Privacy Policy

The Centre for Medical and Surgical Dermatology ("the Clinic") is committed to protecting the privacy of all website visitors and users. This Privacy Policy describes the types of information collected through the Website, how that information is used, and the measures taken to safeguard it.

The Clinic operates in compliance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) of Ontario.

The following types of information may be collected through the Website:

• Newsletter Subscriptions: email address, IP address, user agent, and timestamp of subscription.
• Article Feedback: article identifier, article type, IP address, user agent, and timestamp. No personally identifiable information is required to submit article feedback.
• Consultation Booking Requests: first name, last name, email address, phone number, and treatment interest.
• Automatically Collected Information: standard web server logs, which may include IP addresses, browser type, referring pages, and timestamps of access.

Information collected through the Website is used for the following purposes:

• Delivering newsletters to subscribed users
• Processing and responding to consultation booking requests
• Improving website content based on article feedback
• Preventing abuse and ensuring website security
• Complying with applicable legal and regulatory requirements

• Newsletter Subscriptions: subscription data is retained while the subscription remains active. Users may unsubscribe at any time.
• Article Feedback: feedback data is collected in anonymized form and retained for analytics purposes.
• Consultation Booking Requests: booking request data is retained for a limited duration to process the request and is then cleaned from the database.

Personal information collected through the Website is never sold to third parties.

Information may be shared in the following circumstances:

• Consultation booking request details are forwarded to CMSD staff for the purpose of processing the request.
• Information may be disclosed when required by law, regulation, or legal process.

The Website uses HTTPS encryption to protect data transmitted between users and the server. Access to collected information is restricted to authorized personnel only.

While reasonable measures are taken to protect personal information, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure, and absolute security cannot be guaranteed.

The Website does not use advertising cookies or third-party marketing trackers. Any cookies used are limited to essential website functionality.

Under Canadian privacy law, individuals have the following rights:

• Access: the right to request access to personal information held by the Clinic.
• Correction: the right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Withdrawal of Consent: the right to withdraw consent for the collection, use, or disclosure of personal information, subject to legal or contractual restrictions.
• Deletion: the right to request deletion of personal information, subject to applicable retention requirements.
• Complaints: the right to file a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada regarding the handling of personal information.

To exercise any of these rights, the Clinic may be contacted using the information provided in the Contact Information section below.

This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through the Website only. Clinical health information collected during in-person medical consultations is managed separately under the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) of Ontario and is subject to the Clinic's clinical privacy practices.

The Website does not collect, store, or process personal health information as defined under PHIPA.

This Website is not directed at individuals under the age of 16. Personal information is not knowingly collected from children. If it is discovered that personal information has been inadvertently collected from a child under 16, that information will be deleted promptly.

This Privacy Policy may be updated at any time without prior notice. Continued use of the Website following any changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when the most recent changes were made.

For questions or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy, or to exercise privacy rights, the Clinic may be contacted at: