Inscyte Corporation and Privacy

Since 1996, Inscyte Corporation has been operating "CytoBase". which is a computerized database of patient identified cervical cytology and related test results. When a laboratory reports sends your test results to your physician, a copy is also transmitted to CytoBase.

In November 2004, Ontario passed new legislation to protect the privacy of your personal health information. This legislation is called the the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA). Inscyte Corporation has been designated as a registry of personal health information in order to benefit public health. This means that Inscyte Corporation is allowed to collect, use and disclose personal health information for its stated purposes without requiring individual consent. Of course, this also means that Inscyte is also obliged to protect and secure the personal health information in its possession.

Below, you will find more details about ways that Inscyte Corporation handles and protects your personal health information. If you have any further questions please write to our Privacy Officer:

Jack Golabek, Privacy Officer
Inscyte Corporation
2 Berkeley Street, Suite 403
Toronto, Ontario
M5A 2W3
Fax: (416) 594-2420

Privacy Brochure : Frequently Asked Questions : The Information Collected
Who Inscyte Receives the Information From : Purposes of Collection : Our Privacy Code
How to Access Your Information
How to Challenge Inscyte's Compliance with its Privacy Code

Our Privacy Brochure
You can download a copy of our Privacy Brochure in PDF format here. The brochure is also available in printed format upon request.

Please Note: Acrobat Reader is required to view this document. Acrobat Reader is available for download, free of charge from Adobe.

TOP

Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I never gave consent to have my personal health information collected. What's going on?
A: The Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 or PHIPA has named Inscyte as a registry of personal health information. That means that we are legally allowed to collect, store and disclose your personal health information without requiring your consent. Of course, that means we are responsible for that information, so we put a great deal of energy into protecting it and protecting your privacy.

Q: How is my personal health information used?
A: Your personal health information is only used in ways that benefit your health, and public health in general. For a detailed list of how Inscyte uses personal health information, please read our Purposes of Collection section.

Q: How do you make sure my privacy is protected?
A: Inscyte has policies and procedures in place to ensure the privacy of your personal health information. Every organization and institution that sends us personal health information signs a Data Sharing Agreement with Inscyte. Any organization, institution or individual we disclose personal health information to also signs an agreement with us to make sure that information is not abused. All the staff of Inscyte and all agents of Inscyte are required to sign Confidentiality and Non-disclosure agreements. All these agreements are strictly enforced.

In addition the organizational security, Inscyte also has strong physical and electronic security in place. Physical access to any computer with personal health information is restricted; all computers are located behind firewalls; all data transmissions of personal health information are encrypted and all access, modification and transmission of data is logged.

Q: Can I access my personal health information that you have collected?
A: You cannot get access to your medical test results because CytoBase is not a laboratory reporting service (laboratories report your results directly to your doctor). However, you can inquire about what kind of information we have about you. To do so, you must fill out a Request Form and submit it in writing to our Privacy Officer together with proof of your identity. For full details on how to make this request, read our How to Access Your Information section.

Q: Can I opt out of having my personal health information collected by Inscyte and CytoBase?
A: No, you cannot request that your personal information be removed from CytoBase because it is a lawful registry under the Ontario Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004. Your right to privacy is very important to us and we have policies, procedures and safeguards in place to ensure that your privacy is protected and that your information is safe. Please read our Privacy Code for more information.

Q: If my personal information gets misused, how do I report it?
A: If you find that your personal information is being misused, or feel that Inscyte or one of its agents are not complying with the Inscyte Privacy Code, there is a complaint procedure in place. All complaints have to be made in writing. A form is provided below for you to use. Please provide us with as much detail as possible about the complaint so an investigation can be made as quickly as possible. For more details, please read our How to Challenge Inscyte's Compliance with its Privacy Code section.

TOP

The Type of Information Collected
CytoBase collects and stores individually identified personal health information. Specifically, Inscyte collects your health number, name, gender, date of birth and full contact information. Inscyte also collects information about your Physician, the laboratory and the results of your tests. For a more detailed list of collected information, please click here.

TOP

Who Inscyte Receives the Information From
The laboratories listed below provide Inscyte and CytoBase all cervical cytology results completed at their facilities. These laboratories have all signed Inscyte's contractual Data Sharing Agreement.

  • CML Healthcare
  • Gamma-Dynacare Laboratories
  • MDS Laboratories
  • Medical Labs of Windsor
  • P-Prompt
TOP

Purposes of Collection
Inscyte collects and stores your personal health information in CytoBase and discloses the information for the following purposes:

  1. CytoBase provides your historical test results to laboratory personnel that are reading your new Pap tests, regardless of where in Ontario your previous tests were performed. These historical results are important in producing accurate results in the new tests.
  2. CytoBase supports the work of the Ontario Cervical Cancer Screening Program (administered by Cancer Care Ontario (CCO)). De-identified data is provided periodically to CCO for epidemiological research and for screening program management purposes. The data is also made available to approved investigators for scientific research.
  3. CytoBase produces monthly physician reminder letters to ensure that women are tested at appropriate intervals and that appropriate follow-ups are completed in the prescribed time frame. Written reminder letters are delivered to physician offices by the participating laboratories.
  4. CytoBase data is aggregated and analyzed to produce statistics describing the characteristics of cervical cancer screening in Ontario.
TOP

Our Privacy Code
You can download a copy of our Privacy Code in PDF format here. The Privacy Code is also available in printed format upon request.

Please Note: Acrobat Reader is required to view this document. Acrobat Reader is available for download, free of charge from Adobe.

TOP

How to Access Your Information
Inscyte Corporation will provide information to an individual, or to an individual’s legal substitute decision maker, about the existence, use, and disclosure of the personal health information we have on that individual. The request for information must be made in writing and sent to the Privacy Officer. The address and fax number are available above and on the request form below. The request must include:

  1. The full name of the individual that is the subject of the request
  2. The individual's Provincial health insurance number
  3. The individual's date of birth
  4. If the person making the request is a legal substitute decision maker for the individual that is the subject of the request, then the following is also required:
    1. Full name of the person making the request
    2. Proof that the person making the request is the legal substitute decision maker
  5. The requester's current address of residence
  6. The requester's full contact information
  7. A description of the reason for the request
  8. The date of the request
  9. The requester's signature
  10. One of the following to prove the requester's identity:
    1. Certified copies of two pieces of photo ID (e.g. driver's licence, health card, passport, etc)
    2. An affidavit from a notary public or lawyer that certifies that the requester is who they claim to be and a signed statement by a person that qualifies as a guarantor for passport purposes (such as a physician, police officer, pharmacist, bank signing officer, etc) which certifies the guarantor has known the requestor for at least two years and is who they claim to be
You can download a copy of our Request Form in PDF format here. The form contains space for all the information required for the request.

Please Note: Acrobat Reader is required to view this document. Acrobat Reader is available for download, free of charge from Adobe.

TOP

How to Challenge Inscyte's Compliance with its Privacy Code
If you feel that the Inscyte Corporation or one of its agents have not been complying with its Privacy Code, you can download a copy of our Compliance Challenge Form in PDF format here. This complaint must be made in writing and sent to:

President
Inscyte Corporation
2 Berkeley Street, Suite 403
Toronto, Ontario
M5A 2W3
Fax: (416) 594-2420

The complaint must include:
  1. The date of the complaint
  2. Sufficient detail of the issues so the complaint can be investigated, and
  3. Your full contact information

Please Note: Acrobat Reader is required to view this document. Acrobat Reader is available for download, free of charge from Adobe.

TOP