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Personal Health Information Protection Act

Ontario has a law that protects your personal health information - the Personal Health Information Protection Act speaks to these protections.
You have the right to know how we may use and give out your personal health information and how you can get access to it. Your personal health information must be kept private and secure. You or a person who can legally make decisions for you about your personal health information can use and see it. Your personal health information is shared among the people who provide you with health care. We may collect, use and give out your personal health information to others as reasonably necessary to:

  • Provide you with healthcare communicate with or consult other healthcare providers or students in training for your healthcare
  • Get payment for your healthcare, including from OHIP and private insurance and report as required or permitted by law.
  • There are certain other circumstances where we may be required to give out some of your personal health information.

You or a person who can make decisions for you about your personal health information have the right:

  • To see and get a copy of your personal health information;
  • To ask us to make corrections to inaccurate or incomplete personal health information
  • To ask us not to give out your personal health information to other health care providers – we will not give out this information unless required or permitted by law to do so; and to be told if your personal health information is stolen, lost or improperly accessed.

There are certain exceptions to these rights: 

Where you give us permission to use or give out your information, you may change your mind at any time.

However, sometimes the law allows or requires us to give out your information without your permission

  • We are required to keep your personal health information safe and secure.
  • We will get your permission before we give out your personal health information to others who want to offer you their products or services, or for certain research projects where your consent is required.

If you have questions or concerns about our privacy practices, The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario is responsible for making sure that privacy law is followed in Ontario. For more information about your privacy rights, or if you are not able to resolve a problem directly with us and wish to make a complaint, contact: Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, 2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 1A8; Toll Free: 1-800-387-0073; www.ipc.on.ca