Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Intervention Pain Clinic ("the Clinic", "we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your personal health information. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information in accordance with the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA, Ontario) and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA, Canada).

By accessing our website or using our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of personal and personal health information:

• Contact information: name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address.
• Health information submitted through referral forms: referring physician details, patient diagnosis, clinical notes, and supporting documents (PDF, image files).
• Inquiry content submitted through our general contact form.
• Technical data: IP address, browser type, pages visited, and session duration collected automatically when you use our website.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use personal and personal health information only for the purposes for which it was collected or as permitted by law, including:

• Processing and triaging patient referrals submitted by licensed physicians and nurse practitioners.
• Communicating with referring physicians regarding appointment scheduling and patient care coordination.
• Responding to general inquiries submitted through our contact form.
• Improving the functionality and content of our website.
• Complying with legal and regulatory obligations under PHIPA, PIPEDA, and applicable College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) guidelines.

4. Disclosure of Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may disclose information in the following limited circumstances:

• To other health information custodians (e.g., referring physicians, specialists, hospitals) as necessary for the provision of patient care, with implied or express consent as required by PHIPA.
• To service providers who assist us in operating our website or delivering services, under strict confidentiality agreements.
• Where required or permitted by law, including in response to a court order, subpoena, or regulatory authority.
• In a medical emergency where disclosure is necessary to prevent serious harm.

5. Consent

We obtain consent for the collection, use, and disclosure of personal health information in accordance with PHIPA. For referrals, consent is implied through the therapeutic relationship between the patient and their referring physician. Where express consent is required, we will seek it directly.

You may withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice. Withdrawal of consent may affect our ability to provide services.

6. Retention and Disposal

Personal health information is retained for the minimum period required by applicable law and CPSO record-keeping guidelines — generally a minimum of ten (10) years from the date of last entry, or until a patient reaches the age of majority plus ten (10) years, whichever is longer.

When information is no longer required, it is securely destroyed or anonymized in accordance with PHIPA and our internal records management policy.

7. Security Safeguards

We implement administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information we hold, including:

• Encrypted transmission of data over TLS/HTTPS.
• Access controls limiting information to authorized personnel on a need-to-know basis.
• Secure storage of uploaded referral documents in access-controlled server environments.
• Regular review of our privacy and security practices.

8. Access and Correction

You have the right to request access to your personal health information held by the Clinic, and to request correction of any inaccuracies, subject to exceptions permitted under PHIPA.

To make an access or correction request, please contact our Privacy Officer using the contact details below. We will respond within thirty (30) days of receiving a written request.

9. Website Usage Data and Cookies

Our website may collect non-identifiable technical data (such as browser type, referring URL, and pages visited) through standard server logs or analytics tools. This data is used solely to improve website performance and user experience and is not linked to identifiable individuals.

We do not use tracking cookies for advertising or cross-site profiling purposes.

10. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites (for example, patient education video platforms). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to review their privacy policies independently.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. The revised policy will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

12. Contact Our Privacy Officer

If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about our privacy practices, or wish to exercise your rights under PHIPA or PIPEDA, please contact: