OACCAC - Protecting Your Privacy
Updated: June 2012
Who We Are
The Ontario Association of Community Care Access Centres (OACCAC), a not-for-profit corporation, was established in 1998 to represent the common interests of the then-43 Community Care Access Centres (CCACs). These 43 offices were subsequently aligned with the LHINs (Local Health Integration Network) and there are now 14 CCACs across the province with offices in 200 communities.
Who We Serve
There are 14 CCACs across the province to manage local care. Working hand-in-hand with CCACs, the OACCAC delivers high-quality products and services that support and assist our members in helping people find their way through Ontario's health-care system.
OACCAC is an Agent and Health Information Network Provider for all CCACs . CCACs inform you of the personal health information that is collected, and the safeguards in place to protect your personal health information as required by the legislation. As an Agent and Health Information Network provider OACCAC has access to client information for the purposes of operating and maintaining CCAC information technology and systems. The OACCAC is not a health information custodian.
Our Mission
- To provide leadership, inspiration and serve as the collective voice for the contribution made by CCACs to an integrated health care system.
- To champion innovation, performance improvements and value proposition of community-based services.
- To provide high quality products and services which assist our members and partners in fulfilling their mission and mandate.
What is personal health information?
Personal Health Information is defined as information relating to an individual’s physical or mental health, the provision of health care, the eligibility or payment of health care, financial information related to the provision of care and the individual’s health card number. This information would include things like your name, address, gender and age in addition to your health information.
Your Privacy Rights
Your right to access your information
You have the right to access the personal health information contained in your health record. You also have the right to request this information be corrected within your record. You also have the right to change or withdraw your consent at any time.
To access your own CCAC health record contact your local CCAC Health Records department to learn about their access process. A written request is generally required. Click here to visit your CCAC web site. The OACCAC is not a Health Information Custodian and therefore cannot provide access to your personal health information.
Your right to voice your concerns
If you believe any of your privacy rights have been violated in any way, please contact the OACCAC Privacy Officer. If the OACCAC Privacy Officer cannot resolve your concerns, you may wish to contact the Ontario Information and Privacy Commission at 416-326-3333 or 1-800-387-0073 or via their web site: http://www.ipc.on.ca
Your right to know how the OACCAC collects your information
The OACCAC does not collect information from CCAC clients. Your CCAC will provide you with information on how they collect your information.
Your right to know how the OACCAC uses your information
The OACCAC uses your personal and personal health information in creating or maintaining one or more electronic health records and the systems they are housed in. The OACCAC may use your information to prepare statistical reports as authorized by the CCACs. Statistical reports may be disclosed externally by the OACCAC as authorized by the CCACs or as required by applicable law.
Your right to know how the OACCAC discloses your information
The OACCAC may only disclose information with the authorization of a CCAC. The CCAC may disclose information without your consent for purposes permitted by law e.g., disclosure related to risk of serious bodily harm [PHIPA S.40(1)]. In addition, the CCAC can disclose your information in situations where you have provided consent for them to do so. Only the CCAC can provide you with a summary of how your information has been disclosed.
Our Privacy Principles
The OACCAC believes in the basic right of individuals to their privacy. We use the ten Canadian Standards Association Model Code with accepted privacy principles to guide us in safeguarding personal health information along with your local CCAC.
Accountability:
The Ontario Association of Community Care Access Centres has assigned an individual as the Privacy Officer and have privacy policies and procedures in place.
Identifying Purposes: Your CCAC ensure individuals know the purpose for which their personal information is required prior to collection, use or disclosure of the information. The OACCAC does not use or disclose your information other than with the authorization of the CCAC.
Consent:
Your CCAC gets your knowledgeable consent prior to the collection, use or disclosure of information. CCACs see consent as an on-going dialogue with their clients to ensure you understand how your information is being collected, used and disclosed. The OACCAC does not use or disclose your information other than with the authorization of the CCAC.
Limiting Collection:
The OACCAC is responsible for operating and maintaining the systems that your personal health information reside in as a client of a CCAC. The OACCAC never collects information directly from clients.
Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention:
Personal and personal health information is not used or disclosed other than for those purposes for which it was collected, without the consent of the individual or as required by law. Personal information shall be retained only as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. Whenever possible, OACCAC limits the amount of personal health information used in its business processes. OACCAC will use de-identified information whenever it can be used to support the business of operating and maintaining the business systems of the CCACs.
Accuracy:
The OACCAC supports the CCACs in ensuring the accuracy of personal and personal health information through its operations and maintenance of the CCACs’ systems. OACCAC works with the CCAC to ensure that personal and personal health information is as accurate, complete and up-to-date as is necessary for the purposes for which it is to be used. Individuals have the right to request that their CCAC correct inaccurate information.
Safeguards:
Appropriate security controls for technology and staff are in place and maintained to safeguard unauthorized use or disclosure of personal health information.
Openness:
The OACCAC will make readily available to individuals the policies and procedures that support our commitment to privacy.
Individual Access:
Individuals must make their request for access to their personal health information through your local CCAC. As a Health Information Network Provider the OACCAC is not authorized to provide this disclosure.
Challenging Compliance:
An individual may challenge compliance to these principles through the OACCAC Privacy Officer or the Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner.
Requests for Release of Information
Please note: The OACCAC is not a health information custodian and therefore does not provide release of personal health information to clients or to third parties.
All requests for release of client information should be made directly to the Community Care Access Centre that served the client. Use this web site link to determine the correct CCAC Health Records department to send your requests to.
Helpful Links
Information and Privacy Commission of Ontario
Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004
Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004, Reg. 329/04
Correspondence
If you correspond with us via e-mail, the postal service, or other form of communication, we may retain such correspondence and the information contained therein and use such to respond to your inquiry. Importantly, e-mail and postal address information is never sold, given, or otherwise disclosed to third parties except as set forth herein or in accordance with applicable laws.
It is an unfortunate reality of the present Internet that communications carried over it are neither secure nor verifiable. Do not send personal information or personal health information by e-mail to the OACCAC. OACCAC does not generally communicate with clients by e-mail due to the lack of security and reserves the right not to respond via this method.
Our Web Site
The OACCAC provides information to our clients and stakeholders via our public website. Here is some basic information you need to know. For Terms of Use please click this link prior to using the website. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE, THEN DO NOT FURTHER ACCESS OR USE THIS WEBSITE.
URL and IP Address
This site does not collect, store or disclose any personal information or personal health information and therefore uses a publicly available URL with http. Secured http (https) is not required. The IP addresses of web site visitors are logged for audit purposes only.
Cookies and Web Beacons
This site uses the Microsoft ASP.net security model which defines how we use cookies. Cookies are valid for the session only and expire after 30 minutes if the session is not in use. The site does not use cookies to track browsing habits as this is not a site used for e-commerce or by advertisers. This web site does not use web beacons or flash cookies.
Inapplicability of Privacy Policies of Any Linked Sites or Other Third Parties
This Privacy policy only addresses the OACCAC’s collection, use and disclosure of your personally identifiable information. As this Site may contain links to other web sites, please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy of such other sites, and we are not liable for their misuse of personally identifiable information. We encourage you to be aware that when you go to another web site you should carefully read their privacy policy.
Conditions of Use, Notices and Changes to Our Privacy Policy
By using this Site, you agree to the terms and conditions contained in this Privacy Policy and Conditions of Use and/or any other agreement that we might have with you. If you do not agree to any of these terms and conditions, you should not use this Site and should discuss any privacy concerns you may have with the OACCAC Privacy Officer. You agree that any dispute over privacy or the terms contained in this Privacy Policy and Conditions of Use, or any other agreement we have with you, will be governed by the laws of Ontario, Canada.
As our organization may change from time to time, this Privacy Policy and Conditions of Use is expected to change as well. We reserve the right to amend the Privacy Policy and Conditions of Use at any time, for any reason, without notice to you, other than the posting of the amended Privacy Policy at this Site. The provisions contained herein supersede all previous notices or policies regarding our privacy practices and the terms and conditions that govern the use of this Site.
Contact Us
If you have any questions regarding the OACCAC privacy policy, or if you have a privacy complaint, you may contact the Privacy Officer at OACCAC.
If you have any questions with regard to the OACCAC, please contact our Privacy Officer at:
OACCAC Privacy Officer
130 Bloor Street West, Suite 200
Toronto, ON M5S 1N5
(416) 640-7739
privacy.feedback@ccac-ont.ca