Policies and Practices Governing the Management of Personal Information
Centre Visuel St-Michel is committed to protecting all personal information collected and used in the management of its activities.
Objectives of Information Collection
Our privacy protection policy outlines the standards for the collection, use, disclosure, and retention of your personal information. It also explains how we safeguard your personal information and your right to access it.
Personal Information
Personal information pertains to an individual and allows for their identification. It is confidential and, except in specific circumstances, cannot be disclosed without the individual’s consent.
Consent
When we obtain information about you, we first seek your consent, either verbally or in writing, for the collection, use, or disclosure of your collected information for the stated purposes. We will seek your consent for any other use, disclosure, or collection of your personal information or if the purposes for which your information was collected change.
Our company commits to using the information provided only for the purposes for which it was collected and retaining it for the duration required by the Ordre des Optométristes du Québec.
However, we may collect, use, or disclose information without your consent when permitted or required by law. In specific circumstances, we may collect, use, or disclose personal information without informing you or obtaining your consent, such as in emergencies, to prevent an act of violence, or in the event of a confidentiality incident, to notify an organization that may reduce the risk of serious harm.
Limits on the Collection, Use, and Disclosure of Personal Information
The purposes for which information is collected are generally to confirm a person’s identity, create a patient or employee record, and comply with legal requirements. We limit the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information only to the purposes we have indicated. Your personal information can only be accessed by authorized individuals, and only within the scope of their assigned tasks.
Retention of Information
We retain your personal information for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected. We must destroy this information in accordance with the law and our record retention policy. When we destroy your personal information, we take necessary measures to ensure its confidentiality and prevent unauthorized access during the destruction process.
Accuracy
Personal information must be as accurate, complete, and up-to-date as required for the purposes for which it is intended. Continuously used personal information will generally be accurate and up-to-date unless clear limits on the accuracy of this information are established. We do not systematically update personal information unless necessary to achieve the purposes for which it was collected. The accuracy, completeness, and currency of personal information depend on the communication of your data during collection.
Responsibility
We are responsible for the personal information we have in our possession or under our care. Our privacy officer oversees this privacy protection policy and related processes, as well as the procedures to protect this information. Our staff is informed and adequately trained on our privacy protection policies and practices.
Security Measures
We have implemented and continue to develop rigorous security measures to ensure that your personal information remains strictly confidential and is protected against loss or theft and against unauthorized access, communication, copying, use, or modification. These security measures include organizational measures such as data backup and archiving through an external system and technological measures such as the use of passwords and encryption.
Access to Personal Information
Only authorized personnel can access information about you. The company ensures that these individuals are qualified to access this information and that access is necessary in the performance of their duties.
Request for Access to Information and Modifications
You have the right to know if we hold personal information about you and to access this personal information. You also have the right to inquire about how this information was collected and used and to whom it was disclosed. We will provide such information within a reasonable time from the date of receiving the written request. Reasonable fees may also be charged to process your request. You can verify the accuracy and completeness of your personal information and, if necessary, request its modification. Any request for access to personal information or modification of personal information can be sent to the address in the section below.
Privacy Officer
Natacha Rail
514-727-3182
gerantcvsm@outlook.com
3255, rue Bélanger
Montreal, Quebec H1X 1A2
Complaints and Questions
You can contact the privacy officer at the above-mentioned address. Any complaint regarding the protection of personal information must be forwarded to the privacy officer at the address above. We will investigate all complaints. If a complaint is deemed valid, we will take appropriate measures, including, if necessary, modifying our policies and practices.
Training and Awareness
The company promotes best practices and respect for rights regarding transparency and protection of personal information in various ways:
- It informs all staff members (consent form);
- It displays the name and contact information of the person responsible for Privacy Protection;
- It employs various awareness means, including reminders during team meetings and an action plan for the protection of personal information.
Implementation
If for any reason you believe that the company has not adhered to these principles, please notify us by contacting our privacy officer. We will then take the necessary steps to identify and correct the problem within reasonable timeframes. Please mention “Privacy Protection” as the subject.
Policy Update
This policy was adopted in September 2023 and is to be reviewed in September 2024. It will also be updated in the event of any substantial changes to legislation or regulatory requirements.