Privacy Policy

At Ellastone Health, protecting your privacy and personal health information is an important part of providing care. This Privacy Policy explains how personal information and personal health information may be collected, used, stored, and disclosed when you visit our website or receive naturopathic care.

Ellastone Health handles personal health information in accordance with applicable privacy legislation, including Ontario's Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA).

Information We Collect

Depending on how you interact with Ellastone Health, we may collect information such as:

• Name, date of birth, address, telephone number, and email address

• Emergency contact information

• Health history, medical conditions, symptoms, and health concerns

• Medications, supplements, allergies, and treatment information

• Laboratory results and other health records

• Information provided by other healthcare professionals with your consent or as otherwise permitted by law

• Appointment and scheduling information

• Billing, payment, and transaction information

• Information you provide through intake forms, consent forms, email, telephone, virtual appointments, or other communications

• Technical information generated when you visit our website, where applicable

We limit the collection of personal and personal health information to information that is reasonably necessary for providing care, operating the practice, and meeting professional and legal obligations.

How We Use Your Information

Your information may be used to:

• Provide and coordinate naturopathic care

• Assess your health concerns and develop individualized treatment plans

• Maintain your clinical health record

• Communicate with you regarding your care

• Schedule, confirm, cancel, and manage appointments

• Provide virtual appointments

• Process payments and issue receipts

• Communicate with other healthcare providers when authorized or otherwise permitted by law

• Maintain appropriate clinical, administrative, and financial records

• Meet professional, regulatory, insurance, and legal requirements

• Maintain and improve the operation and security of our practice and website

Your information will not be used for unrelated purposes without obtaining additional consent where required.

Consent

Ellastone Health obtains consent for the collection, use, and disclosure of personal health information as required by applicable law.

Consent may be express or implied depending on the circumstances and the sensitivity of the information.

You may withdraw or limit your consent, subject to applicable legal, professional, and contractual requirements. Withdrawal of consent may affect our ability to provide certain services or coordinate your care.

Disclosure of Personal Health Information

Your personal health information will not be shared with third parties except with your consent or where permitted or required by law.

Where appropriate, information may be disclosed to other healthcare providers involved in your care, laboratories or diagnostic services, service providers supporting the operation of the practice, regulatory authorities, or other persons or organizations where permitted or required by law.

Only the information reasonably necessary for the intended purpose will be disclosed.

Jane App

Ellastone Health uses Jane as its electronic medical record and practice-management platform.

Jane may be used for appointment scheduling, intake and consent forms, clinical records, secure communications, virtual appointments, payment processing, and other practice-management functions.

Information entered through Jane is handled in accordance with Jane's own privacy and security practices in addition to the privacy practices of Ellastone Health.

Payments

Payment information may be processed using third-party payment-processing services integrated with our practice-management systems.

Ellastone Health does not use your payment information for purposes unrelated to processing authorized transactions.

Where payment information is stored for future transactions, it is handled through the applicable payment-processing platform and its security systems.

Email and Electronic Communication

Ellastone Health may communicate with you by email, text message, telephone, or through secure practice-management systems.

Although reasonable safeguards are used, ordinary email and text messaging may carry privacy and security risks. Patients should avoid sending highly sensitive health information through unsecured electronic communication unless specifically instructed to do so.

Virtual Care

Virtual appointments may involve the electronic transmission of personal health information.

Reasonable safeguards are used to protect your privacy during virtual care. However, electronic communication and virtual-care technologies may carry privacy and security risks.

Patients are encouraged to participate in virtual appointments from a private location and to use a secure internet connection whenever possible.

Website Information and Cookies

When you visit the Ellastone Health website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, such as your IP address, browser type, device information, and information about how you interact with the website.

The website may use cookies or similar technologies necessary for website functionality and, where applicable, analytics.

Where consent is required for non-essential cookies or tracking technologies, appropriate consent options will be provided.

Third-Party Websites and Services

The Ellastone Health website may contain links to third-party websites or services, including online booking or other resources.

Ellastone Health is not responsible for the privacy practices of independent third-party websites. You are encouraged to review their privacy policies before providing personal information.

Safeguarding Your Information

Ellastone Health uses reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information being protected.

These measures may include password-protected systems, access controls, secure electronic health-record systems, secure storage practices, and limiting access to personal health information to individuals who require it for authorized purposes.

While reasonable measures are taken to protect information, no electronic system or method of communication can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Retention of Information

Personal and personal health information is retained for the period required to provide care and to meet applicable professional, regulatory, legal, and record-retention requirements.

When information is no longer required to be retained, it will be securely destroyed or disposed of in accordance with applicable requirements.

Accessing or Correcting Your Information

You may request access to your personal health information or request a correction if you believe information in your record is inaccurate or incomplete.

Certain legal exceptions may apply to access or correction requests.

To request access to or correction of your personal health information, please contact Ellastone Health using the contact information below.

Privacy Breaches

If Ellastone Health becomes aware of an unauthorized use, disclosure, loss, or access involving personal health information, appropriate steps will be taken in accordance with applicable privacy legislation and professional requirements.

This may include containing and investigating the incident, notifying affected individuals where required, taking steps to prevent recurrence, and notifying applicable authorities where legally required.

Privacy Questions or Complaints

Dr. Meera Suchdev, Naturopathic Doctor is the Privacy Contact for Ellastone Health.

Questions, requests, or concerns regarding the collection, use, disclosure, security, access, or correction of your personal information or personal health information may be directed to:

Privacy Contact
Dr. Meera Suchdev, Naturopathic Doctor
Ellastone Health
Ontario, Canada
www.ellastonehealth.ca