Your Privacy Matters
Dr. Farah Siam's medical practice is committed to protecting your privacy and safeguarding your health information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect the personal and health information you provide to us.
As a healthcare provider in Ontario, we comply with the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA), the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), and other applicable privacy regulations. We treat your information with the utmost care and confidentiality.
Information We Collect
We collect information necessary to provide you with quality pediatric care and to communicate with you about your child's health. This includes:
Personal Information
- Contact details: Name, email address, phone number, mailing address
- Family information: Names and ages of children, parent/guardian relationship
- Insurance information: OHIP number, private insurance details (if applicable)
- Referral source: How you found Dr. Siam's practice
Health Information
- Medical history: Past illnesses, allergies, medications, surgical history
- Developmental information: Milestones, behavioral concerns, current symptoms
- Consultation notes: Clinical assessments, recommendations, and diagnoses
- Clinical correspondence: Reports sent to referring physicians and other healthcare providers
- Intake forms: Detailed health questionnaires completed during registration
Website and Communication Data
- Website analytics: Pages visited, time spent, general usage patterns (through Google Analytics 4)
- Contact form submissions: Messages sent through our contact form (processed via Formspree)
- Cookie data: Technical information about your browser and device
- Email communications: Appointment confirmations, clinical updates, educational resources
Note on sensitive health information: We do not collect genetic information, biometric data, or audio/video recordings without your explicit written consent.
How We Use Your Information
We use the information you provide solely for legitimate healthcare purposes:
- Provide medical services: To assess, diagnose, and treat your child's health concerns
- Clinical communication: To send consultation reports, recommendations, and follow-up guidance
- Appointment management: To schedule, confirm, and coordinate virtual consultations
- Care coordination: To communicate with referring physicians, specialists, and other healthcare providers (with consent)
- Billing and insurance: To process insurance claims and maintain financial records
- Educational resources: To send relevant parent guides and milestone checklists
- Website improvement: To understand how our website is used and enhance user experience
- Legal compliance: To meet regulatory requirements and maintain proper medical records
We will never sell, rent, or share your health information with third parties for marketing purposes. We do not use your information to make automated decisions that would significantly affect you.
Protection of Health Information
Your health information is protected by multiple security measures:
Technical Safeguards
- Encryption: All health information transmitted between your device and our systems is encrypted using SSL/TLS protocol (indicated by https:// in the URL)
- Secure data storage: Health records are stored on HIPAA/PHIPA-compliant servers with restricted access
- Access controls: Only authorized clinical staff can view patient health information
- Data backups: Regular automated backups protect against data loss
- Firewalls and monitoring: Network security systems monitor for unauthorized access attempts
Administrative and Physical Safeguards
- Confidentiality agreements: All staff members sign agreements to maintain patient privacy
- Access logs: We maintain audit trails of who accesses patient records and when
- Secure disposal: When records are no longer needed, they are securely destroyed
- Limited access: Only staff directly involved in your care can view your information
PHIPA Compliance
As a healthcare provider regulated in Ontario, we comply fully with the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA). This includes:
- Providing you access to your health information upon request
- Allowing you to request corrections to inaccurate information
- Maintaining documented privacy policies and procedures
- Reporting any privacy breaches to the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) when required
- Designating a Privacy Officer to handle privacy inquiries and complaints
Virtual Consultation Privacy
Our secure video consultation platform is designed with your privacy in mind:
- Encrypted video calls: All video consultations are encrypted end-to-end. No one—not even our staff—can access your call unless you are speaking with Dr. Siam directly
- No automatic recording: Dr. Siam does not record consultations. Recordings are only made with your explicit written consent
- Secure waiting room: You connect to a secure video space that is only accessible to you and Dr. Siam at the scheduled consultation time
- PIPEDA compliance: Our video platform provider is certified to meet Canadian privacy standards
- Your responsibility: Please choose a private location for your consultation. Dr. Siam will not be liable for privacy breaches that occur on your end (e.g., if others are visible or audible during your call)
Before your consultation: We recommend finding a quiet, private space where you can speak openly. Ensure no one else can hear or see your child during the visit.
Cookies and Website Analytics
Our website uses cookies to improve your experience and understand how visitors use our site:
Essential Cookies
- These are required for basic website functionality (form submission, navigation)
- They do not track your behavior or collect personal data
- They expire after your session ends
Analytics Cookies
- We use Google Analytics 4 to collect anonymized usage data
- This helps us understand which pages are most helpful and how to improve our website
- Google Analytics collects: pages viewed, time spent on site, general location (country/city level only), device type, browser type
- Individual visitors are not identified; data is aggregated and anonymized
- You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser extension
We do not use cookies to track your health information or create a detailed profile of your behavior. Our analytics are purely statistical and cannot be traced back to you as an individual.
Third-Party Services
We use third-party services to deliver specific functionality. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information:
Contact Form (Formspree)
- Service: Processes contact form submissions
- Data collected: Name, email, phone, message content
- Privacy: Formspree Privacy Policy
- Usage: Your message is forwarded to hello@drfarahsiam.com. We respond directly to you
Video Consultation Platform
- Service: Secure video conferencing for virtual consultations
- Data collected: Name, appointment time, video/audio during consultation (encrypted)
- Privacy: The platform is PIPEDA and PHIPA-compliant, with end-to-end encryption
- Note: We will share the specific platform name and privacy details upon scheduling
Website Hosting and Analytics
- Google Analytics: For website usage insights (anonymized)
- Website hosting provider: Stores website files and logs (technical information only)
We have signed Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) with all third-party vendors to ensure they handle your information responsibly and do not use it for their own purposes.
Your Rights Under PHIPA
You have the following rights regarding your health information:
Right to Access
You have the right to request access to your health record. We will provide you with a copy of your information within 30 days (or explain if we cannot).
Right to Correct
If you believe any health information is inaccurate or incomplete, you can request a correction. We will make the correction or note your disagreement in the record.
Right to Request a Correction Request Notation
If we refuse to correct information, you can request that your correction request be noted in the record.
Right to Withdraw Consent
You can withdraw consent for us to use or disclose your health information at any time. However, this does not affect information we have already used or shared, and it does not prevent us from using health information we collected before your withdrawal.
Right to Request Restricted Use
You can ask us to restrict how we use or disclose your health information. We will inform you if we cannot accommodate your request.
Right to File a Complaint
If you believe we have violated your privacy rights, you can file a complaint with the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) of Ontario. Contact information is provided at the end of this policy.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hello@drfarahsiam.com with your request.
How Long We Keep Your Information
We retain health information in accordance with Ontario healthcare regulations and best practices:
- Active patient records: Maintained while you are receiving care and for at least 10 years after your last consultation
- Pediatric records: Retained until the patient reaches the age of majority (18), plus 10 years
- Contact form submissions: Kept for 2 years unless related to a consultation (then follows patient record retention)
- Website analytics data: Retained for 26 months (Google Analytics default retention)
- Appointment history: Retained indefinitely to maintain continuity of care
When records are no longer required, they are securely destroyed (shredded or permanently deleted from electronic systems). We do not retain information longer than necessary.
Contact Us About Privacy
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or want to exercise your rights, please contact us:
We will respond to your privacy inquiry within 30 days. If we cannot comply with your request, we will explain why.
File a Privacy Complaint
If you believe we have violated your privacy rights and our response is unsatisfactory, you can contact:
-
Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) of Ontario
Phone: 1-800-387-0073
Website: www.ipc.on.ca
The IPC is an independent officer of the Ontario legislature who investigates privacy complaints.
Professional Regulation & Verification
Dr. Farah Siam is licensed and regulated by the College of Physicians of Ontario (CPO). You can verify her credentials:
Updates to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will post the updated policy on this page and indicate the date it was last updated. If we make material changes that affect how we collect, use, or protect your information, we will notify you via email at the address you have provided.
Your continued use of our services after we post changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.