Privacy policy.
Effective Date: September 1, 2026
At Cognicare, we are committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your personal health information (PHI). Speech-language pathology is a regulated health profession in Ontario, governed by the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO). We comply with the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) and other applicable privacy legislation.
This policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and protect the information gathered through our website and through the provision of virtual and in-person speech-language pathology services.
1. Collection of Information
We collect information from you through our website and directly from you through clinical interaction or, with your consent, from other healthcare providers, family members, or legal guardians.
A. Clinical Information (PHI)
We collect only the information necessary to provide you with high-quality, safe, and effective speech-language pathology services. This may include:
Contact Information: Name, address, date of birth, phone number, and email address.
Health History: Medical history, previous reports, and relevant diagnostic information.
Clinical Data: Assessments, treatment plans, progress notes, and outcomes related to our sessions.
Administrative Data: Billing information and insurance details.
B. Website Information
When you use our website, we may collect the following:
Voluntary Submissions: Information you provide via "Contact Us" forms or intake inquiries (e.g., your name, email, phone number, and brief description of your concerns).
Technical Data (Cookies & Analytics): Like many websites, our site uses cookies and analytics tools to understand how visitors interact with the site. This may include IP addresses, browser type, pages visited, and time spent on the site. This data is generally aggregated and used to improve user experience, not to identify you personally.
By providing information through this website, you consent to our collection, use, and disclosure of that information for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.
2. Purpose of Collection
We collect your information for the following purposes:
To assess, treat, and monitor your speech, language, and communication needs.
To communicate with you regarding appointments and care.
To facilitate billing and payment processing.
To fulfill legal and regulatory obligations, including documentation standards set by the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO).
With respect to Technical Data, to manage website performance and secure the site against unauthorized access.
3. Virtual Service Security (Telepractice)
Since our services are provided primarily via virtual platforms, we take specific precautions to protect your digital privacy:
Video Conferencing: We use Jane App, which is designed to be PHIPA-compliant, end-to-end encrypted, and secure. Jane App’s Privacy Notice is available at: https://jane.app/ca/legal/privacy-notice
Environment: We conduct sessions from a private, secure location where your privacy is protected from unauthorized access or eavesdropping.
Client Responsibility: You are responsible for ensuring that you are in a private location when participating in virtual sessions to maintain the confidentiality of our discussion.
4. Website Security & Privacy
Transmission Security: Our website, which is hosted by Squarespace, uses SSL/TLS encryption (you will see the padlock icon in your browser address bar) to protect data transmitted between your browser and the server.
Submission Policy: Please avoid sending detailed medical or highly sensitive information through standard website contact forms. These forms are meant for initial inquiries. Once we establish a formal clinical relationship, we will move to a secure, encrypted Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system for all clinical documentation.
Third-Party Links: Our website may contain links to external sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to review their privacy policies.
5. Disclosure and Sharing of Information
We do not disclose your information to third parties without your informed consent, except where required or permitted by law. Exceptions include:
Circle of Care: Information may be shared with other healthcare providers directly involved in your care if necessary to facilitate your treatment (implied consent).
Service Providers: We use third-party tools for practice management (e.g., billing, EMR) and website hosting. These providers are selected for their compliance with Canadian privacy standards and are contractually obligated to keep your data confidential.
Legal Requirements: Disclosure without consent may be required by law (e.g., by court order or to prevent imminent harm to yourself or others).
6. Storage and Retention
Electronic Records: Your PHI is stored in our secure EMR system.
Retention Period: We retain client records for at least 10 years after the date of last contact (or 10 years after the client reaches the age of majority, whichever is longer), per CASLPO standards.
Website Inquiry Data: If you do not become a client, inquiries sent via the website will be deleted after 3 months or as soon as they are no longer needed for communication purposes.
Disposal: Once the retention period has expired, your records will be securely destroyed or permanently deleted.
7. Your Rights
Under PHIPA, you have the right to:
Access: Request to view or receive a copy of your health records.
Correction: Request a correction to your record if you believe it is incomplete or inaccurate.
Withdraw Consent: You may withdraw consent for the use or disclosure of your information at any time, subject to legal and contractual requirements and reasonable notice.
8. Inquiries and Complaints
If you have questions about how your information is handled, or if you wish to access your record or file a complaint, please contact Mariya Kika at admin@cognicaretherapy.ca.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to contact the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario:
Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
416-326-3333
9. Changes to this Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, including to reflect changes to legal or regulatory requirements and/or evolving best practices.
The revised version becomes effective upon publication on this website, and the Effective Date will be updated accordingly.