Your Personal Health Information (PHI)
A guide to the collection, use and sharing of your personal health information.
Your personal health information is important in allowing us to provide you with better services. Often times, that information is used when performing assessments to determine your health service and support needs.
Your assessment may include details on:
• Your Physical and Mental Health
• Your Personal Health History
• Geographical Data
• Usual Living Arrangements
• Medications
• Social Supports
Unless you tell us not to, we share your assessment information with other health service providers who will provide you with support now and in the future.
Sharing Your Personal Health Information (PHI)
We use a secure electronic system to share your health information with other health
service providers. This allows them to view the information they need to provide you with the services you need.
If you have agreed to share your personal health information, information from your
assessment will be used to:
• Provide health support and services based on your needs
• Make sure your providers have the most up-to-date and complete record of your health history and needs
• Help us to see where there might be gaps or overlaps so we can provide services where they are most needed
• Make sure everyone is getting the right support and services
Privacy and Security of Your Information
The personal health information collected in your assessment belongs to you. The privacy and protection of your personal health information is a priority.
In the assessment process, we only collect the health information we need in order to
determine your service and support needs. This information cannot be used for any other purpose without your permission.
• Your health information is kept in a secure place.
• Your health information will only be viewed by authorized people who deliver your
services.
• All health service providers have signed contracts to keep your information confidential.
• When a person views your information, it is recorded in a log. This log is reviewed
regularly to make sure there has been no unauthorized access to your information.
• Information is stored and/or disposed of according to the law.
• We will investigate any suspected breach or unauthorized access to your personal health information.
Your Privacy Choices
Please speak to your Community Coordinator or our Privacy Officer, if you want to:
See Your Own Assessment: you can request a copy of your assessment at anytime.
Correct Your Own Assessments: You can ask to have information in your assessment
corrected or updated.
Opt out: you may choose not to share your information with other health service
providers. You may also choose to have your basic personal information (like name, phone number, city,closing parenthesis blocked from health-care workers who view the
Integrated Assessment Record (IAR).
IMPORTANT: If you choose not to share your consent, we may not be able to continue to provide you with some of the services you require.
To choose to withhold your consent to share your assessment information or your basic identifying information, call the IAR Consent Call Center toll-free at 1-855-585-5279 (TTY)1-855-973-4445.
If you would like to know more about how your personal health information is handled and shared with our partner organizations, feel free to ask our Privacy Officer. They will be happy to answer any questions that you might have.
Northwestern Independent Living Services Privacy Officer
Kristan Miclash
410-101 N. Syndicate Ave
Thunder Bay, Ontario
P7C 3V4
e-mail: kmiclash@csinw.ca
Toll-Free: 1-888-939-0993
Fax: 1-807-344-6140
The Privacy Commissioner
If you have any issues or concerns about how your health information is being handled, you have the right to contact the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario at:
2 Bloor St., East, Suite 1400
Toronto, Ontario,
M4W1A8
Telephone: 416-326-3333 or, 1-800-387-0073
