Privacy Information and Office

LHSC is required by law to keep a record of your care when you are a patient. Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) sets out rules for the collection, use and disclosure of personal health information. LHSC is committed to protecting your privacy. 

We collect personal health information about you in order to provide you with health care. We may collect this information from you directly or, in some circumstances, from a person designated to make care decisions on your behalf. Your health history, the records of your visits to the hospital and what health care we provided to you during those visits are examples of your personal health information.

How is my personal health information used?

In accordance with PHIPA, we may use and disclose your personal health information:

  • To treat and care for you.
  • To receive payment for your treatment and care (such as from OHIP, WSIB, your private insurer, or other payors).
  • To conduct risk management activities. 
  • To conduct quality improvement activities.
  • For teaching purposes.
  • To conduct research.
  • To compile statistics.
  • For fundraising purposes to improve our programs and services.
  • To comply with legal and regulatory requirements.
  • To fulfill other purposes as permitted or required by law.

Unless you have told us not to, we may also share basic information about you with: 

  • Visitors and callers who ask for you by name - Your name, room number and general health are shared with people who ask about you. If you do not want this to be shared, please tell us when you are admitted. You can also speak to your health care provider about removing your name from the directory. 
  • Foundations - LHSC foundations raise money for research, medical education and patient care. If you don’t want to be contacted by our foundations after you leave the hospital, please contact LHSC’s privacy office.
Your rights under PHIPA

At LHSC, we respect our patient's rights regarding their health information, including your rights under PHIPA, which are outlined below:

  1. Access to your information that is held by LHSC - If you would like to see your health record while you are in hospital, talk to one of your health care providers. They can answer your questions or arrange a time to review your record with you. If you would like to see or receive a copy of your record after you have left the hospital, please contact our Health Records department. 
  2. You question the accuracy or completeness of your record - If you feel there is inaccurate or incomplete information in your chart (for example, your lab test results are incorrect), please contact LHSC’s privacy office. 
  3. Restrict who has access to your health record or what information is accessed within your health record - Withdrawing your consent to use or share your information. Personal information may be stored in different places, including in LHSC’s paper records, LHSC’s electronic systems, or other electronic systems shared with organizations outside of LHSC. Access, use and disclosure of your information can be restricted in different ways depending on how your information is stored. For more information please contact the privacy office.
  4. To be notified should your information be lost, stolen or disclosed or used inappropriately - LHSC is committed to keeping your information secure and safe and should your information by lost, stolen or inappropriately disclosed to or accessed by people who are not involved in your health care, LHSC’s privacy office will contact you. 
Photography, Video and Audio Recording policy

LHSC acknowledges and supports patients and care partners who wish to record while receiving care for many purposes. LHSC encourages patients/care partners to notify providers/staff when they are recording. Below are some frequently asked questions and answers about the policy.  

Are patients and care partners/visitors allowed to bring devices that have recording capabilities on Hospital property? 
Yes. Most smartphone devices contain audio and/or video recording applications and features. These devices are permitted within the Hospital.  

Are patients and care partners/visitors allowed to record on Hospital property? 
Audio and video recordings may be made in various locations within the Hospital where individuals, such as patients, visitors, Credentialed Professional Staff, clinical fellows, staff, learners, and volunteers, are present. Even though recording is permitted in some cases, the Hospital does take steps to protect the safety, security and reputation of its staff, Credentialed Professional Staff, clinical fellows, learners, and volunteers. At no time are patients, care givers or visitors permitted to record the care of other patients, or conversations they are not a part of.  

Are patients allowed to record their own care? 
Yes, patients have the right to collect their personal health information (PHI) and to be supported as participants in their care.  

Can a substitute decision maker (SDM) make a recording of the patient? 
Yes, if the patient does not have capacity to consent and has been deemed incapable, the SDM acts on behalf of the patient.  

Can a patient or SDM request a copy of a recording that the hospital captures? 
Yes. Patients have the right to request access to any information that is collected about them at the Hospital. If recordings are retained for any purpose, and the patients or care partner/visitor can be identified, the law requires the access request to be fulfilled, with limited exceptions.  

Can I share the recording of my care interaction on social media? 
LHSC takes great care to ensure the confidentiality, privacy and personal health information of patients is protected. By choosing to share your care journey on social media you may inadvertently expose your personal health information. It is your choice. You should never share the care journey of anyone else.  

Contact Information

For more information about our privacy protection practices, or to raise a concern you may have about our practices, please contact the LHSC Privacy Office:

Or contact LHSC’s Corporate Privacy Officer, Krista Muncaster, Director, Risk and Privacy:

You have the right to complain to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario if you think we have violated your PHIPA rights. The Commissioner can be reached as follows: