Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Blood Tech Diagnostics Inc. (“Blood Tech”, “we”, “us”) is an independent mobile laboratory collection company based in Calgary, Alberta. We collect blood and other specimens at homes, workplaces, care residences and partner clinics, perform at-home ECGs, and deliver specimens to accredited laboratories.

This policy explains how we collect, use, share and protect personal information through our website (privatebloodtest.ca and mybloodtech.ca), our booking tools and our services. It applies to patients, family members who book for someone else, clinic and business partners, and website visitors.

2. Laws we follow

We handle personal information under the privacy laws of Alberta and Canada, including:

• Alberta’s Health Information Act (HIA), when we collect health information on behalf of a physician, clinic or other custodian. In that case the custodian who ordered your test controls the information, and we handle it only on their behalf and under their instructions.
• Alberta’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), for personal information we collect for our own business, such as booking, payment and customer service.
• Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), where it applies.

Where these laws differ, we follow the one that applies to that information.

3. Information we collect

When you book a visit or request a call

• Name, email address, mobile number and the visit address (plus any unit, buzzer or parking notes you add)
• The service you need, who the visit is for, the number of people, your preferred day and time, and whether your test needs fasting
• The clinic or provider who referred you, if you booked through a partner page
• A request number we create so we can find your booking

At your visit

• Two pieces of identification to confirm who you are (for example, name and date of birth). We may view an Alberta Health Care card or photo ID.
• Your laboratory requisition and the tests ordered on it
• Specimen labels, collection time and chain-of-custody records
• For an ECG, the tracing and report
• Information you choose to share that affects the collection, such as allergies, fainting history or mobility needs

When you pay

Online payments are processed by Squarespace Scheduling and the payment processor connected to it (Square, Stripe or PayPal). We never receive or store your full card number. We see the amount paid, the date, and the last four digits and card type.

From clinics and partners

When a clinic applies to partner with us, we collect the clinic’s name, type, address, website and number of locations, the contact person’s name, role, email and phone, and the details of the services the clinic needs. The partnership form is for clinic information only; please don’t include patient information.

Automatically, when you use our website

• Standard server logs: IP address, browser type, pages requested and the time. We use these for security and to fix problems.
• Small items stored in your own browser (see section 9). We do not use advertising trackers, analytics cookies or tracking pixels.

Please don’t send test results or detailed health history through our booking notes or by email. We will ask for anything we need at the visit.

4. How we use your information

• To book, confirm, reschedule and perform your visit, and to send reminders and preparation instructions (for example, fasting) by text or email
• To identify you correctly and label your specimens accurately
• To deliver your specimens to the laboratory named on your requisition, or to the laboratory that processes your private test
• To take payment, issue receipts and handle refunds
• To answer your questions and resolve concerns
• To set up and manage clinic partnerships, including preparing and signing partnership agreements
• To meet our legal, regulatory, insurance and quality-assurance duties, including incident reporting and audits
• To protect our website and booking tools from spam, fraud and misuse. Our spam filter checks submissions automatically (for example, for temporary email addresses or advertising words), and a person reviews anything it sets aside.

We do not use your health information for marketing. If we ever want to use your information for a new purpose, we will ask you first unless the law permits or requires it.

5. Who we share it with

We share personal information only as needed for the purposes above:

• Laboratories: specimens and requisition details go to Alberta Precision Laboratories (APL) or another accredited laboratory named on your requisition, or that processes your private test.
• Your ordering provider: results go from the laboratory to the physician, nurse practitioner or clinic on your requisition. For private tests, results are sent to you as described when you book. Blood Tech does not interpret results.
• Partner clinics: if you booked through a partner clinic’s page or the clinic referred you, we may confirm your appointment status with that clinic.
• Service providers who help us run our business under contracts that require them to protect your information. See section 6.
• When required by law, for example under a court order, to a regulator or health authority, or to prevent serious harm.

We never sell, rent or trade personal information.

6. Service providers and storage outside Canada

We use these service providers. Some store or process information outside Canada, mainly in the United States, where it may be accessible to authorities under the laws of that country.

You can ask us for more information about our service providers outside Canada by contacting our Privacy Officer (section 13).

7. How we protect your information

• Our website uses encrypted connections (HTTPS).
• Our back office and partner portal require a password plus a one-time code by email, text message or authenticator app. Access is limited to staff who need it, and activity is logged.
• Requisitions and specimens stay with our collector until delivered to the laboratory, with chain-of-custody records.
• Paper records are stored securely and shredded when no longer needed. Electronic records are kept in access-controlled systems.
• Our staff are trained in privacy and confidentiality and sign confidentiality agreements.

No system is perfectly secure. If a privacy breach creates a real risk of significant harm, we will notify you and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta as the law requires.

8. How long we keep it

• Booking and visit records, including collection and chain-of-custody records: as long as required by law, our professional and laboratory standards, and our insurers, which is typically up to 10 years.
• Payment records: as required for tax and accounting purposes, typically 7 years.
• Partnership applications and agreements: for the length of the partnership plus 7 years.
• Website logs and spam-protection records: generally no more than 12 months.

When we no longer need information, we securely destroy it or remove anything that identifies you. Information we handle on behalf of a custodian under the HIA is kept or returned as that custodian directs.

9. Cookies and browser storage

Our public website does not use advertising or analytics cookies. It stores a few small items in your own browser:

• your light or dark display choice
• a count of recent booking requests, used to block spam; it holds no personal details

The staff partner portal uses one sign-in cookie that is deleted when you sign out or close your browser. Squarespace Scheduling and payment providers may set their own cookies on their pages, under their own privacy policies.

10. Your choices and rights

• Access and correction: you can ask to see the personal information we hold about you and ask us to correct it. We will respond within the time the law requires, usually 30 days, and may ask you to confirm your identity.
• Withdrawing consent: you can withdraw consent to some uses, such as text reminders, at any time. Withdrawing may limit what we can do; for example, we cannot perform a collection without identifying you.
• Health information held for your provider: if your test was ordered by a physician or clinic, we may refer your request to them, since they control those records under the HIA.
• Messages: we send only service messages about your booking or partnership. Reply STOP to any text message to stop texts.

11. Children and people who need help

A parent, guardian or authorized representative must book and be present for any patient under 18, and for any adult who cannot consent for themselves. They act on that person’s behalf for privacy requests. Our website is not directed to children.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as our services or the law change. The date at the top shows the latest version. For significant changes, we will post a notice on our website.

13. Contact our Privacy Officer

Privacy Officer, Blood Tech Diagnostics Inc.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Email: info@mybloodtech.ca
Phone: 403-614-0078

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta at oipc.ab.ca or 1-888-878-4044.