Privacy Policy

Your privacy is important to Canadian Hearing Services (CHS). To help you understand how we protect your private information, CHS has developed this public Privacy Statement.

What is Personal Information (PI)?

Personal information (PI) is any information that can be used to distinguish, identify, or contact you. Examples of PI are: age, gender, driver’s license or social insurance number, ethnic origin, religious beliefs, date of birth, Skype name, or email address. PI does not include business contact information or some publicly available information, such as names, addresses, and published telephone numbers.

What is Personal Health Information (PHI)?

Personal health information (PHI) is information that relates to: your physical or mental health or that of your family; your health care; payment for health care; or your substitute decision maker. Examples include: results of a hearing test, insurance information, or health card number.

Why Does CHS Collect Personal or Personal Health Information and What Do We Do with It?

CHS collects PI or PHI for use within the following identified areas:

1. Service and program delivery:

CHS only authorizes employees who are either providing direct care or program managmente/administrative support to access private information. CHS only collects information that is necessary to provide services: to assess client needs, advise of options and provide care, and review products or services (e.g. to ensure that a hearing aid is still functioning properly and remains appropriate). We also collect and analyze information about our services to help develop new programs or services and report service outcomes to funders such as the Local Health Integration Network, or referral sources such as your doctor. We may share your name and mailing address with our fundraising department. You may opt out of fundraising communication at any time by phoning 1-866-518-0000, ext. 4011 or by emailing giving@chs.ca.

2. Advocacy and public education:

CHS collects names, addresses and email addresses to provide newsletters, emails and information /updates; respond to inquiries and requests for information and services.

3. Fundraising:

To support this, CHS collects donation information such as date of gift, amount of gift, the campaign supported, name of spouse or partner if it was a joint gift, payment methods and preferences, banking information including credit card number and expiry date or chequing account transfer numbers to contact clients to raise funds to support CHS programs and services. This includes: processing donations and tax receipts; aggregating information about our donations; developing stewardship and solicitation materials based upon donor preferences; informing about activities, special events, and volunteer opportunities. Once credit card information has been entered a secure payment processor, it is destroyed. Fundraising emails include an opt-out feature and instructions on how to unsubscribe from CHS emails. Individuals can also email giving@chs.ca or phone (1-866-518-0000, ext. 4011) to be removed from fundraising contact lists. Canadian Hearing Services provides you with a safe and convenient shopping and donor experience either online or in-person. We maintain physical, electronic, contractual and managerial safeguards to protect the security and privacy of your personal information.

4. Website use:

We are the sole owners of the information collected on this website. We only have access to/collect information that you voluntarily give us via email or other direct contact from you. We will not sell or rent this information to anyone.

Our website allows a user to register a profile. During registration a user is required to give certain information (such as name and email address). This information is used to contact you about the products/services on our site in which you have expressed interest. We use "cookies" on this site. A cookie is a piece of data stored on a site visitor's hard drive to help us improve your access to our site and identify repeat visitors to our site. For instance, when we use a cookie to identify you, you would not have to log in a password more than once, thereby saving time while on our site. Cookies can also enable us to track and target the interests of our users to enhance the experience on our site. Usage of a cookie is in no way linked to any personally identifiable information on our site.

Our website may contain links to external websites. CHS is not responsible for the content on other websites or the privacy practices associated with these websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of each site that you visit.

From time-to-time our site requests information via surveys or contests. Participation in these surveys or contests is completely voluntary and you may choose whether to participate and therefore disclose this information. Information requested may include contact information (such as name and shipping address), and demographic information (such as zip code, age level). Contact information will be used to notify the winners and award prizes. Survey information will be used for purposes of monitoring or improving the use and satisfaction of this site.

5. Billing and Payment Processing:

Personal or personal health information will be used to obtain payment for services that we provide and determine any entitlement to insurance coverage or other benefits (OHIP, WSIB, ADP, your private insurer).

6. Marketing, Communication and Sales:

CHS complies with Canada’s anti-spam legislation and will not send you electronic communication that contravenes this law. Emails include an opt-out feature and instructions on how to unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive emails from CHS. We will use your information to respond to you, regarding the reason you contacted us. We will not share your information with any third party outside of our organization, other than as necessary to fulfill your request, e.g. to ship an order. Unless you ask us not to, we may contact you via email in the future to tell you about specials, new products or services, or changes to this privacy policy.

7. Compliance with external regulators:

Regulated Health Professionals (Audiologists, Speech-Language Pathologists, Registered Psychotherapists) and Regulated Professionals (Social Workers) are governed by regulatory bodies who may inspect our records and interview our staff to protect the public interest. These regulatory bodies have their own strict confidentiality and privacy obligations. In addition, as professionals, CHS will report serious misconduct, incompetence or incapacity of other regulated practitioners, whether they belong to other organizations or our own. In addition, we may be required by law to disclose personal health information to various government agencies such as the: Ministry of Health; Children’s Aid Society; and Privacy Commissioner.

8. Quality improvement:

CHS reviews the files of clients and other consumers to ensure that we are providing high quality services, including assessment of staff performance. External consultants (e.g. auditors, lawyers, practice consultants, voluntary accreditation programs) may conduct audits and quality improvement reviews on our behalf. Our phone, try and skype communications may be monitored for quality and training purposes.

9. Security:

CHS uses security cameras at some offices to safeguard its staff and clients, the premises, and its records. The images are stored for a period of 2 weeks before being destroyed. The information is not used for any other purpose.

CHS stores PI and PHI securely so only authorized staff can access the information. CHS keeps PI or PHI only for as long as we need the information. The length of time that the information is required varies, depending upon the program, service, event or nature of the information. Once CHS longer requires your personal information, it is securely deleted or destroyed.

What Are Your Rights?

You must consent to the collection of your PI or PHI. CHS makes reasonable efforts to inform you of the how your information will be used at the time of collection, so you can provide informed consent.

You may withhold consent. You may withdraw consent, in whole or in part, at any time after you have given consent. If you withdraw your consent, this withdrawal does not apply to PI or PHI that CHS has already collected. Withholding or withdrawing consent may affect CHS’s ability to provide you with services.

You have the right to access and correct inaccurate PI or PHI within CHS records.

To withdraw consent for the collection, use and/or disclosure of personal information, to request access to your own PI or PHI, or to correct your PI or PHI, contact the Chief Privacy officer at privacy@chs.ca or by phone/TTY.

Telephone 1-866-518-0000

TTY 1-877-215-9530

What If You Have a Privacy Complaint?

You have the right to make a complaint to CHS’ Chief Privacy Officer if you believe that CHS has not protected your personal information or personal health information. The CPO will review your complaint and take any required actions.

Tel: 1-866-518-0000, ext. 4314

TTY 1-877-215-9530

Fax 1-833-203-4422

Email: privacy@chs.ca

Chief Privacy Officer

Canadian Hearing Society

271 Spadina Road

Toronto, ON M5R 2V3

Tel: 1-866-518-0000, ext. 4313

TTY 1-877-215-9530

If you are not satisfied with CHS`s response, you may make a complaint to the provincial or federal Privacy Commissioner (depending upon the nature of the complaint).

Privacy Commissioner of Canada 30 Victoria Street,

Gatineau, QC

K1A

Tel: 1-800-282-1376

TTY: 1-819-994-6591 Fax: 613-947-6850

Web site: www.priv.gc.ca

Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario

2 Bloor Street East, Ste. 1400,

Toronto, ON M4W 1A8

Tel: 416-326-3333 or 1-800-387-0073

TTY: 416-325-7539

Fax: 416-325-9195

Web site: www.ipc.on.ca