Pacific Coast Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Privacy Policy
Dental offices collect personal information on patients to ensure patients receive safe and appropriate dental treatment. In addition, credit card and insurance coverage information may also be collected to facilitate payment for treatment rendered.
Accountability
A dental office is responsible for all personal information under its control, and the policies employed for handling this information to ensure it complies with the provincial privacy legislation currently in force. For more information on this policy or should you have any concerns, please contact your dental office’s privacy officer.
Identifying Purposes
Dental offices collect personal information from patients for the safe and efficient delivery of dental treatment, including information used for payment of dental services. This information includes contact information, medical history, past treatment and billing information, such as insurance status. Patients will be notified if their personal information is to be used for purposes other than those indicated here. In the normal course of business, your information may be viewed by computer and accounting personnel.
Consent
As a dental patient, your personal information is requested to ensure safe and appropriate dental care is provided. It will only be collected, used and disclosed for this purpose. Similarly, financial information will also be collected, used and disclosed for the payment of services rendered. On this basis, it is reasonable to conclude that you have provided consent for this purpose.
Limiting Collection
Personal information collected on patients is limited to providing patient care and receiving payment for these services.
Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention
Personal information will not be used, disclosed or retained for purposes other than those identified above and will only be retained for as long as necessary to fulfill those purposes or as required by law. When it is no longer required, all personal information will be destroyed in a manner that recognizes the sensitivity of the information.
Accuracy
To ensure the accuracy of the personal information collected, patients are encouraged to ensure that their records are accurate and up-to-date. Patients can notify staff on their next visit or contact the office immediately if there is a change.
Safeguards
Pacific Coast Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery will take reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information under their control will be protected from unauthorized use and disclosure.
Openness
Information on privacy policies and practices are available to patients. All enquiries should be directed to the our privacy officer.
Individual Access
An individual can request to view their personal information held by our office by contacting its privacy officer. A patient can challenge the accuracy and completeness of the information and have it amended as appropriate. All dental offices in British Columbia will be guided by the relevant section of the Personal Information Protection Act and the directives of the Ministry of Management Services as amended on occasion.
Challenge Compliance
A patient can file a complaint regarding non-compliance with the Act, with the dental office’s privacy officer. All complaints will be investigated and responded to by that privacy officer. In the event the complainant remains dissatisfied, a formal complaint can be made to the provincial Information and Privacy Commissioner.
How to contact our Privacy Officers:
Privacy Officer
Pacific Coast Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
404 15127 100 Ave,
Surrey, BC V3R 0N9