Westminster Mobile Medical Imaging recognizes the importance of privacy and the sensitivity of personal information, in particular, personal health information.
Protecting the privacy of personal information is an important component in the provision of quality diagnostic imaging services to our patients. We are committed to collecting, using and disclosing your personal information in a responsible fashion, and only to the extent necessary for the services we provide.
What is Personal Information?
Personal information is any information that identifies you, or by which your identity could be deduced. Personal information includes any health related information. Business information however (e.g. an individual’s business title or business address and business telephone number) is not protected by privacy legislation.
Generally speaking, if we do not collect and use your personal information, we cannot provide you with our services.
Purposes for the Collection, Use and Disclosure of your Personal Information
We collect, use and disclose personal information for the following purposes:
- To deliver quality diagnostic imaging services to our patients
- To identify and to ensure continuous high quality service
- To assess your health needs
- To advise your and/or physician with respect to health related matters, and to render a diagnosis and/or treatment recommendation
- To enable us to contact and maintain communication with you, including, without limitation, to distribute health-care information and to book and confirm appointments
- To communicate with your physician and/or health-care providers and organizations where required for your health care
- To allow us to efficiently follow-up for testing, treatment, care and billing
- For teaching and demonstrating purposes on an anonymous basis (if possible)
- For research, health surveillance and statistical analysis of data purposes
- To determine whether you may be a good candidate for a particular research study
- To complete submit claims for payment to OHIP and to other third parties (such as private health insurance plans) in order to be paid for services rendered
- To collect unpaid accounts and to process payments in general
- To comply with legal and regulatory requirements, including the delivery of patients’ charts and records to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario or others as required under the Independent Health Facilities Act or the Healing Arts Radiation Protection Act (or successor legislation) in a timely fashion, when required, and to comply with any other agreements/undertakings entered into with the College or the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care
- To permit potential purchasers or advisors to evaluate the facility in preparation for a sale
- To deliver your charts and records to our insurance carrier to enable the insurance company to assess liability and quantify damages, if any
- To prepare materials for the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board (HPARB)
- For administrative/management activities such as planning resource allocation, reporting or evaluation
- To assist this office to comply with all regulatory requirements
- To comply generally with the law
- Such other purpose or purposes that may be identified before or at the time the information is collected.
How is Personal Information Collected?
We collect information only by lawful and fair means, and not in an unreasonably intrusive way. Wherever possible, we collect your personal information directly from Long Term Care Center, Retirement Home, Detention Center or Walk-in Clinic. We also collect information from your referring physician, if required.
Is My Personal Information Secure?
Our facility takes all reasonable precautions to ensure that your personal information is kept safe from loss, theft, unauthorized access, modification, use, copying, disclosure or tampering. Your information is protected whether recorded on paper or electronically.
We have safeguards in place to protect all personal information retained in our facility, and during their disposal and destruction. Our safeguards include:
- Physical measures (locked filing cabinets, restricting access to our office, alarm systems)
- Technological tools (passwords, encryption, firewalls, anonymizing software)
- Organizational controls (security clearances, limiting access on a “need-to-know” basis, staff training, confidentiality agreement, privacy and confidentiality education)
Our Staff is also aware of the importance of maintaining the security and confidentiality of all personal information in our possession. We review and update our security measures on a regular basis.
Radiation Protection Policy
RADIATION PROTECTION POLICY
ALARA PRINCPLE: As Low As Reasonably Achievable
Staff of WMMII will follow these guidelines while in a LTC facility or Detention Center performing X-Ray examinations on residents or inmates of the facility being serviced.
- While in a LTC facility, the examination will always, if space and sufficient power supply are available, be performed in a patient room, private room or activity room (or equivalent).
- All room listed above will have outside facing walls
- The X-Ray beam will always either be aimed at the outer wall of the room or toward the floor.
- The Dragon X-Ray machine will be placed in the doorway of the room as to prohibit staff or patients from entering while the examination is being performed.
- Only patients and technician will be allowed in the room while the exam is being performed.
- IF a staff of the facility must be present in the room while the exam is taking place, technician must ensure that there is no chance of pregnancy in female staff AND ensure that there is lead available for that staff
- CAMRT standards indicate that females between the age of 10-55 must be asked if there is a chance of pregnancy
- Staff and patients between the age of 10 and 55, if in the room while the X-Ray exam is being performed, will be given a lead apron of .5mm @ 150 kVp standard to wear around their abdomen.
- All staff of WMMII are required to wear a personal TLD badge on EVERY shift
- All staff will ensure that they are at a safe distance of 6 feet from the beam or behind the equipment itself in order to be a safe distance from the beam as to not register a dose on your personal TLD.
- TLD badges are replaced every 3 months and a dose report is sent after badges are submitted
- All staff must initial by their name on the dose report to acknowledge that they have seen the updated numbers
