Contact
We understand that your health issues are private. To best serve you, all members of the Hamilton Family Health Team are committed to respecting your privacy. Keep reading to learn more about how we use your health information. You can also download all of our privacy policies and statements at the bottom of this page.
Collection of personal health information
We collect personal health information about you directly from you or from the person acting on your behalf. The personal health information that we collect may include, for example, your name, date of birth, address, health history, records of your visits to other care providers, and the care that you received during those visits. Occasionally, we collect personal health information about you from other sources if we have obtained your consent to do so or if the law permits.
We use and disclose personal health information to...
- Treat and care for you
- Get payment for your treatment and care (from OHIP, WSIB, your private insurer, or others)
- Plan, administer and manage our internal operations
- Conduct risk management activities
- Conduct quality improvement activities (such as sending patient satisfaction surveys)
- Teach
- Compile statistics
- Comply with legal and regulatory requirements
- Fulfill other purposes
Your choices
You may access and correct your personal health records, or withdraw your consent for some of the above uses and disclosures by contacting the Hamilton Family Health Team (subject to some legal exceptions). You do this by speaking with your family doctor.
Important information
We take steps to protect your personal health information from theft, loss and unauthorized access, copying, modification, use, disclosure and disposal.
We conduct audits and complete investigations to monitor and manage our privacy compliance.
We take steps to ensure that everyone who performs services for us protect your privacy and only use your personal health information for the purposes you have consented to.
How to contact us
If you have a complaint:
- If you are comfortable doing so, speak with your family doctor or someone else on your care team.
- If you are not comfortable speaking with your family doctor or another member of the care team, contact a Privacy Officer at the Hamilton Family Health Team or the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (see below).
Privacy Officers: Laurie Fox and Tricia Brinn
Hamilton Family Health Team
123 James St. N, Suite 300
Hamilton, ON L8R 2K8
Telephone: 905-667-4848
Fax: 905-667-4873
Email: privacy@hamiltonfht.ca
Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400
Toronto, ON M4W 1A8
Telephone: 1-800-387-0073
Visit their website or send an email
Ontario Health Records
Some care providers in our organization have access to Clinical Connect and other province-wide electronic health records systems. These shared electronic health records systems can provide us with access to your health records at other health care organizations, such as a local hospital. If you have questions about your personal health information that may be accessible through these records, or how to put limitations on what is available, please speak with your health care provider. You may also contact eHealth Ontario directly (see below).
eHealth Ontario
PO Box 148
777 Bay Street, Suite 701
Toronto, ON M5G 2C8
Telephone: 1-866-250-1554
Visit their website or send an email
Hamilton Family Health Team privacy policies and statements
Read or download all of our policies related to privacy by clicking on the links below:
- Privacy Statement - more information about how we use your health information.
- Privacy Policy - lists 10 ways we are committed to your privacy.
- Lockbox Policy and Lockbox Information Sheet - tells you how you can protect some health care workers from seeing some of your health information.
- Safeguards Guidelines - outlines steps we take to keep your health information safe.
- HFHT Access and Correction Policy - outlines steps we take to release or correct patient health records.
- Privacy Breach Protocol - outlines steps we take if we lose, share or otherwise use your health information in a way that does not respect your privacy rights.
- Virtual Care Policy - defines what virtual care is and steps that our clinicians must take to ensure privacy during virtual appointments.
- Your Privacy - a one-page document for patients providing a brief overview of how we protect your personal health information and when we are permitted to share your information with others.