Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Curantis Specialty Care, operated by Darshan Khangura Medicine Professional Corporation (“Curantis,” “we,” “our,” or “us”), is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your personal health information (“PHI”). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and safeguard your information in accordance with Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA), the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), and all applicable provincial and federal privacy legislation.

Dr. Darshan Singh Khangura (CPSO# 124706) is the designated Contact Person responsible for ensuring compliance with PHIPA and responding to privacy-related inquiries.

2. Definitions

Personal Health Information (PHI) includes any identifying information about an individual that relates to their physical or mental health, health care history, plan of service, eligibility for health care coverage, health number, identity of health care provider, or any payment or billing information related to their health care services, as defined under PHIPA.

Health Information Custodian (HIC) refers to Curantis Specialty Care and its physicians, who are responsible for the custody and control of PHI collected in the course of providing health care.

3. Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of information:

Personal Health Information: Name, date of birth, Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) number, medical history, diagnoses, medications, lab results, glucose monitoring data, pulmonary function tests, imaging results, referral documentation, consultation notes, care plans, and any information provided during virtual consultations.

Contact Information: Address, phone number, email address, and emergency contact details.

Referring Physician Information: Physician name, CPSO number, OHIP billing number, clinic address, phone, fax, and email.

Technical Information: When you use our website, we may collect IP addresses, browser type, device information, and usage analytics through cookies and similar technologies. This information is not linked to your PHI.

Billing Information: For private-pay allied health services, we may collect payment card details, Health Spending Account (HSA) information, or extended health benefits details. Payment processing is handled by PCI-DSS compliant third-party processors — we do not store full payment card numbers.

4. How We Use Your Information

Under PHIPA, we use your PHI for the following purposes:

Providing Health Care: To assess, diagnose, treat, and manage your health conditions through virtual consultations and follow-up care, and to coordinate care with your referring physician.

Administration: To schedule appointments, process referrals, manage billing (OHIP and private), communicate with patients and referring providers, and operate the clinic.

Quality Improvement: To monitor and improve the quality of care and services we provide, including internal clinical audits and practice evaluation.

Legal and Regulatory Compliance: To comply with legal obligations, including reporting to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, Ontario Health, the Ministry of Health, and other regulatory bodies as required by law.

Research and Education: With your implied consent as described in Section 5 below, anonymized and de-identified data derived from your clinical encounter may be used for medical research, clinical training, and quality improvement purposes.

5. Research and Training Use of Anonymized Data

This use is consistent with Section 44(1) of PHIPA, which permits a health information custodian to use PHI for research purposes where the information has been de-identified. If you wish to opt out of the use of your anonymized data for research purposes, you may do so by contacting our Privacy Contact Person in writing. Opting out will not affect your access to clinical care.

6. Disclosure of Your Information

We may disclose your PHI in the following circumstances:

To Your Referring Physician: Consultation notes, care plans, and clinical recommendations are shared with the physician who referred you. This is a core part of the referral-consultation model and is necessary to ensure continuity of care.

To Other Health Care Providers: Where necessary for your care and with your consent (express or implied), we may share information with other specialists, allied health professionals, pharmacists, or hospital services involved in your treatment.

As Required by Law: We may disclose PHI without consent where required by law, including to the CPSO, public health authorities, the Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner, or in response to a court order or subpoena.

Service Providers: We use third-party service providers for EMR hosting (Accuro by QHR Technologies), virtual care delivery, and practice administration. All service providers are contractually bound to comply with PHIPA and maintain appropriate safeguards for PHI.

7. Consent

Under PHIPA, your consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of PHI for health care purposes may be express or implied. When you are referred to our clinic and attend a virtual consultation, your consent to collect and use your PHI for health care purposes is implied. For uses beyond direct health care (other than those permitted by law), we will seek your express consent.

You may withdraw or modify your consent at any time by contacting our Privacy Contact Person. Withdrawal of consent may limit our ability to provide certain services.

8. Data Security and Safeguards

We implement administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your PHI against unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, or modification. These safeguards include:

Encrypted virtual care sessions and secure electronic medical records; role-based access controls limiting PHI access to authorized personnel; regular security assessments and staff privacy training; secure data storage within Canada on PHIPA-compliant infrastructure; and audit logging of all access to electronic health records.

9. Retention of Records

Medical records are retained for a minimum of 10 years from the date of the last entry, or 10 years after the patient reaches the age of 18 (for minors), in accordance with the CPSO’s medical records retention requirements and PHIPA. Records may be retained longer where required by law or for ongoing clinical purposes.

10. Your Rights Under PHIPA

As a patient, you have the right to:

Access: Request access to your PHI held by Curantis Specialty Care. We will respond within 30 days of receiving your written request.

Correction: Request correction of your PHI if you believe it contains an error or omission.

Withdraw Consent: Withdraw or limit your consent for collection, use, or disclosure of your PHI, subject to legal and regulatory requirements.

Complaint: File a complaint with the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.

11. Website and Cookies

Our website (curantiscare.ca) uses cookies and analytics tools to understand site usage and improve our online experience. These tools collect non-identifiable technical data (browser type, pages visited, time on site) and are not linked to your PHI or medical records. You may disable cookies in your browser settings at any time.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. Material changes will be posted to our website with an updated effective date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

13. Contact Us

For questions, concerns, or requests regarding your personal health information or this Privacy Policy, please contact: