Privacy Policy
Effective: March 2024
Last updated: September 2024
We are committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of our patients' personal information, and in doing so complying with our obligations under the Privacy Act 2020 and the Health Information Privacy Code 2020. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, store, and disclose personal information obtained through our website and in our medical specialist practice.
Any reference in this Privacy Policy to “us”, “we” or “our” refers to Them Obstetrics & Gynaecology Limited.
Collection of Personal Information
We collect personal information from:
Individuals when they contact us or submit details for a self-referral via our website, email, or phone,
GPs and/or referring doctors when they refer patients to us, and
Patient consultations
This information may include (but is not limited to) your name, gender, date of birth, ethnicity, contact details and medical information required to provide you with our medical services.
Use of Personal Information
The personal information we collect is used primarily to facilitate the provision of medical services to our patients. This may include assessing your medical needs, providing appropriate care, and communicating with you regarding your health.
Storage and Security of Personal Information
We take all reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information we hold is protected against loss, unauthorized access, use, modification, or disclosure. Electronic patient records are stored securely in a cloud-based service hosted in the Asia-Pacific region (Sydney), and access is restricted to authorized personnel only.
Our service providers, including Gynaecology Plus (New Zealand-based), Heidi (US-based), Proton Mail (Switzerland-based), Squarespace (US-based) and Xero (New Zealand-based), are selected to ensure that they comply with applicable privacy standards, including those set forth in New Zealand's Privacy Act 2020 and the Health Information Privacy Code 2020. Where personal information is transferred or stored outside New Zealand, we take appropriate measures to ensure that it is protected in a manner that is consistent with New Zealand's privacy laws, including the use of encryption and secure data transfer protocols.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Clinical Documentation
As part of our commitment to enhancing the quality of care, we utilise an AI-powered tool called Heidi to assist in the creation of clinical notes and letters. Heidi records clinical conversations during your consultation to generate accurate and detailed documentation. This allows your clinician to dedicate more time to you and less time to manual note-taking, ensuring a more focused and effective care experience.
The use of Heidi is conducted in full compliance with New Zealand's Information Privacy Principles (NZ IPPs). All recorded data is securely stored and processed, with strict safeguards in place to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, use, or disclosure. The recorded data is used solely for the purpose of creating medical documentation and is not shared with third parties outside of our practice without your explicit consent, except as required by law.
Disclosure of Personal Information
We may disclose your personal information to other healthcare providers, specialists, or medical facilities as necessary for your treatment and care. We will not disclose your personal information to third parties without your consent, except where required by law (this includes your contact details, such as email address and phone number).
For Southern Cross Health Insurance policy holders, because we are an Affiliated Provider, we use your personal information in order to submit clinic fee claims with Southern Cross Health Insurance on your behalf. This may include your policy number, name, and date of birth. For some policy holders, we may need to provide a brief reason for your consultation in order for Southern Cross Health Insurance to determine your eligibility for cover.
Access and Correction of Personal Information
You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you without providing a reason, and to request corrections if you believe any information is inaccurate or incomplete. If we choose not to change some information, you can have this noted on your record. To make a request, please contact our practice directly.
Use of Cookies and Web Analytics
Our website uses cookies and web analytics tools to enable core functionality, enhance your browsing experience, and improve our services. Cookies are small data files stored on your device when you visit our website. They help us remember your preferences, understand how you interact with our content, and tailor our offerings to better suit your needs. The data collected through web analytics tools is anonymised, providing us with insights into website traffic and user behavior without identifying individual visitors. This anonymised data enables us to make informed decisions about our website’s design and content.
Please note that our website provider (Squarespace) may also store a cookie on your device that is used by advertising companies to serve ads relevant to your interests. While we take all reasonable steps to safeguard your privacy, this particular cookie may result in your anonymised browsing data being shared with third-party advertisers to deliver targeted advertisements.
We do not share or sell any anonymised information gathered about our visitors to third parties, except as required for the advertising cookies set by our website provider (Squarespace). If other sharing were to occur, it would only be under the following conditions: (1) the visitor has explicitly permitted it; (2) we are required by law; or (3) it is necessary to protect the safety of our employees, visitors, patients, or property.
You can adjust your cookie preferences at any time through your browser settings or via the “Cookie Preferences” link that appears at the bottom of our website.
Updates to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, without notice, to reflect changes in our practice or legal requirements.
Contact Us
If you have questions or concerns about our Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal information, please contact us via hello@aggieog.com.