Privacy Policy for Brisbane Smile Boutique

Updated 12 November 2023

This Privacy Policy outlines how Brisbane Smile Boutique uses and manages your health and personal information. A summary of this policy is posted in our reception area for all patients to view. We are bound by the Australian Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) and applicable state legislation. Brisbane Smile Boutiquewill review and update this Privacy Policy on a regular basis.

In order to provide you with the highest standard of dental care, this practice is required to collect personal information from you. This information covers basic personal details such as your name, address and telephone number, as well as more personal information such as your medical history. Without this general health picture, your treating dentist or dental hygienist is unable to plan your care properly.

Brisbane Smile Boutique values the need to safeguard this information and, in accordance with the principles laid down in privacy legislation and the guidelines by the Australian Dental Association, Brisbane Smile Boutique would like to assure you that:

  • This information will only be used by our treating dentists and dental professionals in order to deliver your care to the highest standards.

  • It will never be disclosed to those not associated with your treatment, without your express consent.

  • You may seek access to the information held about you by signing a release form.

  • Brisbane Smile Boutique will take reasonable steps to ensure at all times that the details we keep about you are accurate, complete and up-to-date.

  • Brisbane Smile Boutique will take reasonable steps to protect this information from misuse or loss, and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

  • Our staff are trained to respect these principles at all times.

If you have any questions regarding the information we collect from you and hold in your dental records, please do not hesitate to ask us. Brisbane Smile Boutique are intending to act in your interests at all times and we take your privacy very seriously.

What information we collect
The kind of personal information we collect can include your name, contact details, location, gender, and age. We also collect more personal information such as medical history and general health information.

Radiographs and images, comprehensive dental charting are stored in your personal records on our network in a digital format. X-rays taken on film are stored on site at Brisbane Smile Boutique.

It is our aim to only collect health information directly from our patients or their authorised representatives. The practice may collect health information from a third party or a publicly available source, but only if the patient consents to such collection or would reasonably expect us to collect their health information from the third party, or if collection is necessary to provide the patient with appropriate health care.

As an employer, the practice also collects personal information related to employment and human resource management.

How we collect information


We collect information directly from you, including when you:

  • Provide us with personal information over the phone or through email;

  • Fill out Contact and Medical History Forms at our practice;

  • Discuss your medical history with the dentist or dental hygienist; or

Information we collect via our website:

We collect electronic information directly from you, including when you:

  • Submit your personal details through our website.

The Brisbane Smile Boutique website and related online services may collect and use information about your computer and how you use our online services. Technology such as cookies and analytics are used to collect this anonymous information.

We collect and use this information to:

  • Understand how visitors use the website;

  • Measure the time spent on the website;

  • Determine the effectiveness of the navigation options; and

  • Record information provided during the visit to streamline subsequent visits.

Why we collect and how we use information


We collect and use your information to:

  • Deliver, provide, administer, improve and personalise our products and services;

  • Process payments;

  • Better understand our clients’ requirements and preferences, to personalise and improve our service to you;

  • Communicate with you, including appointment reminders, unfinished dental care reminder calls and responding to your queries and complaints;

  • Provide more relevant marketing offers through direct marketing;

  • Protect against fraud and theft; and

  • Maintain and update our treatment records.

Disclosure


We do not disclose personal information to third parties unless we are permitted to do so by law or you have given us your consent to do so.

Third parties we may disclose personal information to include:

  • Our service providers when accessing out IT service providers and systems, and major delivery companies for parcel deliveries, for example, for laboratory transfer;

  • Laboratory staff for ceramic work, gold alloy work, mouth guards, occlusal splints, Invisalign, dentures, retainers, appliances, models, whitening trays and orthodontic study models where necessary for agreed dental treatment;

  • Payment system operators and financial institutions; and

  • Government agencies (Medicare and DVA), where applicable

  • Health fund providers that you have engaged and notified our practice of to submit claims electronically to via Hicaps

  • Referrals and reports that are identifying to other medical and dental specialists for treatment, if required and agreed upon by you, along with relevant radiographic images and photos of your teeth/gums as required

  • Referrals to x-ray providers with forms issued to you, and presented with your identifying details to x-ray services, when agreed upon by you

  • We will request your permission to use before and after photos on our website of cosmetic dental work, and require your verbal consent with photos expressly of teeth and lips, not identifying your entire face. Identifying facial images showing cases on the website are only of friends and family, and patients who have been happy to have photos displayed..

  • Discussions with medical and dental specialist/s where required and agreed upon for your complex treatment care needs.

Data security


We take active steps to protect the personal information we hold, against loss, unauthorised access or use, modification or disclosure, and against other misuse.

When the personal information that we collect is no longer required, we destroy, delete or de-identify it in a secure manner.

We take steps to ensure that the health and personal information we collect is accurate, up to date and complete. These steps include maintaining and updating health and personal information when you attend the practice or you advise us that your personal information has changed.

We keep electronic records and takes steps to protect those records against loss, unauthorised access, use, modification or disclosure, or other misuse. The practice management software we use to store you personal and health information is Internet based and is encrypted and stored in a secure server. We have taken steps to ensure that electronic data is backed-up securely. The company providing the software have their own privacy statement, which is compatible with ours.

We use an electronic document storage system and email system (Outlook) which has a higher than normal level of encryption. We comply with all Australian privacy laws and also take the extra step of complying with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act 1996 (USA) (HIPAA) for the storage of personal and health information in overseas locations.

Invisalign Patients

Your patient detail information is sent electronically to Invisalign which is manufactured by Align Technology, a multinational medical-device company headquartered in San Jose, California.

Your privacy choices
You can access the personal information that we hold about you and you can ask us to correct the personal information we hold about you. Records and x-rays are released to another dental provider at your request and on receipt of a signed records release form.

Access and Correction of information

If an individual requests access to health and personal information we hold about them, or requests that we change that information, we will allow access or make the changes unless we consider that there is a sound reason under the privacy law, or other relevant law to withhold the information, or not make the changes. Requests for access or correction must be in writing and directed to the Practice Manager (hello@brisbanesmileboutique.com.au). If you have any questions, the Practice Manager can be contacted during our business hours at the practice.

Phone and email contact
You may request not to receive active maintenance phone calls, incomplete treatment, reactivation and any emails from Brisbane Smile Boutique by contacting us at hello@brisbanesmileboutique.com.au or by calling us on 07 3391 2504.

Marketing

Brisbane Smile Boutique’s marketing functions support the growth and development of the practice and to provide you with information about services offered at the practice. We may use your information for the purpose of direct marketing; however we will never on sell your personal information. The practice understands that you may not wish to receive marketing materials from us. If you would prefer not to receive such information, a request can be made to any staff member at the practice.

What happens if I don’t provide information?

We respect your right to privacy, however if you choose not to provide us with information relevant to your care, we may not be able to provide a service to you or the service we are asked to provide may not be appropriate for your needs. Importantly, you could suffer some harm or other adverse outcome if you do not provide information relevant to your health care.

Complaints

We take your privacy very seriously. If you suspect there has been or may have been a breach of your privacy, you can complain directly to the Practice Manager. In the event of a privacy breach, the practice will comply with the guidelines issued by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner for the handling of privacy breaches. If you would rather not raise the matter with the practice directly you can complain directly to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. However if you allow, we will always make every effort to ensure that we handle any complaint promptly and will always make an effort to assist with concerns.

NOTICE TO PATIENTS 

Our practice, Brisbane Smile Boutique PTY LTD (ABN 24 614 572 879) trading as Brisbane Smile Boutique, collects information about you for the purpose of providing health services to you. In addition, personal information such as your name, address and health insurance details are used for the purpose of addressing accounts to you, as well as processing payments and writing to you about our services and any issues affecting your health care. We may collect information about you from third parties providing the collection of that information is necessary to provide you with health care.

 

We may disclose your health information to other health care professionals, or require it from them if, in our judgement, it is necessary in the context of your health care. We will always seek your consent prior to using any of your health or personal information.

 

If you choose not to provide us with information relevant to your health care, we may not be able to provide a service to you, or the service we are asked to provide may not be appropriate for your needs. Importantly, if you do not provide information that may be relevant to your health care or is otherwise requested by us, you may suffer some harm or other adverse outcome. We will take all reasonable steps to ensure you are always safe.

 

Your medical history, treatment records, x-rays and any other material relevant to your care will be stored by the practice. Our privacy policy sets out how you can access your records or seek correction of your records. Our privacy policy sets out how you may complain about a breach of privacy and how the practice will deal with such a complaint.

 

As part of our electronic records system, the practice relies on cloud storage providers located in Australia with Centaur Software, that our practice has been actively using since 2007. Our practice ensures that our software provider complies with its obligations under Australian privacy laws, and our computer and hardware technician operates in Brisbane, with Alphaclick. Your point of contact for all privacy matters is the Practice Manager at hello@brisbanesmileboutique.com.au