Your Right To Privacy

At Toronto East General Hospital (TEGH) we take your privacy seriously. We are committed to ensuring that staff and patients understand the importance of privacy rights and obligations. The Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) balances an individual’s right to privacy with the need of health care providers to access and share this information. PHIPA gives an individual the ability to control how his/her own personal health information is collected, used and disclosed.

What Information Do We Collect About You?
At TEGH we collect personal health information about you directly from you or from the person acting on your behalf. The personal health information we collect may include, for example, your name, date of birth, address, health card number and extended health insurance numbers, health history, records of your visits to TEGH and the care that you received during those visits. Occasionally, we collect personal health information about you from other sources, if we have obtained your consent to do so or if the law permits.

How Is Your Personal Health Information Used and With Whom Is It Shared?
We use and disclose your personal health information to:

• Provide you with quality health care and follow-up care,
• Conduct quality improvement activities (such as patient satisfaction surveys),
• Get payment for your treatment and care (from OHIP, WSIB, or others),
• Plan, administer and manage our internal operations,
• Teach new health care providers and for education of current providers,
• Conduct research (chart review),
• Compile statistics,
• Conduct risk management activities,
• Fundraise to improve our healthcare services and programs (only your name and address are given),
• Comply with legal and regulatory requirements, and fulfill other purposes permitted or required by law.

How Does TEGH Protect Your Personal Health Information?
We take steps to protect your personal health information from theft, loss and unauthorized access, copying, modification, use, disclosure and disposal.

We conduct audits and complete investigations to monitor and manage our privacy compliance.

We take steps to ensure that everyone who performs services for us protects your privacy and only uses your personal health information for the purposes you have consented to.

Fundraising At TEGH
The TEGH Foundation raises money to enhance the hospital’s programs and services. The Foundation may write to you when they are raising money, or send you mailings about their services or upcoming special events. If you do not wish to be contacted by the Foundation, please let us know at (416) 469-6821.

Your Choices
You may access, review and make necessary changes to your personal health records. If you are an inpatient, please speak to one of your health care providers. If you have been discharged, please contact the Health Records Department at (416) 469-6821.

To withdraw your consent for any listed uses or disclosures, please contact the hospital’s Privacy Officer (subject to legal exceptions).

How To Contact Us
If you need more information about how the hospital protects the privacy of your information or if you have concerns with our practices, contact us:

Privacy Officer
Toronto East General Hospital
825 Coxwell Avenue
Toronto, ON M4C 3E7
(416) 469-6580 x7781
privacy@tegh.on.ca

We will ensure that your concerns are investigated and a response is provided to you in a timely manner.

If you feel your concerns have not been addressed, you have a right to contact the Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario:

Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario
2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400
Toronto, ON M4W 1A8
(416) 326-3333
Website: http://www.ipc.on.ca/