Electronic Medical Records (EMR) Software for Ontario Therapists and Clinics
Colib is an electronic medical records (EMR) and practice management platform built for Ontario's private practices: registered psychotherapists, psychologists, social workers, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, dietitians and other regulated health professionals. As a health information custodian under PHIPA, you decide where client records live and who can open them. Colib keeps them encrypted in Canada, logs every access, applies 13% HST when your services are taxable, and gives clients in Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, London, Kitchener-Waterloo and Northern Ontario a secure booking page and portal.
Why Ontario Therapists Choose Colib
An Ontario private practice answers to its regulatory college, to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario and to the Canada Revenue Agency, often while serving extended health benefit clients. Colib was designed around those realities so you can spend your time with clients rather than with paperwork.
PHIPA Compliant
Encrypted records, role-based access and complete audit logs: the safeguards Ontario's Personal Health Information Protection Act expects a custodian to have in place, hosted in Canada.
Built for Ontario Healthcare
13% HST applied per service type, and insurance receipts that carry your college registration number.
Canadian Data Hosting
All client data is stored on encrypted servers in Canada, which keeps your records under Canadian law and simplifies the privacy notice you give your clients.
Electronic Medical Records in Ontario: What Private Practices Need
In Ontario, an electronic medical record is more than a digital chart: as a health information custodian under PHIPA, you remain responsible for who can see it, where it is stored and how long it is kept.
The Complete Client Chart
Intake forms, consents, assessments, progress notes, treatment plans and documents in one electronic record, with templates adapted to your college's standards.
PHIPA Safeguards Built In
Individual accounts with two-factor authentication, encryption, access logs and data stored in Canada help you meet your duties as a custodian.
Designed for Regulated Health Professionals
Colib is built for psychotherapists, psychologists, social workers and allied health professionals in private practice, rather than for physician offices that bill OHIP.
Ontario Practice Management Made Simple
Everything you need to run a compliant, efficient practice in Ontario.
PHIPA-Compliant Security
Encrypted data storage, secure access controls and detailed audit logging, with a documented incident response process to support your breach notification duties. See our security page.
HST Billing & Invoicing
Automatically calculate and apply 13% HST to taxable services, keep exempt services such as psychotherapy tax-free, and generate HST reports for your accountant. (When applicable to your business and industry)
Online Booking for Ontario Clients
Let clients across Toronto, Ottawa and all of Ontario book appointments 24/7 through your secure, branded booking page. Learn more about online booking.
Telehealth for Remote Care
Provide virtual care to clients anywhere in Ontario, from Windsor to Thunder Bay, with video conferencing built right into the platform. Discover our telehealth software.
Electronic Health Records (EHR)
Maintain comprehensive, secure client records with customizable templates for assessments, progress notes and treatment plans that follow your college's record-keeping standards.
AI-Powered Clinical Notes
Save time on documentation with AI that drafts clinical notes and session summaries, with nothing stored outside Canada and nothing used for training. Learn more about AI note generation.
Trusted by Therapists Across Ontario
From major cities to smaller communities, Colib supports healthcare providers throughout the province.
Greater Toronto Area
Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Markham, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Oakville, Burlington
Eastern Ontario
Ottawa, Kingston, Cornwall, Belleville, Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes
Southwestern Ontario
London, Windsor, Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, Sarnia, Chatham
Central & Northern Ontario
Barrie, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay, Timmins, Orillia
PHIPA in Practice: Your Duties as a Health Information Custodian
Ontario's Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) makes every regulated health professional who keeps client records in private practice a health information custodian. That status comes with concrete duties: secure the records, know who accessed them, honour consent directives, answer access requests within 30 days, notify the Information and Privacy Commissioner of significant breaches and report breach statistics every year. PHIPA is recognized as substantially similar to the federal law, so PIPEDA mostly steps aside for health information in Ontario. Colib gives you the technical side of these obligations; your policies and consents complete the picture. Check where your clinic stands with our free PIPEDA compliance checklist.
How Colib Supports PHIPA Compliance
Hosting in Canada
All client health information is encrypted and stored in a Canadian data centre, a point most custodians want to state clearly in their privacy notice.
Agents on a Need-to-Know Basis
Role-based permissions per practitioner, assistant and clinic, so the agents acting for you only see the files their role requires.
Audit Trails
Logging of who accessed which record and when, the evidence you need to investigate a complaint or document an incident for the Commissioner.
Consent and Intake Forms
Digital consent and intake forms signed from the client portal, so you can document knowledgeable consent before collecting, using or disclosing health information.
Incident Readiness
Monitoring, encryption at rest and in transit, and a documented response process to support the notification duties PHIPA places on custodians.
Key PHIPA Obligations for Ontario Clinics
- Name a Contact Person Designate the person who handles privacy questions, access requests and complaints, and publish a written statement of your information practices
- Honour Consent Directives Respect a client's decision to withhold or restrict part of their record from other providers, and document it in the file
- Answer Access Requests in 30 Days Give clients a copy of their record, or a reasoned refusal, within the statutory delay
- Report Breaches Notify affected clients at the first reasonable opportunity, notify the Commissioner of significant breaches, and file your annual breach statistics
- Retain and Destroy Properly Keep records for the period your college requires (CRPO, for example, expects at least 10 years after the last interaction) and destroy them securely afterwards
Practising in another province as well? See our Canada EHR overview for the federal and provincial laws that apply, or read about our security measures.
Built for Ontario Healthcare Professionals
Colib serves members of Ontario's regulatory colleges as well as unregulated wellness practitioners.
Mental Health
Allied Health Professionals
- Speech-Language Pathologists (CASLPO)
- Occupational Therapists (COTO)
- Physiotherapists (CPO)
- Kinesiologists (CKO)
Nutrition & Wellness
- Registered Dietitians (CDO)
- Nutritionists
- Naturopathic Doctors (CONO)
- Wellness Coaches
Bodywork & Manual Therapy
- Registered Massage Therapists (CMTO)
- Chiropractors (CCO)
- Osteopaths
- Acupuncturists (CTCMPAO)
Specialized Therapists
- Art Therapists
- Music Therapists
- Play Therapists
- Family Therapists
Multi-Disciplinary Clinics
- Group Practices
- Community Health Centers
- Wellness Clinics
- Rehabilitation Centers
Key features for Ontario Therapists
Our secure EHR platform provides the tools you need to successfully run your practice.
Scheduler
Create appointments in seconds, or allow your clients to book. Two-way Google Calendar & Outlook sync and virtual appointments are available with all our plans.
Charts/Notes
Digitizing your notes and charts is simple and fast with our speech recognition tool and our AI-powered note generation tool ✨.
Forms
Send user-friendly online forms and get auto-generated patient files.
Invoices
Generate and customize your invoices in just a few clicks.
Easy Booking
Clients can easily book and manage their appointments, or join your waitlist if no time slots are available.
Mobile-Friendly
Colib is accessible everywhere from any device, at any time.
Email & SMS Reminders
Reduce no-shows, give precise instructions, look more professional.
Receipts & Payments
Facilitate insurance reimbursements with digital receipts and payments with our online card payment system.
Ontario EHR -- frequently asked questions
Questions about getting started in Ontario? Contact our team.
What is the best electronic medical records software for a private practice in Ontario?
It depends on your profession. Physician offices usually need an EMR built for OHIP billing, while psychotherapists, psychologists and allied health professionals need an EMR that supports PHIPA, their college's record-keeping standards, HST rules, online booking and insurance receipts. Colib is designed for this second group.
Am I a health information custodian under PHIPA?
If you are a regulated health professional who keeps client records in private practice, yes. Colib acts as your electronic service provider: it processes health information only on your instructions and gives you the encryption, access controls and audit logs a custodian is expected to have.
Does Colib apply the 13% HST?
Yes, per service type. Since June 2024, psychotherapy and counselling therapy services are exempt from GST/HST, so you can leave those tax-free while applying 13% HST to services that remain taxable.
Which Ontario colleges do Colib users belong to?
Members of the CRPO, the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario, the OCSWSSW, CASLPO, COTO, the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario and the College of Dietitians of Ontario, among others. Receipts carry your registration number for extended health benefit plans.
How long must I keep client records in Ontario?
The retention period is set by your college, not by PHIPA itself; the CRPO, for example, expects records to be kept at least 10 years after the last interaction. Colib keeps your records available for as long as you use the platform and lets you export them at any time.
Where is my Ontario client data stored?
On encrypted servers located in Canada. Your data is not hosted in the United States, and our security page details the measures in place.
Explore More Colib Resources
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