Accountability
Provider Directory Inc. is committed to adhering to the privacy principles set out in the Personal Information Privacy and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and the relevant privacy legislation of each province or territory in Canada.
Provider Directory Inc is responsible for ensuring that the collection, retention, and disclosure of any personal information under its stewardship is conducted in a manner consistent with the highest legislative and professional standards.
A senior manager of the Provider Directory has been appointed as Chief Privacy Officer and is accountable for the compliance of Provider Directory Inc with PIPEDA and other jurisdictional acts.
Identifying purposes
Provider Directory is a national database created to supply the health care benefits industry with a centralized source of health care provider information. The directory will include publicly-available information about regulated and non-regulated health care professionals, obtained by Provider Directory Inc from regulatory colleges and associations.
The data will be used by life and health insurance companies benefits managers and third-party administrators for the purpose of claims adjudication and administration. The data will not be sold to any third party for use in the marketing of products or services.
Provider Directory will facilitate the communication and flow of regulatory information between regulating bodies (colleges and associations) and end users (carriers, claims adjudicators and other third party administrators or contractors).
This data is being collected to validate:
- the professional identity of providers,
- provider’s authority to submit claims, based on professional status, and for audit purposes.
Consent
Consent is obtained through different means, depending on whether the provider is affiliated with an association or a college.
For associations throughout Canada, and colleges in Québec, the consent for all members is collected through a formal agreement between the college or association and Provider Directory Inc.
Colleges in Ontario must, by law, publish their full registry details, upon public request (Section 23 of Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991).
Information that is published publicly (with no restricted access) by a college or an association on its website, may be used by Provider Directory.
Data suppliers (e.g. professional regulators) who have signed an agreement with Provider Directory Inc, will be notified of any proposed changes to the terms of use of the data. The Privacy Policy available online to the public (https://www.providerdir.com) will reflect any changes in the purpose of the data collection.
Limiting collection
The scope of information collected will be limited to the specific needs of the subscribers to Provider Directory. The information collected will be limited to professional information such as professional credentials, business information (i.e. name, license number and details, clinic address, etc).
Limiting use, disclosure, and retention
Disclosure of data will be limited to subscribers, staff and contractors of Provider Directory. The Terms of Use agreement will prevent Subscribers from reproducing data contained in the directory for other purposes that the ones mentioned in the identifying purpose section.
Accuracy
Data will be maintained and updated on an ongoing basis. Updates will be performed through:
- Regular updates from the college or association. Target is daily updates, and in any event, a minimum of once a year
- Return of information from clients regarding accuracy of information
- Updates from individual providers as described in the individual access section of this document.
The main objective of Provider Directory is to provide accurate information for provider credentialing.
Safeguards
Data security is of the utmost importance to Provider Directory Inc. Therefore, we have taken a number of steps to protect the security of all data under our control. These steps include:
- Maintenance of Provider data in a secure database located in Canada, and managed by Provider Directory Inc.
- Data will be made available only to subscribers of the directory and Provider Directory Inc. staff and employees.
- Subscriptions will be available to insurance companies involved in healthcare claims and to third-party insurance claims adjudicators.
- The database will be encrypted and access will be password-controlled.
- Subscribers will not be permitted to reproduce data contained in the directory for other purposes that the ones mentioned in the identifying purpose section.
- Data suppliers will be notified immediately of any data breach.
Openness, Individual access and Challenging compliance
One can contact the Chief Privacy Officer if for questions regarding:
- Access to your personal information,
- Provider Directory’s processes to protect and use your personal information,
- Complaints regarding the usage of information made by Provider Directory.
Use the contact form on Provider Directory website. Information is also available over the phone at (416) 596-9533, by fax at (416) 596-9532 or by written request to Provider Directory Inc, Chief Privacy Officer, 120 Carlton Street, Toronto, Ontario M5A 4K2. Provider Directory’s staff will be in touch shortly after receiving your request.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada oversees Provider Directory personal information handling practices. If your privacy concerns are not addressed to your satisfaction by Provider Directory you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada for further guidance:
By Phone 1-800-282-1376 or 613-995-8210
By Fax 613-947-6850
By E-mail info@privcom.gc.ca
Website www.priv.gc.ca