health records / privacy 

PRIVACY

At the Espanola Regional Hospital and Health Centre (ERHHC), we are committed to protecting your privacy. We value your personal health information (PHI) that you untrust us with and manage it with respect and sensitivity. Our privacy program operates under two main laws: The Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). ERHHC’s privacy program controls how we collect, use, disclose and protect your personal health information (PHI). Any person who works, studies or volunteers at ERHHC is required to agree in writing to comply and maintain our privacy program according to its obligations under PHIPA and its regulations. We also conduct privacy audits and have breach management policies in place to monitor and manage our PHI privacy compliance.

If you have any privacy concerns or need more information about our privacy practices, please contact our Privacy Officer at 705-869-1420 ext. 3108.

You may also contact the Privacy Commissioner of Ontario if you believe that ERHHC has violated your privacy rights. You can reach them at:

2 Bloor Street East                                Tel: (416) 326-3333 or 1-800-387-0073

Suite 1400                                               Email: info@ipc.on.ca

Toronto, ON M4W 1A8                          Web: http://www.ipc.on.ca

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) provides a right of access to information under the control of government organizations and protects personal information held by government organizations and provides individuals with a right of access to their own personal information.

FIPPA gives individuals the right to:

• Access to (non-health) personal information held by the hospital;
• Access to general records about the management and operation of the hospital;
• Correct their personal information (not health information)

Access to personal health information, such as your medical chart or diagnostic images, is not available under FIPPA. The Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) applies to a patient’s medical information and the hospital protects medical information in accordance with PHIPA (see below).

Once you are sure that the information you are looking for is kept by ERHHC, follow these steps to submit a request for information:

1. Please complete the FOI request for non-health information 

2. Mail the completed Request Form to the Health Records address listed below, along with the required $5 application fee in the form        of a cheque or money order (do not mail cash). Other administration fees may apply.

 HEALTH RECORDS (Health Information Management)

The Health Information Management Department at the Espanola Regional Hospital oversees the collection, storage, retention and access to hospital health record charts. We respect and maintain the confidentiality of every patient’s personal health information and are committed to the respectful care of personal health information in our custody and control. We are governed by the Personal Health Information Protection Act 2004 (PHIPA) as well as other applicable legislations.

Requesting a copy or viewing of your medical record

You or your substitute decision makers (someone authorized to consent on your behalf) have the right under PHIPA to have access to your own hospital health record either by viewing or requesting a copy.

Please note: There will be no information released over the telephone or by email.

1. You must complete a Consent for Release of Personal Health Information 

2. Completed requests can be:

• · Original copy mailed to the Hospital Health Records Department · Emailed to HealthRecordsEGH@esphosp.on.ca
• · Faxed 705-869-3323
• · Dropped off in person

3. The authorization is valid for 6 months and pertains to the documented request only on or before the date signed.

4. There is an administration fee. Please see Fee Schedule

5. Every effort is made to process requests in a timely manner; however, in accordance with PHIPA we have up to 30 days to process a      request or  inquiry and assuming the request is in good order.

6. Once we have completed your request, a member of the HIM team will contact you with the invoice amount and confirm that the             records are ready to be picked up.

7. Pick up will be at the Main Registration desk and will require Government-issued photo identification and payment made at that time.

8. The HIM staff are unable to interpret or advise on health issues or on the care documented in the records. We recommend that                 health information be reviewed in conjunction with your health care provider so that interpretation may be provided if necessary.

PLEASE NOTE:

E-mail is not considered a safe and secure means of communication. We do not use e-mail to respond to requests for health records, we only accept submissions and will contact you directly using the phone number provided in the completed Consent for release of personal health information.

PLEASE NOTE:

There may be additional fees charged on top of the processing fee and has to be paid prior to release of the records. The Release of Information staff will inform you of any other fees prior to completion of request as the price listed above does not reflect every type of request.

Frequently Asked Questions

Consent for Release of Personal Health Information