Your information deserves careful handling.

1. Our privacy responsibilities

Bodykneads is a private organization in British Columbia and handles personal information in accordance with applicable privacy law, including British Columbia's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).

Registered health professionals practising at Bodykneads also have professional duties relating to confidentiality, informed consent and secure clinical record-keeping. Those professional requirements may affect how long health records must be retained and when information may or must be disclosed.

2. Personal information we may collect

The information we collect depends on your relationship with the clinic and the services you use. It may include:

• Identity and contact information, such as your name, date of birth, address, telephone number and email address.
• Appointment information, including practitioner, service, appointment history, cancellations and scheduling preferences.
• Health and clinical information, such as health history, current concerns, assessments, treatment notes, consent information, home-care recommendations and other information relevant to your care.
• Billing and coverage information, including amounts charged and paid, insurer details, benefit-plan information, MSP eligibility information, ICBC or other claim information when applicable.
• Communications you send to the clinic, including telephone messages, emails and other administrative correspondence.
• Website and technical information that may be generated through normal website operation, such as IP address, browser or device information, page requests and security or server logs.

We aim to collect only information that is reasonably necessary for the purposes identified at the time of collection or otherwise permitted by law.

3. How we use personal information

We may use personal information to:

• provide massage therapy, acupuncture or other clinic services;
• assess your needs, obtain consent and maintain appropriate clinical records;
• schedule, confirm, change and remind you about appointments;
• communicate with you about care or clinic administration;
• prepare receipts and process payments, direct billing or eligible claims;
• respond to questions, concerns or requests for records;
• support patient safety, quality of care and continuity of care;
• meet legal, professional, regulatory, accounting and insurance requirements; and
• operate, secure and maintain our website and clinic systems.

4. Consent

We obtain consent for the collection, use and disclosure of personal information where consent is required. Depending on the circumstances, consent may be express or may be reasonably implied from your actions and the purpose for which the information is provided.

You may ask questions about a proposed use or disclosure before consenting. Where permitted, you may also withdraw consent on reasonable notice. Withdrawal may be subject to legal, regulatory or contractual limits and may affect our ability to provide a service or complete a claim.

Privacy law also permits or requires certain collections, uses or disclosures without consent in specific circumstances. Where that applies, we will act within the authority provided by law.

5. When we may disclose information

We do not disclose personal information simply because another party asks for it. Information may be shared when reasonably necessary and authorized, including with:

• the practitioner and clinic staff involved in your care or clinic administration;
• service providers that support scheduling, records, communications, payments, technology or clinic operations;
• extended-health insurers, ICBC, MSP or other benefit and claims administrators when you request or authorize billing or when disclosure is otherwise legally permitted;
• another health professional or organization involved in your care when authorized or otherwise permitted by law;
• professional regulators, investigators, courts, law-enforcement bodies or other authorities when disclosure is required or authorized by law; or
• another person or organization where you have specifically authorized the disclosure.

Requests from insurers for clinical records or additional health information are handled separately from ordinary billing information and are subject to consent and applicable legal or professional requirements.

6. Online booking, service providers & website use

Jane online booking and clinic management

Bodykneads uses Jane Software Inc. for online booking and clinic-management functions. Information you enter when booking an appointment may become part of the patient information controlled by the clinic or practitioner. Jane separately controls certain information associated with a Jane account, such as authentication credentials.

Jane and other technology providers may process information in Canada or in other jurisdictions. Information processed outside Canada may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction where it is processed. You can review Jane's Privacy Notice for more information about its services.

Email, telephone and electronic communications

Email, text messaging and ordinary telephone messages are convenient but may not always provide the same privacy protections as a dedicated clinical system. Please avoid sending highly sensitive health information through ordinary email unless necessary. If you are unsure, call the clinic so we can discuss an appropriate way to communicate.

Website information and third-party links

Our website and hosting systems may create basic technical logs and may use cookies or similar technologies required for site operation, security or functionality. Links to services such as online booking, mapping or other third-party websites take you to services with their own privacy practices and terms.

7. Security, storage & retention

We use reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the personal information under our control. Safeguards may include access controls, secure clinic systems, password protection, appropriate staff access and secure disposal practices.

No electronic or physical system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If we become aware of a privacy or security issue, we will assess and respond to it in accordance with applicable legal and professional obligations.

We retain clinical, billing and administrative records for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which they were collected and for any additional period required by law, professional standards, insurance requirements or legitimate clinic record-keeping obligations. When information is no longer required, it is securely destroyed, deleted or anonymized as appropriate.

8. Access to and correction of your information

You may request access to personal information about you that is under our control and may ask us to correct information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete, subject to exceptions permitted or required by law.

We may ask for enough information to verify your identity and identify the records you are requesting. In some circumstances, information cannot be deleted because a practitioner or clinic is required to retain the record for legal or professional reasons.

To make an access or correction request, contact the clinic in writing using the information below.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy when our practices, technology, services or legal requirements change. The current version will be posted on this page with the date of the most recent update.