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Why does The Ottawa Hospital collect your personal health information?

Specific information is collected about you so that you can be accurately identified each time you visit the hospital. This information can include tests or procedures you have during your visit and is put in your health record.

Your personal health information may also be used to:

• Quickly and accurately identify your health record each time you visit the hospital.
• Provide you with the most effective and appropriate health services or treatment(s). The Ottawa Hospital keeps your health record, so that your health-care providers have a complete summary of your health status.
• Improve the quality and efficiency with which we provide health-care services.
• Facilitate leading-edge research that has been approved by The Ottawa Hospital Research Ethics Board (REB). With REB approval, researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute may use your health information in their research studies.
• Support the hospital’s educational activities through our partnership with the University of Ottawa. Health information is available for teaching purposes, provided that measures are taken at The Ottawa Hospital to adequately protect your privacy and confidentiality.
• Comply with legal and regulatory requirements. For example, we collect your provincial health insurance number because it is required to processes and fund provincial health-care services.

Who has access to my personal health information?

Personal health information that is collected is only available to hospital doctors or employees who are involved in your care. They can be involved directly (such as doctors, nurses, technologists, technicians, therapists, spiritual care practitioners, and other health professionals), or in a supporting role (such as Health Record Services and Financial Services).

Personal health information is also collected to be shared with:

• Health-care organization members of the Atlas Alliance
• Hospital partners
• Billing agents, and
• Community health-care partners.

The Ottawa Hospital shares personal health information as required by law.

Last updated on: October 31st, 2023