Will my parents find out if I go to a walk-in for an ADHD referral while I am still on their family doctor in Ontario?

Your parents might find out about an Ontario walk-in ADHD referral even if you are still listed with their family doctor, but Ontario law does not make parental notification automatic in every case, and you should ask the walk-in how records and billing will be shared before you assume secrecy. Consent to treatment under the Health Care Consent Act is capacity-based, with no single age that magically starts privacy. Under the Personal Health Information Protection Act, a capable person consents to collection, use, and disclosure of their personal health information; if you are under sixteen a parent or other substitute may also be entitled to consent in some situations, but if you are capable and there is a conflict, the capable child's decision prevails, and at sixteen or older a capable person consents themselves. The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario explains those consent rules in plain language, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario expects physicians to protect personal health information. Separately, a walk-in visit billed to OHIP can generate a record that is copied to a rostered family physician or that appears on a household account, which is a practical privacy risk even when you were capable of consenting to the visit. For private online child and teen ADHD care, review FasTreat’s paediatric service and current availability here. References: https://www.ontario.ca/page/what-ohip-covers https://www.ontario.ca/page/find-family-doctor-or-nurse-practitioner https://www.fastreat.com/en/pediatric