Privacy Responsibilities Policy

ARGI recognizes the right to privacy as a principle of respect for patient autonomy, based on the individual’s right to control information related to their healthcare. Patient privacy and a patient's right to access their health records are protected by law under the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA). ARGI must obtain individual’s consent when they collect, use or disclose the individual’s personal information.  The individual has the right to access, personal information held by an organization and to challenge its accuracy, if need be. Personal information can only be used for purposes for which it was collected. If an organization is going to use it for another purpose, consent must be obtained again.  Individuals should also be assured that their information will be protected by specific safeguards, including measures such as locked cabinets, computer passwords or encryption.  Patients may withdraw their consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of their PHI for the purpose of providing healthcare to them.

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Personal Information:
Personal information includes any factual or subjective information, recorded or not, about an identifiable individual.  This includes information in any form, such as:

• Age, name, ID numbers, income, ethnic origin, or blood type

• Opinions, evaluations, comments, social status, or disciplinary actions

• Employee files, credit records, loan records, medical records, existence of a dispute between a consumer and a merchant

Personal information does not include the name, title or business address or telephone number of an employee of an organization.  
       
10 Privacy Principles that must be followed are:

Principle 1 – Accountability
An organization is responsible for personal information under its control and shall designate an individual or individuals who are accountable for the organization’s compliance with the following principles.

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Principle 2 – Identifying Purposes
ARGI, at the time personal information is collected, will identify the purposes for which personal information is collected. The primary purposes are the delivery of direct patient care, the administration of the health care system, to conduct quality improvement initiative and research and to comply with legal and regulatory requirements.

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Principle 3 – Consent
The knowledge and consent of the individual are required for the collection, use, or disclosure of personal information, except where inappropriate.

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Principle 4 – Limiting Collection
The collection of personal information shall be limited to that which is necessary for the purposes identified by the organization. Information shall be collected by fair and lawful means.

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Principle 5 – Limiting Use, Disclosure, and Retention
Personal information shall not be used or disclosed for purposes other than those for which it was collected, except with the consent of the individual or as required by law. Personal information shall be retained only as long as necessary for the fulfillment of those purposes.

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Principle 6 – Accuracy
Personal information shall be as accurate, complete, and up-to-date as is necessary for the purposes for which it is to be used.

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Principle 7 – Safeguards
Personal information shall be protected by security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information.

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Principle 8 – Openness
An organization shall make readily available to individuals’ specific information about its policies and practices relating to the management of personal information.

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Principle 9 – Individual Access
Upon request, an individual shall be informed of the existence, use, and disclosure of his or her personal information and shall be given access to that information. An individual shall be able to challenge the accuracy and completeness of the information and have it amended as appropriate.

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Principle 10 – Challenging Compliance
An individual shall be able to address a challenge concerning compliance with the above principles to the designated individual or individuals accountable for the organization’s compliance.
These principles are usually referred to as “fair information principles”. They are included in the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Canada’s private-sector privacy law.