. To see any personal information collected about you. A business must inform you of what information is collected, why it is being collected, used or disclosed, who will be able to see it, and have your consent to collect it. You have the right to request a correction to any of your personal health information, or withdraw your consent for some of the uses and disclosures (subject to legal exceptions). You have a process available through the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario if our response is not satisfactory. Who We Are Horseshoe Hill Massage Therapy is solely owned and operated by Karen Redgers RMT. We use a number of consultants that may, in the course of their duties, have limited access to personal information we hold. These include computer consultants, accountants, website managers, and lawyers. We restrict their access to any personal information we hold as much as is reasonably possible. We also have their assurance that they follow appropriate privacy principles. We Collect Personal Information: Primary Purposes Like all massage therapists, we collect, use and disclose personal information in order to serve our clients. The primary purpose for collecting personal information is to provide massage therapy treatment. For example, we collect information about a client’s health history, physical condition and function, and social situation, in order to help us assess what their health needs are, to advise them of their options, and then to provide the health care they choose to have. A second purpose is to obtain a baseline of health and social information, so that in providing ongoing health services, we can identify changes that are occurring over time. It would be rare for us to collect such information without the client’s express consent. However this might occur in an emergency, or where we believe the client would consent if asked and it is impractical to obtain consent (e.g., a family member passing a message on from our client and we have no reason to believe that the message is not genuine). We Collect Personal Information: Related and Secondary Purposes Like most organizations, we also collect, use and disclose information for purposes related to or secondary to our primary purposes. The most common examples are: To invoice clients for goods or services, or to collect unpaid accounts. To advise clients of appointments. To advise clients and others of special events (e.g., a seminar, new services or products) that we have available. Massage Therapists are regulated by the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario, who may inspect our records and interview us as a part of their regulatory activities in the public interest. In addition, as professionals, we report serious misconduct, incompetence or incapacity of other practioners, whether they belong to other organizations or our own. External regulators have their own strict privacy obligations. Sometimes these reports include personal information about our clients, or other individuals, to support the concern (e.g., improper services). Also, various government agencies (e.g., Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, Information and Privacy Commissioner, etc.) have the authority to review our files and interview us as a part of their mandates. In these circumstances, we may consult with professionals (e.g., lawyers, accountants) who will investigate the matter and report back. With your written permission, information may be shared with an insurance company, lawyer or other health care practitoner. As the information requested may be different, it will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. Clients or other individuals we deal with may have questions about our goods or services after they have been received. We also provide ongoing services for many of our clients, over a period of months or years, for which our previous records are helpful. We retain our client information, for a minimum of ten years after the last contact to enable us to respond to those questions and provide these services (our regulatory College also requires us to retain our client records). On our website, we only collect the personal information you provide, and only use that information for the purpose you gave it to us (e.g., to respond to your email). Protecting Personal Information We understand the importance of protecting personal information. To do so, the following steps have been taken: Paper information is either under supervision or secured in a locked area. Our computers are password protected. Paper information is transmitted through sealed addressed envelopes or boxes by reputable companies. External consultants and agencies, with access to personal information, must enter into privacy agreements with us. We destroy paper files by shredding. We destroy electronic information by deleting it and, when hardware is discarded, we ensure that the hard drive is physically destroyed. You Can Look At Your Information With only a few exceptions, you have the right to see what personal information we hold about you. Often all you have to do is ask. We can help you identify what records we might have about you. We will also try to help you understand any information you do not understand (e.g., short forms, technical language etc.) We will need to confirm your identity, if we do not know you, before providing you with this access. We reserve the right to charge a nominal fee for such requests. If there is a problem, we may ask you to put your request in writing. If we cannot give you access, we will tell you within 30 days, if at all possible, and tell you the reason, as best we can. If you believe there is a mistake in the information, you have the right to ask for it to be corrected. This applies to factual information and not to any professional opinions we have formed. We may ask you to provide documentation that our files are wrong. Where we agree that we made a mistake, we will make the correction and notify anyone to whom we sent this information. If we do not agree that we have made a mistake, we will still agree to include in our file a brief statement from you on the point, and we will forward that statement to anyone else who received the earlier information. Questions? If you have any questions about the PHIPA or PIPEDA, the information we collect, and our privacy policies, please do not hesitate to speak with Karen Redgers the owner and privacy officer for this clinic. If you wish to make a formal complaint about our privacy practices, you may make it in writing to me. The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario can be reached at: 2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto Ontario, M4W 1A5 / 1-800-387-0073 The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Canada can be reached at: 112 Kent Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 1H3/ 1-800-282-1376 / www.privcom.gc.ca Horseshoe Hill Massage Therapy

Horseshoe Hill Massage Therapy

Horseshoe Hill Massage Therapy – Privacy Policy

Your Personal Information, PHIPA & PIPEDA and Your Therapist

The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) is a Federal Act that came into force January 1st, 2004. It requires any business or group (non-profit or otherwise), that performs "commercial transactions" (buying or selling), to take responsibility for the personal information they collect. On November 1, 2004, the Ontario government enacted the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA). This act establishes rules for the collection, use and disclosure of personal health information. While the two acts are similar PHIPA specifically applies to health information.

Personal information is defined as anything other than the sort of information that appears on a business card or in a phone book. This would include credit card information, dates of appointments, buying preferences, records of past purchases, health information, and any other information that can be connected with a person.

In addition, both Acts gives people more clearly defined rights to control their personal information.

What does this mean to you?

Under the new act you have new rights.

To see any personal information collected about you.
A business must inform you of what information is collected, why it is being collected, used or disclosed, who will be able to see it, and have your consent to collect it.
You have the right to request a correction to any of your personal health information, or withdraw your consent for some of the uses and disclosures (subject to legal exceptions).
You have a process available through the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario if our response is not satisfactory.

Who We Are

Horseshoe Hill Massage Therapy is solely owned and operated by Karen Redgers RMT. We use a number of consultants that may, in the course of their duties, have limited access to personal information we hold. These include computer consultants, accountants, website managers, and lawyers. We restrict their access to any personal information we hold as much as is reasonably possible. We also have their assurance that they follow appropriate privacy principles.

We Collect Personal Information: Primary Purposes

Like all massage therapists, we collect, use and disclose personal information in order to serve our clients. The primary purpose for collecting personal information is to provide massage therapy treatment. For example, we collect information about a client’s health history, physical condition and function, and social situation, in order to help us assess what their health needs are, to advise them of their options, and then to provide the health care they choose to have. A second purpose is to obtain a baseline of health and social information, so that in providing ongoing health services, we can identify changes that are occurring over time. It would be rare for us to collect such information without the client’s express consent. However this might occur in an emergency, or where we believe the client would consent if asked and it is impractical to obtain consent (e.g., a family member passing a message on from our client and we have no reason to believe that the message is not genuine).

We Collect Personal Information: Related and Secondary Purposes

Like most organizations, we also collect, use and disclose information for purposes related to or secondary to our primary purposes. The most common examples are:

To invoice clients for goods or services, or to collect unpaid accounts.
To advise clients of appointments.
To advise clients and others of special events (e.g., a seminar, new services or products) that we have available.
Massage Therapists are regulated by the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario, who may inspect our records and interview us as a part of their regulatory activities in the public interest. In addition, as professionals, we report serious misconduct, incompetence or incapacity of other practioners, whether they belong to other organizations or our own. External regulators have their own strict privacy obligations. Sometimes these reports include personal information about our clients, or other individuals, to support the concern (e.g., improper services). Also, various government agencies (e.g., Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, Information and Privacy Commissioner, etc.) have the authority to review our files and interview us as a part of their mandates. In these circumstances, we may consult with professionals (e.g., lawyers, accountants) who will investigate the matter and report back.
With your written permission, information may be shared with an insurance company, lawyer or other health care practitoner. As the information requested may be different, it will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.
Clients or other individuals we deal with may have questions about our goods or services after they have been received. We also provide ongoing services for many of our clients, over a period of months or years, for which our previous records are helpful. We retain our client information, for a minimum of ten years after the last contact to enable us to respond to those questions and provide these services (our regulatory College also requires us to retain our client records).
On our website, we only collect the personal information you provide, and only use that information for the purpose you gave it to us (e.g., to respond to your email).

Protecting Personal Information

We understand the importance of protecting personal information. To do so, the following steps have been taken:

Paper information is either under supervision or secured in a locked area.
Our computers are password protected.
Paper information is transmitted through sealed addressed envelopes or boxes by reputable companies.
External consultants and agencies, with access to personal information, must enter into privacy agreements with us.
We destroy paper files by shredding. We destroy electronic information by deleting it and, when hardware is discarded, we ensure that the hard drive is physically destroyed.

You Can Look At Your Information

With only a few exceptions, you have the right to see what personal information we hold about you. Often all you have to do is ask. We can help you identify what records we might have about you. We will also try to help you understand any information you do not understand (e.g., short forms, technical language etc.) We will need to confirm your identity, if we do not know you, before providing you with this access. We reserve the right to charge a nominal fee for such requests.

If there is a problem, we may ask you to put your request in writing. If we cannot give you access, we will tell you within 30 days, if at all possible, and tell you the reason, as best we can.

If you believe there is a mistake in the information, you have the right to ask for it to be corrected. This applies to factual information and not to any professional opinions we have formed. We may ask you to provide documentation that our files are wrong. Where we agree that we made a mistake, we will make the correction and notify anyone to whom we sent this information. If we do not agree that we have made a mistake, we will still agree to include in our file a brief statement from you on the point, and we will forward that statement to anyone else who received the earlier information.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the PHIPA or PIPEDA, the information we collect, and our privacy policies, please do not hesitate to speak with Karen Redgers the owner and privacy officer for this clinic.

If you wish to make a formal complaint about our privacy practices, you may make it in writing to me.

The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario can be reached at:

2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto Ontario, M4W 1A5 / 1-800-387-0073

The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Canada can be reached at:

112 Kent Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 1H3/ 1-800-282-1376 / www.privcom.gc.ca

Horseshoe Hill Massage Therapy

Horseshoe Hill Massage Therapy

Contents