ACO Privacy Policy

The Alberta College of Optometrists (ACO) is committed to protecting the privacy of our regulated members and members of the public. The ACO will comply with privacy legislation through our Privacy Policy Statement and subsequent Privacy Policy updates.

Data Collection

The ACO collects personal information from its members and the general public for the following purposes:

• Creating and maintaining registration records about regulated and other members
• Creating and maintaining registration records about optometric professional corporations and limited liability partnerships
• Creating and maintaining records about the ACO Continuing Competency Program including the ACO Code of Ethics, Standards of Practice, Guidelines and Advisories
• Creating and maintaining records about patient/public complaints, resolution, grievance, mediation, alterative complaints resolution, investigations, hearing tribunals, limitations, suspensions, cancellations and appeals.
• To fulfill its government mandated requirements for the provision of continuing education courses, seminars, workshops, etc. to its members.
• To confirm or request a member’s good standing in Alberta or from other jurisdictions
• To answer questions from the general public regarding the membership register
• To facilitate Annual General or Special General meetings of the ACO
• To meet all legal and regulatory requirements
• To fulfill all other government mandated requirements.

Consent

Whenever possible, the ACO obtains express consent for the collection, use, disclosure, retention and destruction of personal information. In all other cases, the ACO assumes implied consent. As required by law, the ACO could, from time to time; collect, use, disclose, retain or destroy personal information without consent.

Disclosure

As a general rule, the ACO does not make the list of regulated and other members available to advertising and other business groups. We do supply a list of newly registered members (names, mailing address and contact phone number) with the Alberta Association of Optometrists. Every ACO member will receive a printed copy of our entire register on a yearly basis. This register is also available to all our members on the member’s side of the ACO web-site. A limited roster listing the name, practice address and practice phone number is available to everyone on the public side of the ACO web-site.

Retention

As required by government legislation, the ACO retains all records for a period of ten years.

Protection

The ACO will take all reasonable steps to ensure that all personal information collected is protected from unauthorized persons. This includes:

• Computer stations are equipped with password protection and encryption capacity
• Paper files are kept away from public areas in the office
• All ACO Council members, committee members, staff, advisors and consultants are required to sign a Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest Form.