Bridgwater Physiotherapy (“we,” “our,” “us,” or “the Clinic”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information and personal health information entrusted to us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, protect, and disclose your information when you visit our website, contact our clinic, book an appointment, or receive our healthcare services.
Our privacy practices are guided by applicable Canadian privacy legislation, including Manitoba’s Personal Health Information Act (PHIA) and, where applicable, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). By using our website or providing information to our clinic, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
1. Information We Collect
We may collect different types of information depending on how you interact with our website and clinic.
A. Personal Information
Personal information may include:
- Full name
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Mailing address
- Date of birth
- Emergency contact information
- Appointment preferences and booking details
- Insurance information and payment details
B. Personal Health Information
As a healthcare provider, we may collect personal health information necessary to assess, treat, and manage your healthcare needs. This may include:
- Medical history and current health conditions
- Symptoms, injuries, and pain-related information
- Physical examination and assessment findings
- Treatment plans and progress notes
- Physiotherapy and rehabilitation records
- Massage therapy and athletic therapy records
- Acupuncture treatment information
- Medication and relevant treatment history
- Diagnostic reports and referrals, where applicable
- Other information relevant to your care and treatment.
We collect only the information reasonably necessary for the purposes identified at the time of collection and in accordance with applicable privacy laws.
C. Website and Technical Information
When you visit our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, including:
- IP address
- Browser type and version
- Device and operating system information
- Pages visited and time spent on our website
- Referring website addresses
- General website usage and interaction data.
This information helps us understand website performance, improve functionality, and maintain website security.
2. How We Collect Your Information
We may collect your information through:
- Appointment booking forms and online booking systems.
- Contact forms submitted through our website.
- Telephone calls and email communications.
- Patient intake and consent forms.
- In-person consultations and treatment sessions.
- Insurance, WCB, and MPI documentation.
- Other healthcare providers, where legally permitted.
- Cookies and website analytics technologies.
Whenever reasonably possible, personal health information is collected directly from you.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for legitimate healthcare and business purposes, including:
- Scheduling and managing appointments.
- Providing physiotherapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, and athletic therapy services.
- Assessing your health condition and developing personalized treatment plans.
- Maintaining accurate patient records.
- Communicating with you about appointments and treatments.
- Processing payments and issuing invoices.
- Verifying insurance coverage and facilitating direct billing.
- Processing applicable Workers Compensation Board (WCB) and Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) claims.
- Coordinating care with other healthcare professionals when authorized or otherwise permitted by law.
- Responding to questions and requests.
- Improving our website, services, and patient experience.
- Meeting applicable legal, regulatory, and professional obligations.
We do not use your personal health information for unrelated purposes without the consent or other legal authority required under applicable legislation.
4. Disclosure of Personal Information
We respect the confidentiality of your information. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information or personal health information. However, we may disclose information in certain circumstances, including:
Healthcare Providers
Information may be shared with other healthcare professionals involved in your treatment when authorized by you or otherwise permitted by applicable law.
Insurance Companies
We may provide relevant information to insurance companies, including Manitoba Blue Cross, to verify coverage, process direct billing, and facilitate reimbursement.
WCB and MPI
Where applicable, we may share necessary information with the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba or Manitoba Public Insurance to administer and process claims.
Service Providers
We may use third-party service providers to support our business operations, including:
- Online appointment booking and practice management platforms.
- Website hosting and maintenance providers.
- Email and communication services.
- Payment processing providers.
- Website analytics and technical support providers.
These providers may access information only as necessary to perform their contracted services and subject to appropriate privacy and security requirements.
Legal Requirements
We may disclose information when required or authorized by law, court order, regulatory obligations, or other applicable legal requirements. Any disclosure of personal health information will be limited to what is legally permitted and reasonably necessary for the applicable purpose.
5. Online Appointment Booking
Bridgwater Physiotherapy provides online appointment booking through an external booking platform. When you select the online booking option, you may be redirected to a third-party website to schedule or manage your appointment.
Information submitted through that platform may be subject to the platform provider’s own privacy policy, terms, and security practices. We encourage you to review the applicable privacy information before submitting personal or health-related information through an external booking service.
6. Cookies and Website Analytics
Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to improve your browsing experience and understand how visitors use our website. Cookies may be used to:
- Support website functionality.
- Remember certain browsing preferences.
- Analyze website traffic and visitor interactions.
- Improve website performance and user experience.
We may also use third-party services, such as website analytics tools, to collect general website usage information. You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality. Third-party services may have their own privacy policies and data collection practices.
7. Protection and Security of Your Information
We take reasonable administrative, technical, and physical measures to protect personal information and personal health information against:
- Unauthorized access.
- Loss or theft.
- Unauthorized use or disclosure.
- Modification or destruction.
- Other security-related risks.
Access to patient records is restricted to authorized individuals who require the information to perform their professional or administrative responsibilities. Although we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no electronic storage or transmission method can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
In the event of a privacy breach, we will respond in accordance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, including notification obligations where applicable.
8. Retention and Destruction of Information
We retain personal information and patient health records only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which they were collected and to meet applicable legal, regulatory, professional, and record-retention requirements.
When information is no longer required, it will be securely destroyed, erased, or anonymized in accordance with applicable requirements. Personal health information will be destroyed using appropriate methods designed to maintain confidentiality.
9. Your Privacy Rights
Subject to applicable legislation, you have rights concerning your personal information and personal health information. These may include:
- Requesting access to your personal health records.
- Requesting a copy of your records.
- Requesting corrections to inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Asking questions about how your information is collected, used, or disclosed.
- Withdrawing consent where consent is the applicable legal basis and withdrawal is permitted.
- Raising concerns about the handling of your personal information.
Some restrictions or exceptions may apply under applicable privacy legislation.
To make an access or correction request, please contact our clinic using the contact information provided below. We may require verification of your identity before providing access to confidential information.
10. Third-Party Websites and External Links
Our website may contain links to external websites and services, including online booking platforms, maps, and other third-party resources. These websites operate independently and follow their own privacy policies and terms of use.
Bridgwater Physiotherapy is not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or security of external websites. We recommend reviewing the privacy policies of any third-party website you visit.
11. Children’s Privacy
We provide physiotherapy and related healthcare services to individuals of different ages, including children. When collecting personal health information relating to a minor, we handle that information in accordance with applicable privacy laws, consent requirements, and the minor’s rights. Where appropriate, information may be collected from or shared with a parent or legal guardian as permitted by law.
12. Communication and Marketing
We may contact you regarding appointments, treatment-related matters, invoices, and other communications relevant to your relationship with our clinic. If we send promotional or marketing communications, we will do so in accordance with applicable consent and anti-spam requirements.
You may unsubscribe from marketing emails using the unsubscribe instructions provided in the communication. Unsubscribing from marketing communications does not prevent us from sending essential administrative or healthcare-related communications.
13. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our business operations, website functionality, technology, or applicable privacy legislation. Any updates will be published on this page with a revised effective or last-updated date. We encourage visitors and patients to review this page periodically.
14. Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal information, please contact Bridgwater Physiotherapy.
Bridgwater Physiotherapy
Address: Unit 70–1580 Taylor Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3N 2A7, Canada
Email: info@bridgwaterphysiotherapy.ca
Phone: +1 (204) 615-8804
Fax: 204-453-2685
Please contact our clinic directly for privacy-related questions, access requests, correction requests, or concerns about the confidentiality of your personal health information.
