Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

At SpeechForward, we are committed to protecting your personal and health information. This Privacy Policy is designed to inform you about how we collect, use, protect, and disclose your information when you interact with our services, including our website, administrative forms, and clinical interviews. We are dedicated to ensuring your privacy and safeguarding your data at every step.

2. Why and When your Consent is Necessary

By interacting with SpeechForward, including registering for our services, you authorize our clinicians and staff to access and use your personal and health information to provide you with high-quality care. Access to your information is restricted to staff who need it to perform their roles. We will obtain your explicit consent if we need to use your information for any other purposes beyond providing care.

3. Why We Collect, Use, Hold, and Share Your Personal Information

We sometimes share your personal information:

with third parties who work with our practice for business purposes, such as accreditation agencies or information technology providers.
with our healthcare providers
when it is required or authorised by law (e.g. court subpoenas)
when it is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to a patient's life, health or safety or public health or safety, or it is impractical to obtain the patient's consent to assist in locating a missing person.
to establish, exercise or defend an equitable claim
for the purpose of confidential dispute resolution process
Where there is a statutory requirement to share certain personal information (e.g. some disease require mandatory notification)

When we share your personal information for any of the above reasons we will make sure it is communicated in a secure way.

Access to your personal information is strictly limited to those who need it for your care. We will not share your information with any third parties without your consent, except as necessary for providing medical services or as outlined in this policy.

Your personal information will not be shared outside Australia unless legally required under exceptional circumstances and with your consent.

We will not use your personal information for marketing our goods or services to you without your explicit consent. If you do consent, you can opt out of direct marketing at any time by notifying us in writing.

Your personal information may be used to enhance the quality of our services through research and analysis. We may also provide de-identified data to other organizations for research purposes aimed at improving population health outcomes. This data is secure, cannot identify individual patients, and is stored within Australia. If you prefer not to have your information included in such research, please inform our reception staff.

4. What Personal Information We Collect

We collect the following types of personal information:

Contact Details: Name, date of birth, addresses, contact numbers, and email addresses.
Medical Information: Medical history, social history, family history, risk factors, and healthcare identifiers (e.g., Medicare number, NDIS number, NDIS plan manager details, if applicable).
Additional Information: Collected during clinical interactions, administrative forms, or online activities.

5. How We Collect Your Personal Information

Your personal information may be collected through various methods:

During Appointments: Collected by our staff when you make an appointment or during the provision of healthcare services.
Online: Through our website, emails, SMS, or phone calls.
From Other Sources: Information may be collected from your guardian, other healthcare providers, health funds, Medicare, or plan managers when direct collection is not practical

6. Use of Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience on our website. These technologies help us understand how our site is used and improve its functionality. While cookies do not personally identify users, they identify your browser. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings.

7. Using and Disclosing Your Personal Information

Your personal information may be used and disclosed for the following purposes:

Service Provision: To fulfill obligations under contracts and provide healthcare services.
Business Functions: To manage business activities, including sharing information with service providers and group companies.
Legal Requirements: When required by law, to protect health and safety, or to assist in locating a missing person.

We ensure that any sharing of information is done securely and in compliance with relevant privacy laws. Your information will not be shared outside Australia unless legally required under exceptional circumstances and with your consent.

8. Direct Marketing and Research

We will not use your personal information for direct marketing without your explicit consent. If you consent, you can opt out at any time by notifying us in writing. Additionally, your information may be used for research purposes, but only in de-identified form to improve service quality and health outcomes. If you prefer not to participate in such research, please inform us.

9. How We Store and Protect Your Personal Information

Your personal information may be stored in various forms, including paper documents, electronic records, visual media (e.g., X-rays), and audio recordings. We use robust security measures to protect your information, including secure storage systems and well-trained staff. Although we strive to maintain security, no system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute protection.

10. Accessing and Correcting Your Information

You have the right to access and correct your personal information. To request access or make corrections, please submit a written request to your clinician via email. We will process and respond to your request within 30 days. We may periodically ask you to confirm or update your information to ensure its accuracy.

11. Complaints and Queries

For more information about this Privacy Policy or to make a complaint about our handling of your personal information, please contact our Personal Information Officer at admin@speechforward.com.au . We will investigate and address your concerns promptly.

12. Links to Other Websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. These sites are not under our control, and we are not responsible for their privacy practices or content. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.