This privacy policy sets out how The Smiling Orthodontist uses and protects any information that you give us while using this website.
The Smiling Orthodontist is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.
The Smiling Orthodontist may change this policy from time to time, and all updates will be outlined on this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This policy is effective from 20th of November 2024.
What information do we collect about patients and why?
Administrative data
Our practice collects administrative data including name, phone number, contact address/billing address, private health care fund and number, Medicare number (if required for government-sponsored programs), financial records of accounts and payments (kept for five years, as required by the Australian Taxation Office), insurance claims records, work related injuries (records kept for five years as required under WHS legislation), complaints.
Dental Records
We keep detailed dental records including drug sensitivities, diagnostic tests, examination history, treatment, advice, referrals, communications with laboratories and other practitioners, x-rays etc. to help us provide appropriate ongoing care. We may obtain this information from other practitioners or we may share this information with other practitioners with your consent as part of this ongoing care. Personal details are verified regularly and treatment records are updated at every consultation. We may add a note to health records retrospectively but we do not change records.
Who else may see the information?
We may use patient information to discuss treatment with other practitioners. We may use it in a de-identified form for academic purposes, or with insurance officers or lawyers where the treatment relates to an Insurance claim or complaint.
Health Identifiers
The practice will not adopt, use or disclose an identifier assigned by any government agency except health care identifiers for purposes permitted under the Healthcare Identifiers Act (2010) (Cwth).
Access and correction
Patients and staff may request access to their information or make changes to their information at any time except where we consider there is a sound reason under the Privacy Act or other legislation. We may charge to recover costs in providing access to electronic or paper records. We aim to use accurate, current and complete information and we will make reasonable attempts to correct inaccurate information or dispose of any unsolicited information or information no longer required.
Anonymity
You may provide a pseudonym for emergency treatment if it is paid in full at the time of treatment. However, anonymous treatment is not practical for ongoing care or if other practitioners or diagnostic records are required, or for Medicare funded/insurance-funded services. We may also refuse to provide anonymous treatment if it is impractical due to our legal requirements to report child abuse or to manage substance abuse.
Security
We are committed to ensuring that the information you provide is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised disclosure or access, we have suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures in place to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.
IT and Web privacy
We send patient information and correspondence via email. We manage our IT systems with appropriate processes and systems to ensure data is not lost, and if we store data offsite (eg in Cloud facilities) we only use facilities that comply with the Australian Privacy Principles. We will not transfer personal information to anyone in a foreign country for any other reason without prior written consent.
Our Internet Service Provider records the following information for statistical purposes to help us improve our external communications: your server address; your domain or top level domain name (eg. practice.com, .gov, .au, etc); date and time of visit, pages accessed, documents downloaded; previous sites visited.
Our web site only uses session cookies and only during a search query of the web site. The session cookie is destroyed at the end of your browsing session and we do not keep any identifying information.
a. Neither our practice nor the ISP identifies users of our website.
b. We will only collect your email address if you send us a message or you provide us with your address. We will not share it or use it for any other purposes other than for which you have provided it. We will seek your consent if we would like to send you any information about the practice and you may opt out of receiving information from us.
Links to other websites
Our website contains links to other websites. Once you have used these links to leave our site, it should be noted that we do not possess any control over that other website. We cannot be responsible for the privacy and protection of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites, and such sites are not governed by this particular privacy statement. Upon clicking links to other websites, you should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.
