Homebody Health Inc. is committed to protecting the privacy of personal information. We will not disclose personal information without consent or reasonable and lawful notice except when required or permitted by law.  Homebody Health restricts the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information to purposes that are appropriate or legitimate.

Homebody Health complies with Alberta legislation and goes above and beyond to protect clients’ information in the following ways:

Homebody Health is accountable:

 

    • We take responsibility for the management and safeguarding of your personal information.

 

Homebody Health informs clients of the purpose of the information we collect:

 

    • The personal information collected is required in order to provide you with physiotherapy services and facilitate payment for services rendered.
    • We use contact information to open and update your patient file, invoice for services, remind you of appointments and/or the need for further treatment, and to provide informational materials about our clinic.
    • We use health information to assess, diagnose and to provide and evaluate physiotherapy treatment. We use financial information to arrange payment for physiotherapy services rendered.

 

Homebody Health obtains informed consent:

 

    • Our Patient Contract contains all of the information you need to enter into a relationship with Homebody Health – we will not ask you to sign it until you understand the information we require and how we will use it.
    • If you have any questions about the contract, before or after signing it, Homebody Health staff are happy to assist.

 

Homebody Health limits the collection of your personal information:

 

    • We collect only the personal information required to provide physiotherapy services, as described in this document and in the Patient Contract.

 

Homebody Health limits the way we use, share, and retain your personal information:

 

    • Use: We do not use your information for any reason other than those described here and in the Patient Contract.
    • Share: We only share your information when it is required to ensure you are receiving the care and attention you need. Examples of this include:
      • The WCB or your employer if you made a WCB claim.
      • Other healthcare professionals also providing you with treatment.
      • Your lawyer, if you were injured in an accident.
      • Research teams in an anonymous form to facilitate outcome research.
      • Contact information – may be disclosed to third-party health benefit providers/insurers when reimbursement claims for all or part of the treatment cost have been submitted.
      • Health information – may be disclosed to third-party health benefit providers and insurance companies when a claim is submitted for reimbursement or payment of all or part of the cost of treatment or we have been asked to submit a claim on your behalf including:
      • Financial information – may be disclosed to your insurer or credit card company as required to facilitate payment.
    • Retain: As required by legislation, we keep records containing personal information for 10 years from the last date of service.  If a patient was a minor when they last received our services, we keep the records for 10 years past the minor’s eighteenth birthday. After that time, we shred paper records and delete electronic ones. When discarding hardware we ensure the hard drive is destroyed.

 

Homebody Heath is accurate:

 

    • We make sure your information is accurate, complete and up-to-date in order to provide you with the highest quality of care.
    • If your information changes, or if you discover an error, we ask that you let us know in writing so that we may correct or update your information as soon as possible.

 

Homebody Health employs multiple safeguards:

 

    • We store physical records containing your personal information in a secure place.
    • We store electronic records on secured devices utilising 128-bit or greater encryption and take care to protect screen monitors from public viewing.
    • We transfer physical records outside our office in sealed envelopes by secure methods.
    • We conduct telephone discussions and videoconferencing sessions with sensitivity to ensure that your personal information is not inadvertently disclosed.
    • Electronic information, when being transferred, is made anonymous wherever possible, or placed in an encrypted, dual password protected server. Information is then backed up in a secure Electronic Medical record and any copies are permanently destroyed.
    • We do not share your personal information outside our office for any marketing, promotional, publicity, educational, or research purposes without your consent.
    • We train staff to handle your information only through the protected measures outlined in our privacy procedures. If consultants or contractors are hired, we take steps to ensure the consultant or contractor also protects your privacy.

 

Homebody Health knows the importance of openness:

 

    • We place a high priority on ensuring our patients are comfortable with the information we gather, how we store it, and who we share it with.
    • Our policies and procedures surrounding the management of your personal information are available on our website and in paper form, by request.  If you would ever like additional information, our staff is happy to help.

 

Homebody Health provides patients with easy access to their information:

 

    • Upon your written request from you or your designated legal representative, we will:
      • Provide you access to your personal information (as stored in our records);
      • Tell you what the information has been or is being used for; and,
      • Tell you to whom, and in what situations, the information is being or has been disclosed by Homebody.
    • Requested copies of your record will be provided in no more than 30 days
    • If there is a charge for the cost of producing a copy, we will advise you of the cost in advance.
    • If required, we will help you to understand any terms, codes and abbreviations used in our system.

 

Homebody Health provides recourse:

  • Any patient may challenge our compliance with these principles by engaging in our formal Complaint-Handling Process.
  • We take privacy complaints very seriously and will do our best to address your concerns in the fastest and most efficient manner possible.

 

 

Homebody Health provides for independent oversight of Privacy matters:

 

    • Complaints received concerning your personal information go directly to our Privacy Officer.
    • The Privacy Officer then acts independently and impartially to investigate your complaint and review the surrounding circumstances and documentation.
    • Once the Privacy Officer completes their investigation, they will present you and Homebody with a fair decision, including the suggestion of redress mechanisms where applicable to ensure compliance with legislation and avoid similar complaints in the future.

 

More information

If you have a concern about your personal information, please feel free to ask the physiotherapist treating you or another staff member. If your question/concern is not resolved, please address it in writing to our privacy officer:

 

Corrine Fiesel

1816 Crowchild Trail NW, Suite 700

Calgary AB T2M3Y7

law@corrinefiesel.com