PRIVACY POLICY

 

 

This Privacy Policy applies to all personal information collected by Openhill Pty Ltd trading as Better Veins Clinic (we, us or our) via:the website located at www.betterveins.com.au (Website), our electronic medical records systems, physical clinic premises, and any third-party platforms we use for bookings, appointments, or payment processing (including but not limited to Healthengine and Tyro), (collectively, Services).

 

 

1.       What information do we collect?

The kind of Personal Information that we collect from you will depend on how you use the website. The Personal Information which we collect and hold about you may include (but not limited to):

Your name, date of birth, contact details (phone number, email address, postal address), IP address, Medicare number and health fund details, medical history and current medications, details of vein conditions and symptoms, clinical photographs and imaging, treatment records and consultation notes, payment and billing information, and any other information provided through website enquiry forms, AI chat support, appointment bookings, patient portal registrations, or any third-party platforms we use for bookings, appointments, or payment processing (including but not limited to Healthengine and Tyro).

 

 

2.       ‘Types of information

The Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) defines types of information, including Personal Information and Sensitive Information.

Personal Information means information or an opinion about an identified individual or an individual who is reasonably identifiable:

• whether the information or opinion is true or not; and
• whether the information or opinion is recorded in a material form or

 

The kind of Personal Information that we collect from you will depend on how you use the Services. If the information does not identify you or enable you to be reasonably identified, it will generally not be classified as Personal Information and may not be subject to this Privacy Policy.

 

Sensitive Information is defined in the Privacy Act as including information or opinion about such things as an individual’s racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, membership of a political association, religious or philosophical beliefs, membership of a trade union or other professional body, sexual orientation and practices, criminal record, and health, genetic or biometric information.

As a healthcare provider, we routinely collect and hold health information where reasonably necessary to provide and manage our services. We collect, use and disclose Sensitive Information only where permitted by law. Sensitive Information will generally only be used or disclosed:

• for the primary purpose for which it was obtained;
• for a secondary purpose that is directly related to the primary purpose; and
• with your consent or where required or authorised by
• or another exception under applicable privacy law

 

 

 

3.       How we collect your Personal Information

• We may collect Personal Information from you when you attend our clinic, book or manage an appointment, complete a patient registration or consent form, use our website, online booking system or patient portal, submit an online enquiry, contact us by telephone, email, fax or other communication method, communicate with our staff or healthcare practitioners, receive assessment, treatment and investigation from us, or otherwise provide information to us.
• We may also collect cookies from your computer which enable us to tell when you use the Website and also to help customise your Website As a general rule, however, it is not possible to identify you personally from our use of cookies.
• We collect Sensitive Information including but not limited to, health records, treatment details, clinical photographs and referral information, for the purposes of providing medical services, managing appointments, coordinating care, managing referrals, providing follow-up care and, where appropriate, medical education.
• Where reasonable and practicable we collect your Personal Information from
• We may also collect personal information from third parties where permitted by law, including but not limited to:general practitioners and other referring healthcare providers;specialists and allied health professionals;hospitals, clinics and other healthcare organisations;pathology, radiology and diagnostic imaging providers;family members, carers or authorised representatives;Medicare, private health insurers or other funding bodies where relevant;booking, payment and administrative service providers; andother persons or organisations involved in your care or with your authority.

 

• Where required, we will take reasonable steps to notify you of relevant circumstances surrounding the collection of your personal information.

 

 

4.       Purpose of collection

• We may collect Personal Information from you whenever you input such information into the Services, attend our clinic, use our Website or related applications, or provide to us in any other way.
• We customarily only disclose Personal Information to our service providers who assist us in operating the website or electronic bookings/records systems. Your Personal Information may also be exposed from time to time to maintenance and support personnel acting in the normal course of their duties.
• We may disclose your Personal Information to trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our Services, including but not limited to:
  • IT support and systems management providers;practice management and software platforms (including Xestro);
  • website hosting and maintenance providers;
  • online booking and appointment platforms (including Healthengine);
  • payment processing providers (including Tyro);
  • and any other third-party contractors or service providers engaged by us from time to time in connection with the operation of our clinic and Services.

We take reasonable steps to ensure that all third-party service providers are bound by confidentiality obligations and handle your Personal Information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles. Third parties will only be granted access to your Personal Information to the extent necessary to perform their specific functions and will not be permitted to use it for any other purpose.

• By using our Website, you consent to the receipt of direct marketing material. We will only use your Personal Information for this purpose if we have collected such information direct from you, and if it is material of a type which you would reasonably expect to receive from use. We do not use sensitive Personal Information in direct marketing activity. Our direct marketing material will include a simple means by which you can request not to receive further communications of this nature, such as an unsubscribe button link.

 

 

5.       Security, Access and correction

• We store your Personal Information in a way that reasonably protects it from unauthorised access, misuse, modification or disclosure. When we no longer require your Personal Information for the purpose for which we obtained in, we will take reasonable steps to

 

destroy and anonymise or de-identify it. Most of the Personal Information that is stored in our client files and records will be kept for a minimum of 7 years or as required by law to fulfill our record keeping obligations.

• The Australian Privacy Principles:
  • permit you to obtain access to the Personal Information we hold about you in certain circumstances (Australian Privacy Principle 12); and
  • allow you to correct inaccurate Personal Information subject to certain exceptions (Australian Privacy Principle 13).
• Where you would like to obtain such access, please contact us in writing on the contact details set out at the bottom of this privacy policy.

 

 

6.       Complaint procedure

If you have a complaint concerning the manner in which we maintain the privacy of your Personal Information, please contact us as on the contact details set out at the bottom of this policy. All complaints will be considered by Dr. Nicholas Teo and we may seek further information from you to clarify your concerns. If we agree that your complaint is well founded, we will, in consultation with you, take appropriate steps to rectify the problem. If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome, you may refer the matter to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

 

 

7.       Overseas transfer

Your Personal Information will not be disclosed to recipients outside Australia unless you expressly request us to do so. If you request us to transfer your Personal Information to an overseas recipient, the following will apply :

• We will only transfer information overseas with the patient’s express written consent,
• The overseas recipient will be bound by their local privacy laws, and
• We will have taken reasonable steps to ensure compliance within the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

 

8.       Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chatbot

Our website may provide access to an artificial intelligence (AI) powered chatbot to assist visitors with general enquiries.

The AI chatbot is intended to provide general information about our clinic, services, locations, appointment booking options, contact details, and other administrative matters. The chatbot is not

 

a healthcare professional and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, treatment recommendations, or emergency assistance.

When using the AI chatbot, you should not enter any sensitive personal information, including:

• Health or medical information;
• Financial information;
• Government identification numbers;
• Photographs, medical images, or test results;
• Medicare numbers; or
• Any other confidential or sensitive

 

 

The AI chatbot is not designed to collect, store, or process sensitive health information. Any information you choose to enter into the chatbot may be processed by third-party technology providers for the purpose of generating responses and improving the operation, security, and performance of the service.

By using the AI chatbot, you acknowledge that you are responsible for the information you choose to provide. If you require medical advice or wish to discuss your personal health circumstances, please contact our clinic directly and arrange an appointment with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.

While we take reasonable steps to configure the AI chatbot to minimise the collection of personal information, we cannot prevent users from voluntarily submitting information through the chatbot. We recommend that users only provide general, non-sensitive information when interacting with the service.

The AI chatbot is provided for convenience only. We make no guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of any information generated by the chatbot, and users should not rely on chatbot responses as a substitute for professional medical advice.

 

 

9.  How to contact us about privacy

If you have any queries, or if you seek access to your Personal Information, or if you have a complaint about our privacy practices, you can contact us through: pm@betterveins.com.au.