Confidentiality policy
At the clinique de dermatologie de Granby, we use an electronic medical record (EMR) to maintain patient medical records. Personal information (last name, first name, date of birth, Quebec Health Insurance number, telephone number, civic addresses, email, etc.) is stored in our electronic medical record. All clinic staff members have agreed to comply with our confidentiality policy upon hiring. Access to the EMR is strictly reserved for staff members involved in providing patient care. Each member has their own personalized access to the EMR (username and password). The clinic's computers also have secure access. Passwords are also changed regularly.
For dermatology consultation requests sent via the Form section of our website and for booking or canceling appointments, our provider WIX uses the HTTPS protocol (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure), which ensures the security of our website and its visitors. The majority of documents leaving the clinic (sending notes to the referring physician, sending prescriptions to the pharmacy, etc.) are sent via the secure electronic fax also called Web Fax. Requests for blood tests or results may exceptionally be sent by email to the patient, but only at the patient's request.
Please be assured that our clinic adheres to standards for the protection of personal information, and we are constantly on the lookout for new legislation and technological developments in healthcare to improve our patient care.
This Privacy Policy (hereinafter the “Policy”) sets out how the Granby Dermatology Clinic collects, uses, discloses, stores, and destroys your personal information. For ease of reference, we will use the terms “we” or “the clinic” from time to time in the Policy. We may provide you with additional information regarding the processing of your personal information, in certain cases, at the time we collect your personal information. We may also obtain your specific consent in certain cases regarding the collection, use, disclosure, and retention of your personal information. This Policy applies to personal information we collect, regardless of the manner in which it is collected, such as in person, by telephone, or through our website. By accepting this Policy or by providing us with personal information after having had the opportunity to review the Policy or any other additional notice, you agree to the processing of your personal information in accordance with the Policy and the additional notice.
1. ABOUT US
Here is our full contact information:
Clinique de dermatologie de Granby
74 Court Street, Suite 321
Granby, J2G 4Y5
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or comments you may have regarding this policy, how we process your personal information, or to exercise your rights regarding your personal information.
2. IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS
In this policy, the term "Confidentiality Incident" means:
1) Access to personal information unauthorized by law;
2) Use of personal information unauthorized by law;
3) Disclosure of personal information unauthorized by law; or
4) Loss of personal information or any other breach of the privacy of such information.
"Personal Information" means any information that relates to an individual and allows, directly or indirectly, their identity.
3. HOW WILL WE PROCESS YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?
How do we collect your personal information?
Mainly using the information provided on consultation requests received by fax or via our secure website.
What personal information do we collect?
Personal contact information (last name, first name, date of birth, telephone number, mailing address, email address), health insurance card, and health information relevant to the dermatology consultation.
Who do we collect your personal information from?
Directly from you, from referring clinics and physicians, from the RAMQ, and from healthcare network institutions.
Why do we collect your personal information?
To provide you with healthcare services.
What happens if you do not consent to the collection of your personal information?
We will not be able to provide you with healthcare services.
How will we share your personal information with third parties?
With our electronic medical records, the Santé Québec file, and with our billing agency for the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec.
Who can have access to your personal information?
Physicians, consulting healthcare professionals, nurses, medical assistants, secretaries, externs, and medical residents completing internships at the clinic, all strictly in the performance of their own duties.
How long will we keep your personal information?
For as long as the doctor-patient relationship lasts, in accordance with the rules dictated by the Act and the Collège des médecins du Québec.
What are the risks associated with the processing of your personal information?
What confidentiality incidents occur (see definition above).
Where will we store your personal information?
We store your personal information in our provider's electronic medical record system, which is approved by the Ministry of Health and Social Services. Billing to the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec is done through the billing agency's system.
4. WHAT TECHNOLOGICAL PRODUCTS DO WE USE?
5. SECURITY MEASURES AND INHERENT RISKS
We follow industry security standards to protect the information we collect and receive. Specifically, we have appropriate physical, technical, IT, and administrative safeguards in place to protect your personal information against a breach of confidentiality. Despite these measures, given the risks inherent in the use of IT systems, we cannot ensure or guarantee the security and confidentiality of the information you transmit or provide to us, and you do so at your own risk. If you have reason to believe that personal information has been compromised, please contact us.
6. HOW AND UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS WILL WE DISCLOSURE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION FOR PUBLIC SAFETY OR OFFENCE PROSECUTION PURPOSES?
6.1 In the event of a serious risk of death or serious injury
We may disclose personal information we hold to protect an individual or group of individuals when there are reasonable grounds to believe that a serious risk of death or serious injury, particularly related to a disappearance or an act of violence, including a suicide attempt, threatens that individual or group, and the nature of the threat creates a sense of urgency. The information may then be disclosed to the individual(s) exposed to this risk, their representative, or any person who may be able to assist them. Only the information necessary for the purposes of the disclosure will be disclosed.
6.2 Law Enforcement
We may also disclose information to the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions or to a person or group responsible for preventing, detecting, or suppressing crime or legal violations when the information is necessary for the prosecution of an offense under a law applicable in Quebec. Finally, we may disclose information to a police force when it is necessary to plan or execute an intervention tailored to the characteristics of an individual or the situation, in either of the following cases: 1° the police force intervenes, at our request, to provide us with assistance or support as part of the services we provide to an individual; 2° we act in consultation or in partnership with the police force as part of joint psychosocial and police intervention practices.
7. CAN YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION BE TRANSFERRED OUTSIDE QUEBEC?
We may transfer your personal information to service providers we use in the course of our operations. Your personal information may therefore be transferred outside Quebec, for example, to secure cloud computing to ensure data redundancy, i.e., to ensure its integrity.
8. WHAT ARE YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?
The law grants you various rights regarding your personal information. These rights include:
• Access: The right to ask whether we hold personal information about you and, if so, to request access to that personal information.
• Rectification: The right to request the rectification of any incomplete or inaccurate personal information we hold.
• Withdrawal of consent: The right to withdraw your consent to the disclosure or use of the personal information held.
• Restriction or refusal of access: The right to request that a specific stakeholder or one belonging to a specified category of stakeholders not have access to one or more pieces of information you have identified.
• Complaint: The right to file a complaint with our Privacy Officer as identified in Section 1 of this policy, or to file a complaint with the Commission de l'accès à l'information du Québec if you believe that a violation of privacy laws has occurred. To file a complaint with the Commission d'accès à l'information (Québec), please use the appropriate form available at the following address: For Citizens | Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec (gouv.qc.ca)
• Portability: You have the right to request that your personal information be communicated to you or transferred to another organization in a structured and commonly used technological format. To exercise either of these rights, please contact our Privacy Officer as indicated in Section 1 of this policy.
9. THIRD-PARTY SITES
This policy does not apply to third-party websites, pages, or applications that may be accessed through our services, and we are not responsible for such third-party services. If you follow such links, these third-party sites or services will likely have their own privacy policies, which you should review before submitting your personal information.
10. DESTRUCTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
Personal information is destroyed in accordance with the regulations enacted by the Collège des médecins du Québec, by applicable Quebec laws regarding human resources management, and by applicable Quebec laws regarding the protection of personal information.
11. HOW DO WE UPDATE THIS PERSONAL INFORMATION PROTECTION POLICY?
We may, from time to time, modify this policy to reflect changes in our business processes or the law.