Privacy Policy

At Hand Therapy Experts, we value your privacy and are committed to maintaining the confidentiality of your personal information. This policy outlines how we handle your personal information in accordance with Australian Privacy Principles and relevant legislation. We have adopted the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Privacy Act). This governs the way in which we collect, use, disclose, store, secure and dispose of your Personal Information. A copy of the Australian Privacy Principles may be obtained from the website of The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at www.aoic.gov.au

What Information Do We Collect?

We collect personal information necessary to provide our services, which may include:

Contact details (name, address, email, phone number)
Date of birth
Medical history and health information
Referrals from healthcare providers
Information you provide through our website or communications

We may also collect non-personally identifiable information via cookies, web analytics, or social media platforms for website improvement purposes.

How Do We Collect Personal Information?

We collect personal information in several ways, including:

Directly from you during consultations or appointments
Via forms or registrations on our website

Through referrals from healthcare providers or insurers
By using cookies and analytics tools when you visit our website

In some cases, we may collect personal information from third parties such as doctors, hospitals, insurance providers, or publicly available resources, but only when you have given your consent for them to share your data with us.

Use of Personal Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

To provide you with appropriate healthcare services and treatments
To communicate with you about your appointments, test results, or other inquiries
For billing purposes, including the processing of claims to private health insurers, Medicare, or third-party compensations (such as WorkCover)
To maintain and improve our services, including feedback collection and satisfaction surveys
For administrative purposes such as staff training, internal audits, and legal compliance

Disclosure of Personal Information

We respect your privacy and will only share your personal information with third parties under specific circumstances, including:

With other healthcare professionals, such as your referring doctor or specialist, for coordinated care
When required by law, such as during investigations, or to prevent serious harm
With insurers or compensation bodies when necessary for claims processing
To third-party service providers who assist us with IT, administration, or marketing, provided they comply with applicable privacy laws
With your consent, for other services such as third-party health apps or external treatment providers

Security of Personal Information

We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement various measures to safeguard it from unauthorised access, misuse, or loss. These include:

Secure storage systems, whether physical (locked filing cabinets) or electronic (password-protected databases, encryption)
Staff training on confidentiality and data protection
Regular reviews of our data security practices

If a data breach occurs, we will follow the guidelines outlined by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) and notify affected individuals where required.

Access and Correction of Personal Information

You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you and to request corrections if the data is inaccurate or outdated, subject to certain exceptions. Requests for access or correction can be made by contacting us in writing.

How Long Do We Keep Your Personal Information?

We retain your personal information for as long as it is necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law (e.g., health record retention policies). Most of the Personal Information is or will be stored in client files which will be kept by us for a minimum of 7 years. Once your personal data is no longer needed, we securely destroy or de-identify it.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or legal obligations. The most recent version will always be available on our website.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints about how we handle your personal information, please contact us in writing. We take all privacy concerns seriously and will respond to your inquiry in a timely manner.