The Privacy Act and You

In Canada, the federal government has passed the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). As of January 2004 all small business will be responsible for meeting the requirements of this very complex and far-reaching legislation. The Supreme Court of Canada defines privacy as: "an individual's right to a reasonable expectation of privacy." PIPEDA defines privacy as; "The rights and obligations of individuals with respect to collection, use, retention, and disclosure of personal information." Business information, which is something that is found on a business card, phone book, etc., is not protected.
In accordance with the Federal Law, we are also required to have your signed consent on file for any documentation we may have regarding your practice or yourself. We at Transitions have always been committed to collecting, using, and disclosing your personal information responsibly. You have or will be soon receiving our consent and privacy code, we ask that you sign and return this as soon as possible for our files.

As far as the dental practice the law will require modifications in how you handle patient charts, patient flow, and patient communication. Each practice needs to assign a privacy officer to manage the handling of all patient material and teaching the team what is required. Ask your coach for their input into how you can modify your practice to abide by the privacy legislation and read the package the RCDSO has developed to simplify and assist the Dentists in Ontario. If you have any questions or concerns, call Dr. Bob Carroll, Manager, Professional Practice at 416-934-5611 or 1-800-565-4591 or email him at bcarrol@rcdso.org.