Protecting Privacy and Personal Health Information at POGO
As a Prescribed Entity under Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA), POGO values and protects the personal health information of individuals. With this status, we balance preserving the privacy of children and youth with cancer, survivors of childhood cancer and their families with collecting and using health information to support innovative research and health care planning. This includes the allocation of resources and service delivery to help build a better childhood cancer and survivor care system for everyone. Learn more about privacy and protecting personal health information at POGO by reading our Privacy Policy (Policy 1.01 Policy in Respect of POGO’s Status as a Prescribed Entity, formerly the POGO Privacy and Data Security Code) and our FAQ page.
Our Commitment to Privacy
POGO respects personal privacy, safeguards the confidentiality of personal health information and ensures a secure database environment.
We achieve this through:
- Upholding principles for the protection of personal health data
- Enforcing strict policies which limit access to data
- Maintaining organizational, technological and physical security measures
- Mandatory privacy training and signed confidentiality agreements for all agents (e.g., employees, students, researchers, third parties, etc.)
- Entering into data sharing agreements with our hospital partners, researchers and other Prescribed Entities
- A strict approval process for research proposals
- Implementing processes for the review of privacy and information security policies and procedures by the POGO Senior Leadership Team or POGO Data Operations Committee
- Regularly reviewing our policies to ensure they are compliant with current health information legislation and protection practices
- Maintaining a privacy and security audit program
POGO Privacy and Information Security Roles and Responsibilities
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of POGO is ultimately accountable for ensuring POGO and our agents comply with our Privacy Policy, PHIPA and its regulations and POGO’s privacy and information security policies and procedures and the security of PHI.
The CEO has delegated the day-to-day management of privacy and information security at POGO to the following individuals:
- Privacy Officer
- Director, Finance and Administration
- Manager, Data Holdings and Operations
Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) reviews and approves POGO’s privacy and information security policies and procedures every three years in order for POGO to maintain its Prescribed Entity designation. All documentation related to the triennial review and approval of POGO may be accessed on the IPC website.