Privacy Policy

Effective date: 1 January 2025
Last updated: January 2025

Momentum Chiropractic ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of our patients and website visitors. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose and protect personal information, including sensitive health information, in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and other applicable Australian laws including the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic).

By using our website or accessing our services, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

1. Who we are

Momentum Chiropractic is a chiropractic clinic owned and operated by Dr Jacinta Poulton. Our registered business address is:

4 Tuscany Rise, Templestowe VIC 3106
Phone: 0400 611 001
Email: Jacinta@momentumchiropractic.com.au

2. Information we collect

We collect two broad categories of information:

Personal information

Personal information is information that identifies you or could reasonably identify you. We may collect the following:

• Name, date of birth, address, phone number and email address
• Health fund details, Medicare number, TAC claim number, WorkCover claim number
• Emergency contact details
• Billing and payment information
• Information submitted via our website contact form

Health information

As a health service provider, we collect sensitive health information necessary to deliver clinical care. This includes:

• Medical history, including past and current medical conditions, medications, allergies and previous treatments
• Presenting complaints, symptoms, clinical findings and diagnoses
• Treatment records, clinical notes and progress records
• Referral letters, specialist reports and imaging results
• Consent forms and health declarations

We collect health information directly from you (through intake forms and consultations) and, with your consent, from other healthcare providers involved in your care.

Website usage information

When you visit our website, we may collect non-personally identifying information including:

• Browser type and version
• Pages visited and time spent on site
• Referring URL
• IP address (used only in aggregate for analytics purposes)

3. How we use your information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

Clinical purposes

• To provide chiropractic care and other health services to you
• To develop, monitor and review your treatment plan
• To communicate with other healthcare providers involved in your care (with your consent)
• To fulfil our obligations as a registered health professional under applicable legislation

Administrative purposes

• To manage appointments, billing and health fund claims
• To process TAC, WorkCover and Medicare EPC claims
• To send appointment reminders (by phone, SMS or email, depending on your preferences)
• To respond to enquiries submitted via our website or by other means

Quality and compliance purposes

• To conduct internal audits and quality improvement activities
• To meet our legal, regulatory and professional obligations
• To respond to complaints or concerns

4. Cookies and website analytics

Our website may use cookies — small text files stored on your device — to improve your browsing experience and understand how visitors use the site. Cookies do not contain personally identifiable information.

We may use third-party analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) to collect and analyse aggregated, anonymised website usage data. This helps us understand how visitors interact with our website and improve its content and functionality.

You can disable cookies in your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may affect the functionality of some parts of our website.

5. Disclosure to third parties

We will not sell, rent or trade your personal information to third parties. We may disclose your information in the following circumstances:

With your consent

We may share your health information with other healthcare providers involved in your care — including your GP, specialists, physiotherapists or other allied health practitioners — with your express consent.

To third-party service providers

We use trusted third-party service providers to help us operate our business. These may include:

• Practice management and clinical records software providers
• SMS and appointment reminder services
• Billing and payment processing services
• Website hosting providers

These providers are contractually required to handle your information in compliance with the Privacy Act and are prohibited from using your information for any purpose other than providing services to us.

For insurance and statutory claims

For patients covered by TAC (Transport Accident Commission) or WorkCover, we are required to provide clinical records and reports to the relevant authority as part of the claims process.

Legal requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, court order, or other legal or regulatory process — or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the safety of any person or to respond to a legal claim against us.

6. Data retention

We retain health records for the minimum periods required by applicable law and professional regulations. Under Victorian health legislation, adult patient health records are generally retained for a minimum of 7 years from the date of last service; for patients who were minors when treated, records are retained until they are 25 years of age or for 7 years from the date of last service, whichever is later.

After the applicable retention period, records are securely destroyed.

7. Data security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal and health information from unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration or destruction. These measures include:

• Secure, access-controlled clinical records systems
• Password-protected practice management software
• Physical security measures for paper records
• SSL/TLS encryption for our website
• Staff training on privacy and information security obligations

While we take reasonable precautions, no security system is completely infallible. In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm to you, we will notify you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) in accordance with the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

8. Your rights

Under the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Right of access

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you. To make an access request, please contact us in writing. We will respond to your request within 30 days. In most cases, we will provide access at no charge; however, a reasonable fee may apply for complex requests involving extensive records retrieval.

Right of correction

If you believe that personal information we hold about you is inaccurate, incomplete, out of date or misleading, you may request a correction. We will take reasonable steps to correct the information or, if we decline, to note your request and reasons for declining alongside the record.

Right to make a complaint

If you believe we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles or your privacy rights, you may make a complaint by contacting us directly. We will acknowledge your complaint within 7 days and aim to resolve it within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with:

• The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) — www.oaic.gov.au
• The Health Complaints Commissioner (Victoria) — hcc.vic.gov.au

9. Links to external websites

Our website may contain links to external websites operated by third parties. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites and encourage you to read their privacy policies independently.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be published on this page with an updated effective date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

11. Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights, or wish to make a privacy complaint, please contact us:

Momentum Chiropractic
Attention: Privacy Officer — Dr Jacinta Poulton
4 Tuscany Rise, Templestowe VIC 3106
Phone: 0400 611 001
Email: Jacinta@momentumchiropractic.com.au