Privacy Statement

Our commitment to privacy

The GUT Centre, Gastroenterology Unity Toronto (“The GUT Centre”), is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the personal information and personal health information entrusted to us.

This Privacy Statement explains how we collect, use, disclose and protect information when you:

• Visit this website
• Use our contact form
• Communicate with us through the website
• Receive care or services from The GUT Centre
• Contact us with a privacy question, request or concern

The GUT Centre manages personal health information in accordance with Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004, commonly known as PHIPA, and other applicable privacy requirements.

Information collected through this website

You can browse this website without creating an account or directly providing personal information.

When you visit the website, limited technical information may be collected automatically by our website, hosting provider and service providers. This information may include:

• Your Internet Protocol address
• Browser and device type
• Operating system
• General geographic location
• Pages visited
• Links selected
• Referring website or page
• Date and time of your visit
• Information about how you navigate and use the website

We use this information to operate and secure the website, understand how visitors use it, diagnose technical problems and improve its content and performance.

The website does not provide access to patient records and is not connected to The GUT Centre’s electronic medical record system.

Contact form information

When you use our contact form, we collect the information requested in the form. This may include:

• Your name
• Your email address
• Telephone number, if applicable
• The subject of your inquiry
• Information you choose to include in your message

We use this information to review and respond to your inquiry and for related administrative purposes.

Contact form submissions are sent to a designated The GUT Centre email inbox.

The contact form is intended for general inquiries only. Please do not use it to:

• Provide personal health information
• Request medical advice
• Submit a patient referral
• Send patient records
• Communicate an urgent medical concern

Submitting the contact form does not create a physician and patient relationship, register you as a patient or guarantee an appointment.

Cookies and similar technologies

This website uses cookies and similar technologies. Cookies are small files stored on your device that help websites function, remember preferences, measure activity and understand how visitors use a site. Some cookies may be required for basic website operation and security. Other cookies, including analytics cookies, may be used to measure website traffic and performance.

Where required, we will ask for your consent before placing optional cookies on your device. You will be able to accept or decline optional cookies through the website’s cookie settings.

You can also manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect how the website functions.

You can review or change your optional cookie preferences at any time using the Cookie Settings link in the website footer.

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors find and use the website. Google Analytics may collect information such as:

• Pages visited
• Time spent on the website
• Approximate geographic location
• Browser and device information
• Interactions with website content
• The website or search engine that referred you to us

Google Analytics uses Internet Protocol addresses during data collection to determine general location information. Google states that, in Google Analytics 4, Internet Protocol addresses are discarded before the information is logged.

Information processed through Google Analytics may be transmitted to or processed by Google and its service providers outside Canada. Information processed outside Canada may be subject to the laws and lawful access requirements of the jurisdiction in which it is processed.

The GUT Centre does not knowingly provide names, contact details, personal health information or other directly identifying information to Google Analytics.

You can learn more about Google’s privacy practices at policies.google.com/privacy. Google also provides a Google Analytics Opt Out Browser Add On.

Directions and Google Maps

This website includes a static map image with a link to directions provided through Google Maps.

The map image does not provide Google with information about your visit. If you select the link, you will leave The GUT Centre website and access a service operated by Google. Google may collect information about your device and use of its service in accordance with its own privacy policy and terms.

The GUT Centre does not control Google’s information practices. You can review Google’s privacy policy at policies.google.com/privacy.

Website hosting and service providers

This website is hosted using services provided by GoDaddy. GoDaddy may process limited technical information to host, operate, maintain and secure the website.

The GUT Centre may also use service providers for:

• Website development and maintenance
• Website hosting
• Website security and spam prevention
• Analytics
• Cookie management
• Contact form processing
• Email delivery
• Technical support

These providers may process information on our behalf or collect information through their own services.

Certain service providers, including GoDaddy and Google, may process or store information outside Canada. Information processed outside Canada may be subject to the laws and lawful access requirements of the applicable jurisdiction.

We select service providers that we reasonably believe will protect information appropriately and limit access to what is required to provide their services.

Personal health information and patient care

The GUT Centre is a Health Information Custodian under PHIPA and is responsible for protecting the personal health information in its custody or control.

Personal health information may include identifying information relating to:

• Your physical or mental health
• Your health history
• Care or treatment provided to you
• Your eligibility for healthcare services
• Your Ontario health card number
• The identity of your healthcare providers
• The identity of a substitute decision maker

The GUT Centre may collect personal health information directly from you or, where permitted by law, from referring healthcare providers, other Health Information Custodians, substitute decision makers and other authorized sources.

We collect, use and disclose personal health information only as reasonably necessary to:

• Provide or assist in providing healthcare
• Communicate with you and members of your circle of care
• Coordinate referrals, appointments, testing, treatment and follow up
• Maintain complete and accurate health records
• Obtain or process payment, where applicable
• Conduct authorized quality improvement, planning, education or risk management activities
• Meet legal, regulatory and professional obligations
• Fulfil another purpose permitted or required by law

The GUT Centre generally relies on implied consent when collecting, using or disclosing personal health information within your circle of care for the purpose of providing healthcare. Express consent may be required when information is used or disclosed for another purpose.

You may withdraw or withhold consent, subject to legal, regulatory and clinical limitations. A restriction on how your personal health information may be used or disclosed could affect our ability to provide or coordinate care.

How we protect information

The GUT Centre uses reasonable administrative, physical and technical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information being protected. These safeguards may include:

• Privacy and confidentiality policies
• Staff privacy education
• Access controls based on staff roles
• Password and authentication requirements
• Secure storage and disposal practices
• Access monitoring and auditing
• Confidentiality agreements
• Contractual requirements for service providers
• Technical security measures

No website, email system or electronic transmission method is completely secure. Do not send personal health information or other sensitive information through the general website contact form or ordinary email unless The GUT Centre has specifically directed you to an approved secure method.

Retaining and disposing of information

The GUT Centre retains personal information and personal health information only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected and to meet applicable legal, regulatory, clinical and operational requirements.

Retention periods vary depending on the nature of the information and why it was collected. When information is no longer required, it is securely destroyed, deleted or made anonymous in accordance with The GUT Centre’s policies and applicable requirements.

When information may be disclosed

The GUT Centre does not sell or rent personal information or personal health information.

We may disclose information with your consent to:

• Healthcare providers involved in your care
• Service providers working on our behalf
• Where permitted or required by PHIPA or another law
• Respond to a court order, legal process or regulatory requirement
• Address a serious risk of harm
• Investigate or respond to a privacy or security incident
• Address a circumstance permitted or required by law

Service providers are given access only to the information reasonably required to perform their services.

Accessing or correcting your information

Subject to limited exceptions under applicable law, you may request access to personal information or personal health information held by The GUT Centre about you.

You may also ask us to correct information that you believe is inaccurate or incomplete. We may require a written request and information that allows us to verify your identity before responding.

Requests relating to patient records should be directed to The GUT Centre’s Chief Privacy Officer.

Privacy questions, requests and complaints

A co-founder of The GUT Centre serves as our Chief Privacy Officer. An authorized delegate may act on their behalf. Questions, access or correction requests, and concerns about The GUT Centre’s privacy practices may be directed to:

We will review privacy concerns and respond in accordance with applicable requirements.

If you are not satisfied with our response to a matter involving personal health information, you may contact:

Changes to this Privacy Statement

We may update this Privacy Statement when our services, website features, technology or information practices change.

The revised statement will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. Where appropriate, we may provide additional notice of a significant change.