Our approach to privacy

Lifeline Clinic – Northbay handles personal information as part of providing care and operating the clinic. This policy explains the information involved, the purposes for which it is used, and the options available to you.

Personal health information is subject to Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA). Other applicable privacy requirements also apply to our activities.

Information involved in your care

Depending on your interaction with the clinic, information may include:

• Identity and contact details: your name, date of birth, health card information, address, telephone number, and email address.
• Clinical records: health history, assessments, treatment information, prescriptions, test results, and notes relevant to your care.
• Visit and payment details: appointments, care-related communications, insurance information, and billing details where relevant.
• Website activity: non-identifying browser and session information used to understand how the website is used.

Why we use information

We use information to arrange and document visits, provide and coordinate treatment, communicate about your care, administer billing, support quality and safety, and meet our professional and legal responsibilities.

Consent and sharing

We do not sell or rent personal information. Information may be shared with clinicians involved in your care, referral providers, or professionals covering your care, with the appropriate consent or other legal authority.

Providers supporting clinic systems may handle information under confidentiality obligations. Information may also be disclosed when the law permits or requires it, including applicable reporting obligations or legal processes.

You can ask how consent applies to your information, discuss limits on its use or disclosure, or give notice that you wish to withdraw consent. Legal exceptions and the possible effects on your care will need to be considered.

Protecting and retaining records

Our safeguards include controlled access to electronic records, access limited to staff who need the information for their work, and secure handling and disposal of paper records. These measures support the confidentiality of the information we hold.

Retention is governed by applicable legal and professional requirements. CPSO’s minimum retention periods are generally ten years from the last record entry for adults, and ten years after a child reaches, or would have reached, age eighteen. Records may need to be kept longer where another obligation applies; they are not automatically destroyed when a minimum period ends.

Access, corrections, and questions

You may request access to your personal health information or ask for a correction, subject to the rules and exceptions in PHIPA. Contact reception to ask how to submit a request and reach the person responsible for privacy matters.

Using this website and online booking

Our booking button opens a separate website. Review that provider’s privacy information before submitting your details. Other external links also lead to websites with their own privacy practices.

Please call us before sending medical records or other sensitive health information by email. Reception can explain how to provide documents or direct your enquiry.

Updates to this policy

We may revise this policy to reflect changes in our practices or requirements. The date above identifies the latest version published on this page.