Privacy Policy
Dr. Tim K. Lee, Optometrist
Privacy of personal information is an important principle to Dr. Tim K. Lee, Optometrist. We are committed to collecting, using and disclosing personal information responsibly and only to the extent necessary for the optometric services and products that we provide. We also try to be open and transparent as to how we handle personal information. This document describes our privacy policies.
EFFECTIVE DATE AND CHANGES
We are required to comply with the terms of this privacy policy while it is in effect. We reserve the right to modify the policy at any time and the revised privacy policy will apply to all protected health information that we currently have as well as to information that we may generate in the future. This policy will be in effect from January 1, 2004 until the date an amended policy is published. If we change the privacy policy, we will post the amendments in our office, have copies available and publish it on our website (if applicable).
What is Personal Information?
Personal information is information about an identifiable individual. Personal information includes information that relates to their personal characteristics (e.g., gender, age, income, home address or phone number, ethnic background, family status), their health (e.g., health history, health conditions, health services received by them) or their activities and views (e.g., religion, politics, opinions expressed by an individual, an opinion or evaluation of an individual). Personal information is to be contrasted with business information (e.g., an individual’s business address and telephone number), which is not protected by privacy legislation.
Who We Are
Dr. Tim K. Lee includes any optometrist or health care professional, all employees, staff and student trainees authorized to collect, use or disclose personal information. We use a number of consultants and agencies that may, in the course of their duties, have limited access to personal information we hold. These include, but are not limited to, computer consultants, office security and maintenance, bookkeepers and accountants, temporary workers to cover holidays, credit card companies, collection agencies, website managers, cleaners and lawyers. We restrict their access to any personal information we hold as much as is reasonably possible. We also have their assurance that they follow appropriate privacy principles.
We Collect Personal Information: Primary Purposes
About Patients
Dr. Tim K. Lee collects, uses and discloses personal information in order to serve our patients. For our patients, the primary purpose for collecting personal information is to provide optometric services. For example, we collect information about a patient’s health history, including their family history, physical condition and function, and social situation in order to help us assess what their eye care needs are, to advise them of their options and then to provide the eye care they choose to have. We may communicate this information to other regulated health practitioners, technicians, or individuals authorized to work in our practice as part of a patient’s continuing care. A second primary purpose is to obtain a baseline of health and social information so that in providing ongoing health services we can identify changes that are occurring over time. It would be rare for us to collect information without the patient’s implied consent, but this might occur in an emergency (e.g., the patient cannot communicate) or where we believe the patient would consent if asked and it is impractical to obtain consent (e.g., a family member passing a message on from our patient where we have no reason to believe that the message is not genuine).
Protecting Personal Information
We understand the importance of protecting personal information. For that reason, we have taken the following steps:
- Employees, including temporary staff, are trained to collect, use and disclose personal information only as necessary to fulfill their duties and in accordance with our privacy policy.
- Paper information is either under supervision or secured in a locked or restricted area.
- Electronic hardware is either under supervision or secured in a locked or restricted area at all times. In addition, passwords are used on computers. All of our cell phones use digital signals, which are more difficult to intercept.
- Paper information is transmitted through sealed, addressed envelopes or boxes by reputable companies or collected by the patient who asks for the information
- Electronic information is transmitted either through a direct line or is anonymized or encrypted.
- Verbal personal information is collected and used in such a manner that the information is not overheard by persons other than the patient or practice members.
- External consultants and agencies with access to personal information must enter into privacy agreements with us.
This policy is made under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. That is a complex Act and provides some additional exceptions to the privacy principles that are too detailed to set out here. There are some rare exceptions to the commitments set out above.