Privacy Policy

We are regulated healthcare providers governed by our respective Ontario Regulatory
Colleges, and we have certain obligations that are set out by those Colleges. Among
these obligations is the requirement to collect and maintain a minimal amount of health
information about you so we can provide safe treatments. The information we collect is
kept in a secure database and can only be disclosed to others under specific and
appropriate circumstances. Here are the details about your rights and how we protect
your personal information.

What is personal information?
Personal information is defined, in the Protection of Privacy Act and Municipal Freedom
of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (the acts), as “recorded information about
an identifiable individual”. This includes information such as a person’s race or ethnicity,
colour, religion, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital or family status, address, or
telephone number.

What is personal health information?
Personal Health Information refers to any information that identifies you and relates to
your health. This includes information such as your health history, current state of health, and who you are seeing for health care. It includes information that is written
down in your file by you or your practitioner as well as anything that is verbally
communicated during your treatment.

Who has access to your personal health information?
Your personal health information is accessible by the regulated health providers who
work at Zazen Massage & Wellness Inc, and when you book an appointment with us,
we also assume that we have your consent to discuss your health information with other
practitioners who are in your circle of care (i.e. other practitioners you have seen or are
currently seeing).

If you do not want us to share your health information with other healthcare providers in
your circle of care, please let us know as early as possible.

There are times when a person from another organization, such as your health
insurance company, may request information related to your appointments. This is
normally a request for the date, cost, and type of treatment, and does not include any
other information about your personal health or details you discuss with your
practitioner. In these cases, we must receive your written permission before we can
confirm any details with the organization that makes the request for information. Please
note that if you refuse permission to share information with an insurance company, or if
we don’t hear back from you, your insurance provider may reject your claim.
If you have family or friends with whom you would like us to share information about
your health and healthcare, we must first receive your consent.

When consent is not required
We may be required to share your information without your consent in the following
situations:

To report information required by public health authorities about specific infections or diseases that would pose an immediate risk to the public
If we suspect certain types of abuse is occurring including abuse by a health care provider
If we learn that you have an intention to seriously harm yourself or others
If we transfer or sell the professional practice to another regulated health care provider in the province of Ontario
When a regulatory college assesses the professional practice, including peer reviews of therapists who work at the practice
For the purpose of a legal proceeding, by court order, or where we are otherwise legally required to share the information

How we keep your information secure

Any information that is recorded on paper is either destroyed after uploaded it to our secure database or, if the paper copy is maintained, it is kept in a locked safe or filing cabinet.
All software files are maintained either in a properly encrypted and password protected database, on a password protected computer, or on a password protected external hard drive that is kept in a locked safe or filing cabinet when it is not in use.
All records are kept under the supervision of an Ontario regulated health professional.

Marketing use of personal information
You must opt in to receive information about our clinic, such as updates to hours, fees,
services, providers, and possibly other information related to health and wellbeing. You
can also opt in/out of receiving email or text notifications that confirm or remind you of
upcoming appointments.

We will never share your information to any person or organization for marketing
purposes.

Retention of personal information
We are required, by the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (CMTO) to maintain
all records for 10 years after your last visit or, if you are under 18 years of age, for 10
years after your 18 th birthday.

When files are destroyed: paper files are shredded, electronic files are securely and
permanently deleted, and hardware is physically destroyed.

Viewing your own personal information
With few exceptions, you have the right to view the information we have on file about
you. If you require a copy of your personal information, you can make a request in
writing to your practitioner or to the Director of the clinic. We reserve the right to charge
a reasonable fee for time spent and any additional expenses that are associated with
this process.

Exceptions may be: a law enforcement proceeding requires us not to share your
information.

We will respond as soon as possible, and no later than 30 days, after we receive your
request for information. If there are circumstances out of our control that cause delays,
we will notify you of the delay as soon as possible. If you require your records urgently,
please let us know so we can do our best to accelerate the process.

If you believe there is a mistake or something missing from your information you have
the right to request a change. This request must be received in writing, and it must
specifically state the part of your record that is incorrect or incomplete.
We cannot correct or change a file that was created by someone else because we were
not present when the record was made. We also cannot correct statements of
observations or opinions that were made in good faith. In these situations, you have the
right to attach your statement of disagreement to your record. You can also ask to have
this statement visible to anyone who views the file.

If we correct a record, the original record must remain visible.

Questions?
For further information or to ask questions, contact Liam O’Reilly at the clinic. If you
have any concerns or complaints, please contact Liam in writing. The address of the
clinic is:

Zazen Massage & Wellness Inc.
600 Sherbourne Street, Suite 511
Toronto, Ontario
M4X 1W4

I will respond to your concerns as soon as possible. If, after discussing the issue, I am
not able to resolve your concern or complaint, you have the right to make a formal
complaint to the Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. This must be done within one year of
the date that the event of concern occurred.

Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario
2 Bloor Street east, Suite 1400
Toronto, Ontario
M4W 1A8
Phone: (416) 326-3333 or 1 (800) 387-0073
Fax: (416) 325-9195
TTY: (416) 325-7539
Website: www.ipc.on.ca
Email address: info@ipc.on.ca