Privacy: Compliance for Clinics in British Columbia

Clinics operating in British Columbia are subject to provincial privacy legislation governing the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of personal information, including personal health information.

This article provides an overview of the privacy framework applicable to clinics in British Columbia and explains how Colib supports clinics in meeting their privacy and security obligations. This content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

Privacy Laws Applicable to Clinics in British Columbia

Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA – British Columbia)

In British Columbia, private-sector organizations — including private healthcare clinics — are primarily governed by the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).

PIPA applies to organizations that collect, use, or disclose personal information in the course of commercial activities. This includes personal health information collected and managed by private clinics, unless another statute applies.

Under PIPA, clinics are responsible for ensuring that personal information is:

• collected for reasonable and appropriate purposes;

• used and disclosed only as permitted by law or with consent;

• protected by reasonable security safeguards;

• retained only as long as necessary and securely destroyed thereafter;

• accessible to individuals upon request, with the ability to request corrections.

PIPA and PIPEDA

British Columbia has been recognized as having privacy legislation that is substantially similar to PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act).

As a result, PIPA generally applies instead of PIPEDA to private-sector organizations operating within British Columbia.

However, PIPEDA may still apply in limited circumstances, such as:

• interprovincial or cross-border data flows;

• interactions with federally regulated organizations.

Clinics should therefore be aware of both frameworks, while recognizing that PIPA is the primary governing law for most clinic operations in British Columbia.

Core Privacy Principles Under PIPA

PIPA is based on principles similar to those found across Canadian privacy legislation, including:

• Accountability: organizations must designate responsibility for personal information and implement appropriate policies.

• Consent: personal information must generally be collected, used, or disclosed with consent.

• Limiting collection: only information necessary for identified purposes may be collected.

• Limiting use, disclosure, and retention: information may only be used or disclosed for authorized purposes and retained only as long as required.

• Accuracy: information must be reasonably accurate and complete.

• Safeguards: reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards must be in place.

• Openness and access: organizations must be transparent about their practices and allow individuals to access their information.

How Colib Supports Privacy Compliance in British Columbia

Colib is designed to help clinics implement technical and organizational safeguards that align with the expectations set out in PIPA and recognized privacy best practices.

Access Controls and Security Measures

Colib provides clinics with the ability to restrict and monitor access to personal and health information through:

• Individual user accounts with unique credentials

• Granular, role-based access controls defined by the clinic

• Two-factor authentication (2FA) for practitioners and for clients using the client portal

• IP address restrictions, when necessary, to limit access to approved networks or locations

These controls help ensure that only authorized individuals can access sensitive information.

Accountability and Auditability

• Detailed activity logs record when personal information is accessed or modified, and by whom

• Clinic owners can review logs to support internal oversight and investigations

These features support accountability requirements under PIPA.

Data Hosting and Protection

• Data encrypted in transit and at rest

• Personal and health information hosted on Canadian servers

• Regular backups to support data availability and integrity

• Logical separation between production, testing, and development environments

These safeguards help protect personal information against loss, unauthorized access, or disclosure.

Consent, Forms, and Documentation

• Customizable electronic forms allow clinics to clearly inform clients about how their information is collected and used

• Consent can be documented as part of clinical and administrative workflows

• Real-time and automatic data saving reduces the risk of accidental data loss

These tools support PIPA’s consent and transparency requirements.

Organizational Responsibilities Under PIPA

While Colib provides a secure technical platform, privacy compliance remains the responsibility of the clinic.

Clinics in British Columbia should ensure that they:

• maintain written privacy policies and practices;

• designate a person responsible for privacy compliance;

• respond to access and correction requests within required timeframes;

• manage and document privacy complaints and incidents.

Privacy Breach Management

Under PIPA, organizations are expected to take reasonable steps to prevent privacy breaches and to respond appropriately when they occur.

Colib includes preventive safeguards such as encryption, access controls, and activity logging. However, assessing incidents, determining notification obligations, and communicating with affected individuals remain the clinic’s responsibility.

Clinic Responsibilities and Colib’s Role

Colib acts as a technology service provider that supports clinics in managing personal and health information securely.

What Colib Provides

• A secure, access-controlled platform

• Security and privacy features aligned with PIPA expectations

• Tools supporting consent documentation and transparency

• Canadian data hosting and encryption

Colib’s own information-handling practices are described in its Privacy Policy: https://www.colib.io/privacypolicy

What Clinics Remain Responsible For

• Determining the purposes for collecting and using personal information

• Establishing and maintaining privacy policies and procedures

• Obtaining valid consent where required

• Managing privacy incidents and access requests

Colib’s contractual framework and responsibilities are outlined in its Terms of Service: https://www.colib.io/terms

Key Takeaways

• PIPA is the primary privacy law governing private clinics in British Columbia

• PIPEDA may apply in limited cross-border or federal contexts

• Colib provides security, access control, auditability, and data protection features aligned with PIPA

• Full compliance requires both technical safeguards and organizational privacy practices

Questions?

If you have questions about privacy compliance in British Columbia or how Colib supports secure data management, please contact support@colib.io.