Privacy Policy
My Privacy Commitment to You
I value your privacy and the confidentiality of your personal health information. As a member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario I must follow legal and professional rules about how your personal health information is stored. This is a summary of McGugan Cognitive Therapy’s privacy policy. A more detailed policy document can be obtained by emailing admin@mcgugantherapy.ca.
Information Collection
The types of personal health information collected by McGugan Cognitive Therapy may include your name, date of birth, other personal characteristics, health history, healthcare providers, payment information and records of the care provided to you. We collect, use and disclose personal health information for the following purposes:
to provide therapy to our clients
to obtain payment for services provided
to comply with our regulatory obligations to the College of Psychologist of Ontario
to teach students and to provide continuing education to our staff
to advise clients about special events or opportunities (but we will always obtain express consent to do so)
to conduct quality improvement and risk management activitie
for other purposes permitted by law
We will collect, use and disclose only as much personal health information as is needed to achieve these purposes. You can withhold or withdraw your consent to the collection, use or disclosure of your personal health information by contacting me at drmcgugan@mcgugantherapy.ca.
Access to Health Records
You have the right to seek access to your health records that we keep and to ask us to correct a record if you believe it is inaccurate or incomplete. Please contact us for more information.
Storage of Health Records
As an organization of a Canadian Health Care Professional, Mcgugan Cognitive Therapy is required to be compliant with provincial and federal privacy laws with regards for how your information is stored. Currently we have information stored in both electronic and paper formats. Both types of records are stored in a manner which adheres to Ontario’s Personal Health Information and Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA). For electronic records and online counselling sessions McGugan Cognitive therapy uses an electronic medical records system (Jane) which is PHIPA compliant.
Electronic Communication
At McGugan Cognitive Therapy we offer the use of email and SMS communications for matters related to administration and scheduling. This data is not encrypted and may not be completely secure. You can opt out of these messages at any time in your Jane account. Email from us that contain personal inform beyond the fact that you are a client at our clinic will be encrypted and require you to create a login and password to be able to read.
Questions or Concerns?
If you have questions or want to make a complaint about our privacy practices, please contact Dr. McGugan at drmcgugan@mcgugantherapy.ca.
You also have the right to complain to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario at the address below if you have concerns about our privacy practices or how your personal health information has been handled:
Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario 2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario M4W 1A8
Telephone:
Toronto Area (416/local 905): (416) 326-3333
Long Distance: 1 (800) 387-0073 (within Ontario)
TDD/TTY: (416) 325-7539
FAX: (416) 325-9195