Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
What is personal health information?What types of information are collected by St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton?
What does St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton use my health information for?
What about physician files?
Can I restrict the collection or use of my health information?
Who does St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton give my information to?
Would my information ever be sold or given to outside companies or my employer?
Can I access my health information?
How do I request information from my health record?
Is there a fee for access to personal health information?
How do I go about requesting birth information?
What happens if I am inquiring about records for a deceased patient?
When does a substitute decision maker sign on behalf of a patient for the disclosure or access to personal health information?
Do I need parental consent if I am a youth?
My child was born at St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, and will be travelling out of the country with me in the near future. The official birth certificate I applied for has not yet arrived. How do I go about getting one from your facility?
For more information on St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton's release of information procedures and policies, contact the Health Records Department at:
Who else can access my health information?
How does St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton protect my information?
What is personal health information?
Personal Health Information means any identifying information about an individual in oral or recorded form including: physical or mental health and family health history, provision of health care and identifying a person as a provider of health care to the individual, a long-term health care service plan, payment or eligibility of health care, body part or bodily substance (e.g., blood) donation, health card number and/or identifies an individual substitute decision maker.Identifying information means information that identifies an individual or for which it is reasonably foreseeable in the circumstances that it could be utilized, either alone or with other information, to identify an individual.
An individual has the right to retain control over the collection, use and disclosure of his/her personal information by law in Canada.
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What types of information are collected by St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton?
St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton collects both personal and personal health information. Information like your name, date of birth, address and extended health insurance numbers are examples of personal information. Information relating to previous health problems, the record of your visits to the hospital, what health care we provide to you during those visits and Health Card Number are examples of your personal health information.Back to the Top
What does St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton use my health information for?
St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton uses your information for the delivery of direct patient care, administration of the health care system, research, teaching, statistics, fundraising, and to meet legal and regulatory requirements. St. Joseph's Statement of Information PracticesBack to the Top
What about physician files?
Any personal information collected in the course of activity undertaken by employees or agents of St. Josephs will be subject to St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton's Privacy and Security of Personal Information Policy. Under this policy, access to information (patient or otherwise) is a privilege, not a right. In this regard, the policy outlines the responsibilities of hospital employees and others to safeguard the information held by St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton as the custodian of that information on behalf of the individual who provided it to the hospital. We also expect healthcare partners to act in accordance with PHIPA. Specific hospital policy exists for the handling of information normally encountered as part of day-to-day patient care and used by all patient care providers.Back to the Top
Can I restrict the collection or use of my health information?
YESPatients have the right to withhold or withdraw their consent to the use or disclosure of the PHI for a particular purpose, including for the provision of health care. This is commonly referred to as a “Lock Box”. However, certain requirements in PHIPA override the provisions of the ‘Lock Box'. For details please refer to St. Joseph's Lockbox policy.
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Who does St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton give my information to?
St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton is required to disclose patient information to several other organizations. This includes the Ministry of Health, The Canadian Institute for Health Information, Public Health, and Cancer Care Ontario. Information may also be disclosed to other health care providers directly involved in the administration of your care.St. Joseph's discloses your personal health information in accordance to PHIPA. We place appropriate safeguards on the transmission of all information disclosed to other organizations and seek to ensure that health information protection measures are in place and in accordance with the Ontario Personal Health Information Protection Act.
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Would my information ever be sold or given to outside companies or my employer?
St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton does not sell patient information to drug companies or to anyone else. We require patient consent or a court order to disclose health information to any organization or person not directly involved with the provision of patient care. We will ensure that proper controls are in place to only disclose what is required.Back to the Top
Can I access my health information?
You have a right to access your personal health information, and St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton has an obligation to make it available to you, with limited exceptions. Exceptions are made if releasing your information would put you, your treatment or a third party at risk.Back to the Top
How do I request information from my health record?
You can download the Form to Request Access to Personal Health Information or obtain a copy of this form by contacting our Health Records department. This applies when requesting access to view and/or have copies of your own record.If you are requesting your records to be released to another health care provider, insurance company, or other individuals of your choice, you can download the Form Authorization for Disclosure of Personal Information. You may also obtain a copy of this form from the Health Records Department.
The completed request must be witnessed, dated and signed by the patient or substitute decision maker and include the patient's name, date of birth, health card number, mailing address of where the information is to be sent, the purpose of the request and a listing of what information is to be released.
The request must also be dated within 90 days of our receiving it. The request is retrospective only and applies to information already created and does not apply to information which will be created in the future.
Submit the completed request to the Health Records Department at the site you received your treatment.
Charlton Site |
West 5th Site |
King St. E. Site |
| St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton 50 Charlton Avenue East Hamilton, Ontario L8N 4A6 Phone: (905) 522-1155 Ext 33417 Fax: (905) 521-6096 |
St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton 100 West 5th Street Hamilton, Ontario P.O. Box 585 L8N 3K7 Phone: (905) 522-1155 Ext 35504 Fax: (905) 381-5614 |
St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton 2757 King Street East Hamilton, Ontario L8G 5E4 Phone: (905) 522-1155 Ext 38200 Fax: (905) 573-4825 |
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Is there a fee for access to personal health information?
Yes. There is an administrative cost for requests that are required for purposes other than the continuity of patient care. This fee covers processing costs involved with the request. Once a cost is determined, you will be notified to submit payment prior to processing your request.Back to the Top
How do I go about requesting birth information?
If you are looking for your birth information (e.g. proof of birth, time of birth), please submit a written request that includes your mother's full name at the time of your birth, your mother's date of birth and your date of birth. There is a fee for this request to cover search costs.Back to the Top
What happens if I am inquiring about records for a deceased patient?
To obtain records for individuals who are deceased, written authorization is required from the Administrator of the estate or the individual who provides proof of legal signing authority to administer the estate. If you require information for your own health planning or for that of your family you may make a request directly without authorization of the Administrator of the Estate; however, you will not be provided with access to or a copy of the record, but rather with a synopsis of information.Back to the Top
When does a substitute decision maker sign on behalf of a patient for the disclosure or access to personal health information?
The substitute decision maker signs on behalf of a patient deemed incapable for the access or disclosure of personal health information decisions.Back to the Top
Do I need parental consent if I am a youth?
Yes. If you want your health records released and you are not at least 16 years old, you must have a parent or legal guardian submits the request on your behalf.Back to the Top
My child was born at St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, and will be travelling out of the country with me in the near future. The official birth certificate I applied for has not yet arrived. How do I go about getting one from your facility?
St. Joseph's Healthcare does not keep nor have access to official birth certificates. Letters may be provided as proof of birth that your child was born at St. Joseph's Healthcare. There is a charge for this service.Back to the Top
For more information on St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton's release of information procedures and policies, contact the Health Records Department at:
Charlton Site |
West 5th Site |
King St. E. Site |
| St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton 50 Charlton Avenue East Hamilton, Ontario L8N 4A6 Phone: (905) 522-1155 Ext 33417 Fax: (905) 521-6096 |
St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton 100 West 5th Street Hamilton, Ontario P.O. Box 585 L8N 3K7 Phone: (905) 522-1155 Ext 35504 Fax: (905) 381-5614 |
St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton 2757 King Street East Hamilton, Ontario L8G 5E4 Phone: (905) 522-1155 Ext 38207 Fax: (905) 573-4825 |
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Who else can access my health information?
Although you have the right to access your charts, this right does not automatically extend to family members and/or friends. If you consent to let a friend or family member see your chart, then the friend/family member may access the part(s) that you have consented to let them see. This consent must be in writing.Only St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton staff involved in your care may access your patient record. All St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton staff are bound by a strict confidentiality agreement, which is signed as a condition of employment. This agreement seeks to ensure staff only access information on a need to know basis.
We have a responsibility to communicate to your family physician, so that he/she may coordinate your care. St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton advises your family physician of your admission and discharge and supplies them with other healthcare information.
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How does St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton protect my information?
A few of the ways that the hospital strives to protect both your personal information and your personal health information are by:Administrative Safeguards: The St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton Privacy Policy governs the manner in which all St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton care providers and other employees manage patient information.
Physical Safeguards: St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton has a number of physical safeguards which range from locked doors to staff wearing photo identification to identify themselves as St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton employees. St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton employees must sign a confidentiality agreement as a condition of employment.
Technical Safeguards: St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton technical department upgrades the security capabilities of the patient information system on an ongoing basis. We have implemented role based access controls to ensure staff only may access information on a need to know basis. The St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton patient information system also uses passwords to protect the system from inappropriate accesses from within and a firewall to protect our system from users on the Internet. All accesses to patient care systems are logged and may be reviewed where there is a suspicion of unauthorized access.
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