1. Purpose
At Herbal Opinion we are committed to protecting the privacy and security of personal information we collect from our patients and visitors to our website. This Data Security and Privacy Policy outlines how we handle your personal information, your privacy rights, and our obligations under privacy laws, including:
MyHealthRecordsAct2012(Cth)
Variousstate-specifichealthrecordsandprivacylaws
2. Scope
This policy applies to all personal and health information collected, stored, used, and disclosed by the clinic regarding any individual using our services.
3. Definitions
PersonalInformation:Informationoranopinionaboutanidentifiableindividual,recordedinanyform,includingnames,contactdetails,orotherdetailsfromwhichaperson'sidentitycanreasonablybeascertained.
SensitiveInformation:Asubsetofpersonalinformationthatincludesracialorethnicorigin,politicalopinions,religiousbeliefs,sexualpreferences,criminalrecords,ormembershipinprofessional/tradeassociations.
Third-PartyWebsiteVisitors:Individualswhovisittheclinic'swebsitebutarenotcurrentpatientsorusersofourservices.
4. What Information We Collect
We may collect the following types of personal information:
4.1 Patients
ContactDetails:Name,address,phonenumber,emailaddress.
HealthInformation:Medicalhistory,symptoms,treatmentplans,testresults,prescriptions,andotherhealth-relateddata.
PaymentInformation:Medicaredetails,privatehealthinsurancedetails,creditcardinformation,andpaymenthistory.
TechnicalData:IPaddress,browsertype,deviceinformation,andusagedatacollectedthroughourtelehealthplatformandwebsite.
4.2 Website Visitors
TechnicalData:IPaddress,browsertype,operatingsystem,deviceinformation,andwebsiteusagedata.
PersonalData:Anypersonalinformationyouchoosetoprovidethroughcontactforms,newslettersign-ups,oronlinequeries.
How We Collect Information
We collect personal information through various methods, including:
Directinteractionswithpatientsduringconsultations,viatelehealthplatforms,phonecalls,oremails.
Onlineforms,suchasappointmentbookingorcontactformsonourwebsite.
Automaticcollectionthroughcookiesandsimilartechnologieswhenyouvisitourwebsite.
Third-partyreferralsfromotherhealthcareproviders,insurers,orauthorisedrepresentatives.
6. How We Use Your Information
6.1 Patients
We use your personal information for the following purposes:
Toprovidehealthcareservices,includingtelehealthconsultations,diagnosis,treatment,andfollowupcare.
Tocommunicatewithyouregardingappointments,treatmentplans,andhealth-relatedinformation.
Toprocesspayments,includingMedicareandprivatehealthinsuranceclaims.
Tocomplywithlegalandregulatoryobligations,suchasreportingnotifiablediseasesorrespondingtocourtorders.
Toimproveourservices,telehealthplatforms,andwebsitefunctionality.
6.2 Website Visitors
We use your information to:
Respondtoyourinquiriesorrequestsmadethroughourwebsite.
Analysewebsiteusageandimproveuserexperience.
Manageourwebsite'sfunctionalityandsecurity.
7. Disclosure of Information
We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your personal information in the following circumstances:
HealthcareProviders:Withyourconsent,wemayshareyourhealthinformationwithotherhealthcareprovidersinvolvedinyourcare.
Third-PartyServiceProviders:Wemayshareyourinformationwiththird-partyserviceproviderswhoassistusindeliveringourservices(e.g.,ITserviceproviders,paymentprocessors)understrictconfidentialityagreements.
LegalRequirements:Wemaydiscloseyourinformationwhererequiredorauthorisedbylaw(e.g.,tocomplywithasubpoenaorcourtorder).
RegulatoryAuthorities:Wemaydiscloseyourinformationtoregulatoryauthoritiesasrequiredforcompliancewithhealthregulations.
8. Data Security Measures
We implement the following measures to protect your personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure:
Encryption:Allpersonalinformationisencryptedduringtransmissionovertheinternetusingsecuresocketlayer(SSL)technology.
AccessControls:Accesstoyourpersonalinformationisrestrictedtoauthorisedpersonnelwhoneedittoperformtheirduties.
SecureStorage:Alldigitaldataisstoredonsecureserversprotectedbyfirewallsandregularlyupdatedsecuritysoftware.
RegularAudits:Weconductregularsecurityauditsandassessmentstoidentifyandmitigatepotentialvulnerabilities.
Multi-FactorAuthentication(MFA):EmployeesmustuseMFAtoaccesssystemscontainingsensitiveinformation.
9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your user experience. Cookies are small text files stored on your device by a web server that help us understand website traffic and usage.
EssentialCookies:Necessaryforthewebsitetofunctionproperly.
PerformanceCookies:Helpusanalysewebsiteperformanceandimproveuserexperience.
FunctionalityCookies:Enableenhancedfunctionality,suchasrememberingyourpreferences.
ManagingCookies:Youcanchoosetoacceptordeclinecookiesthroughyourbrowsersettings.However,disablingcookiesmaylimityouraccesstocertainfeaturesofourwebsite.
10.Data Retention
We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, as required by law, or for other legitimate purposes, such as compliance with our legal obligations. Retention periods are as follows:
PatientHealthRecords:Retainedforatleast7yearsfromthelastdateofentry,oruntilminorsreachtheageof25,whicheverislonger.
WebsiteVisitorData:Retainedforupto2yearsorasrequiredforlegalorbusinesspurposes.
11.Your Rights
Under Australian privacy laws, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:
Access:Youhavetherighttorequestaccesstoyourpersonalinformationheldbyus.Wewillprovideaccesswithin30days,subjecttoapplicableexceptions.
Correction:Youhavetherighttorequestcorrectionstoyourpersonalinformationifitisinaccurate,incomplete,oroutofdate.
WithdrawalofConsent:Youmaywithdrawyourconsentforustouseyourpersonalinformationatanytimebycontactingus.
Complaints:Ifyoubelieveyourprivacyhasbeenbreached,youhavetherighttolodgeacomplaintwithourPrivacyOfficerortheOfficeoftheAustralianInformationCommissioner(OAIC).
12.How to Access or Correct Your Information
If you wish to access, correct, or update your personal information, or if you have any questions or concerns regarding this policy, please reach out to our Privacy Officer using the contact details provided in Section 14. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe and in accordance with applicable laws.
13.Changes to This Policy
We may update this Data Security and Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Any changes will be posted on our website, and we encourage you to review this policy periodically.
14. Contact Information
If you have any questions or concerns about this policy or our data handling practices, please contact:
PrivacyOfficer:BishamLama
ContactDetails:support@herbalopinion.com.au
