Privacy & Data Collection
The University of Toronto health services are committed to high quality and safe care for students across all campus centres. The best care is delivered when your care providers have all your relevant health information. The privacy of your information is governed by the University's commitment and obligation to follow the rules of a Health Information Custodian. This means our health care practitioners and team keep your information confidential and do not share the information without your consent except in the specific circumstances listed below:
- To get in touch with relatives or friends if you are injured, incapacitated, ill and unable to give consent personally.
- If there is a concern you may harm yourself or others.
- To report apparent or suspected child abuse.
- To report sexual abuse by a regulated health professional.
- Where legal circumstances require the University to provide information. For example, in response to a subpoena or court order, or to fulfill other mandatory reporting obligations.
If you have questions regarding privacy, how your information is used, or this office generally, please feel free to contact your health centre by phone or by email to the University Health Privacy Officer at patientprivacy@utoronto.ca, or please raise your concerns at your next visit.
It is important that Student Affairs administrators, who are responsible for students on campus, be able to identify students in crisis to provide them with support and be able to protect the University community. When a health professional has reason to believe that you are a danger to yourself, or others, that information may be communicated to the Students in Crisis Committee for them to be able to support you, and the community most appropriately. This committee is also bound by privacy legislation.
We will request the provision of an emergency contact for us to use should there be serious concerns regarding your health or safety.
We understand the importance of protecting your personal information. To ensure that protection, the HCC has taken the following steps:
- Paper information is either under supervision or secured in a locked or restricted area always.
- Electronic hardware is either under supervision or secured in a locked or restricted area always. All computers are password protected, in addition access to our electronic medical record is also password protected.
- The Electronic Health Record system has additional security/privacy features.
- We do not transmit information via email without your expressed consent.
- Fax machines are used to transmit information to specialists and/or diagnostic departments in a timely fashion.
- Staff is trained to collect, use and disclose personal information only as necessary to fulfill their duties and in accordance with our privacy policy.
The HCC is required by law to keep your personal information for up to 10 years from your last date of service or until 10 years after the day on which you turned 18 years. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario recommends keeping information for 15 years. The College makes this recommendation to ensure that physicians will be able to provide evidence should it be required in any future legal proceedings brought against them. In some instances, health care providers must retain certain files in case of legal proceedings for which there is no statute of limitations indefinitely.
At the appropriate interval, the HCC destroys paper records by shredding. We destroy electronic information by deleting it and when the hardware is discarded, we ensure the hard drive is physically destroyed.
With a few exceptions (as per professional college guidelines) you have the right to see the personal information in your chart. In most instances you will be asked you to put your request in writing. If we are unable to fulfill your request, we will notify you within 30 days of receipt of the request.
If you have any concerns regarding the accuracy of your records, please speak with your healthcare provider. 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 (e.g., names, dates) and not to any professional opinions that may have been formed. Regardless of any changes, additions or deletions made, the original version of the record must legally continue to be accessible.
If you are no longer a patient of the Health & Counselling Centre and would like your medical and/or counselling records transferred to another care provider or a copy for your records, you will be required to complete a request form. An HCC staff member will review the request and may contact you if more information is needed prior to sending the records. A fee is charged for such requests.
If you have questions or concerns regarding your privacy, please contact the medical director.
Dr. Erin Kraftcheck
Medical Director
Health & Counselling Centre
3359 Mississauga Rd
Mississauga, ON
L5L 1C6