Effective Sept 3 – Medical masks are now required in patient-facing areas of our hospitals, such as emergency departments, clinics, waiting rooms, diagnostic imaging, and inpatient units (including while visiting patients in their rooms). Masks are available at hospital entrances.
Quinte Health routinely provides information to the public through its website, Board of Directors, Communications department, and other communications methods. A request for information that is contained in Quinte Health’s records can also be made formally under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). However, it is not necessary to file an official request for information that is routinely released to the public.
Informal Requests for Information
You do not always need to submit a formal freedom of information request for information from Quinte Health. Informal inquiries are welcomed and can be directed to info@qhc.on.ca, (613) 969-7400 or (613) 332-2825 (Bancroft area). Your question or request will be forwarded to the appropriate department.
If you would like to have access to your own health record after you have been discharged, contact our Health Records department.
Formal Requests for Information
If you are not able to find the information online or by informally requesting the information from the hospital, anyone can submit a formal freedom of information request by following these steps:
Include your name, address, and day-time telephone number. This information will be kept confidential by the Freedom of Information Coordinator and will only be used to contact you for more information and to send you the requested records.
Submit your written request to Quinte Health.
You will receive notification that your request has been received and if we need more information to process your request, the Freedom of Information Coordinator will contact you.
The Freedom of Information Coordinator will also contact you if you will be charged more than $25 to process your request.
There may be additional charges related to the cost of searching for, preparing, and sending the information requested. Please be very specific about the material you are requesting. The more details provided will assist in searching and obtaining information and reduce additional fees.
Quinte Health is obligated to respond to your request within 30 days after it is received, unless there are specific exceptions in the legislation that allow for an extension on a particular request. You will be notified if your request will take more than 30 days.
Privacy Frequently Asked Questions
Personal health information is any information that identifies an individual AND information about:
Their physical or mental health; family health history
Provision of health care or identification of their care provider
Payments or eligibility for health care
Donation of body part or body substances, or derived from testing or exam
Health card number, identification of a substitute decision maker
Although you have the right to access your health record, this right does not automatically extend to family members and/or friends. If you provide written authorization for a friend or family member to see your record, then the friend/family member may access the part(s) that you have consented to let them see.
We use, and disclose your personal health information in the following ways:
Treat and care for you;
Process payment for your treatment from OHIP, WSIB, your insurer, and others;
Plan and manage the hospitals and our services;
Compile statistics;
Conduct risk management activities;
Conduct quality improvement activities, such as sending you a patient satisfaction survey;
Comply with legal and regulatory requirements;
We also disclose your mailing address to our Foundations so that they may conduct fundraising to improve our services.
To provide the best possible care for you and your family, it is necessary for us to collect, use and disclose personal health information. We collect only information that is needed to provide health care and support to our patients, residents and clients. If we need information for other reasons (e.g. to get your feedback, to understand our patient population, to do some types of research), we will ask for your consent before collecting this information.
Yes, we may send your information externally for the following reasons:
I. To support your care
Unless you tell us not to, your personal health information is disclosed to care providers outside of Quinte Health who are involved within the “need to know” also known as ‘circle of care’. This may include sending your personal health information to a care provider outside of Quinte Health to get a consultation or second opinion on your situation, without you having to visit that care provider yourself.
Often, we use electronic systems that are shared (accessible) by health care organizations across Ontario. When you are referred to or go to visit a new care provider, these systems allow us to share your personal health information with your care providers at other institutions and to see the information that they produce about you. These systems securely share electronic information to provide timely and coordinated patient care.
At Quinte Health, the following shared electronic systems are used to support patient care:
System
Operator
Description
Connecting Ontario
Ontario Health – eHealth Ontario
ConnectingOntario is a central repository that stores core elements of patients’ health records (e.g. common diagnostic test results, discharge summaries) that another provider could use for continuity of care. The system is used for patients of any age, experiencing all types of conditions. For more information, please visit the Connecting Ontario website.
Ontario Laboratory Information System (OLIS)
Ontario Health- eHealth Ontario (on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care)
Ontario Laboratories Information System (OLIS) allows hospitals and community laboratories to share laboratory, cytology and pathology test results. For more information, please visit the e-Health website.
Health Report Manager (HRM)
OntarioMD
Community-based physicians and nurse practitioners who use certain technology within their practice can receive hospital reports through HRM, rather than in the mail or through fax. For more information, please visit the OntarioMD website.
Shared Health Integrated Information Portal (SHIIP)
Ontario Health
Regional-based platform within South East Ontario for health care providers to see information in one central place to help any patient complex needs in real time. For more information, please visit the SHIIP website.
Digital Health Drug Repository (DHDR)
eHealth Ontario (on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care)
Digital Health Drug Repository (DHDR) allows care providers to see medications recorded in MOHLTC repositories. For more information, please visit the eHealth Ontario website.
Please contact the Privacy Office or talk to the clinic/unit manager if you do not want your information to be shared with external care providers. We will discuss the options that are available to you along with the potential positive and negative consequences of your decision.
II. To fundraise
Unless you tell us not to, we will give your name and address to our foundations for fundraising. You can also contact each foundation to be removed from their mailing list.
III. To enable a religious or spiritual advisor to visit you in the hospital
Unless you tell us not to, we may provide your name and location to an appropriate religious or spiritual advisor (based on the religion that you gave to us when you registered) to visit you in the hospital.
IV. To communicate with your family and friends (with consent)
If we have your consent, we will communicate your information to your next of kin, friends or family.
Breach of privacy, confidentiality or security refers to the unauthorized access, collection, use, or disclosure of any personal information or personal health information.
Please contact the Privacy Officer at Quinte Health at (613) 969-7400 ext. 2218 or by email at Privacy@qhc.on.ca.
Access, use and disclosure of your information can be restricted in different ways depending on how your information is stored. The Privacy Office reviews every request to restrict the use and disclosure of personal health information on a case-by-case basis. We reference withdrawal of consent a “lock-box”. For more information, please contact the Privacy Office at (613) 969-7400 X2218 or by email at Privacy@qhc.on.ca.
It’s not exactly a “box” – and it doesn’t have a “lock”. And a lockbox can mean different solutions depending on your request. The “lock-box” is a term used to describe the right of an individual to instruct Quinte Health on how their health information is collected, used, and disclosed while in the custody of Quinte Health.
Depending on your request, your records may be electronic or paper. If it is an electronic record, it will have additional restrictions of access within the technology we use. If it is a paper record, it will go into a sealed envelope.
At Quinte Health, however, there are some limitations where we might need to disclose information that is locked, by court order or if the disclosure is necessary for the purpose of eliminating or reducing a significant risk of serious bodily harm to the patient.
Please note that lock-box hides your information. Your health information is not deleted or removed.
Yes. There are some risks to putting your health information in a lock-box that you should consider before making your decision:
It can prevent health care practitioners from accurately accessing your health condition or accessing your health information in emergency situations.
Your health care providers may not have the information they need to give you the best possible care in a timely manner.
Your health care providers may not have enough information to safely provide you with services and so may not be able to offer you care.
There may be errors in assessments, treatment or medications if the people providing care do not have enough information or do not have the right information about you.
You may have to undergo duplicate tests, procedures and health history questions if existing information is unavailable.
There may be risks specific to you and the Privacy Office will discuss any questions you may have. The Privacy Office will help inform you of the risks to help you make an informed decision.
Yes, if you change your mind, we can reverse the request.
A Substitute Decision Maker will be asked to make these decisions. According to the Personal Health Information Protection Act, the individual(s) who is/are highest on the following list will have the authority to approve or refuse consent to the collection, use and/or disclosure of your personal health information, if that person is capable of consenting, is at least 16 years old or the parent, is not prohibited by court order, is available and is willing to assume the responsibility of making the decision.
Court appointed guardian for personal care
Attorney for personal care
A representative appointed by the Consent and Capacity Review Board
Spouse or partner
Child or parent (or other person lawfully entitled to take the place of a parent)
Parent who only has right of access
Brother or sister
Any other relative related by blood, marriage, or adoption
Public guardian and trustee
While Quinte Health takes steps to avoid processing or storage of data outside of Canada where possible, some support services are provided by vendors in the U.S or subject to U.S. laws. In these cases, patient personal information is subject to the laws of the foreign jurisdiction which may be different, and less protective, than those of Canada.
