Privacy of your Personal Health Information
Lambton EMS is committed to maintaining the confidentiality and security of personal health information and has a number of practices in place to protect the privacy of your personal health information. For example, your health information that is collected by our paramedics is maintained in a secured file in a location at our Headquarters that has restricted access. Only those who are directly involved in your care and service or those who have a legal right to see your records are permitted access to your personal health information. Records that are no longer required are shredded as confidential material in accordance with County of Lambton records management procedures.
Previously, Lambton EMS has always taken care to protect all of your personal information in accordance with the provisions of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (MFIPPA) Act. The Government of Ontario has enacted new privacy legislation for all health care providers in the province effective November 1, 2004. This legislation, called the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA), requires that strict rules be followed to protect the personal health information collected, used and/or disclosed by a “health information custodian”. Lambton EMS is considered a “health information custodian” under this legislation. As such, we have taken additional steps to further protect your personal health information.
[top]
Collection and Use
The County of Lambton Emergency Medical Services Department collects, uses, discloses and maintains facts about you and your health. These facts are collected to help provide you with care and service by paramedics and the health care system or to process payments for health related services. They include:
- your name, address and Ontario Health Card number;
- facts about your health, health care history and the health care that you have been provided.
Non-identifying information relating to your care and service is used for administration, management, strategic planning, decision making, research and quality of care reviews with staff and for regulatory compliance requirements.
[top]
Access and Disclosure
You have the right to request access to your personal health information and to receive a copy of your personal health care records subject to limited exceptions as set out in PHIPA. You also have the right to ask us to correct a record if it is inaccurate.
Your personal health information is private. Unless the Emergency Medical Services Department is required to disclose your personal health information for law enforcement purposes, or is specifically authorized to share your health information with others, we cannot and will not give out any of your personal health information without your consent. If you provide consent to let a family member or your legal representative see your personal health information, then the family member or legal representative may be allowed access to the part(s) of the personal health record that you have consented to let them see. You also have the right to withdraw or change the conditions of your consent subject to certain conditions as set out in PHIPA. If you have questions about access, please ask the Manager of the Emergency Medical Services Department.
[top]
Do you need additional information or do you have any questions?
If you would like to know more about how your personal health information is collected, used, maintained and disclosed, or if you have a concern or a complaint about access to your personal health information, please contact the Manager of the Emergency Medical Services Department. You also have the right to contact the County of Lambton or the Information and Privacy Commissioner if you wish further clarification after speaking with our representative.
The County of Lambton Emergency Medical Services Department is committed to providing excellent pre-hospital medical care to our community. Our commitment extends to protecting your rights and privacy, including the privacy of your personal health information.
[top]
