Privacy Policy

What information we may collect

The information we collect depends on your interaction with Sol Culture and may include:

• Your name, date of birth and contact details

• Address and demographic information

• Emergency contact information

• Appointment and booking information

• Health history

• Current and previous symptoms

• Diagnoses and medical history

• Medications and nutritional or herbal supplements

• Allergies and adverse reactions

• Family health history

• Dietary, lifestyle, exercise and sleep information

• Reproductive and hormonal health information where relevant

• Pathology, imaging and functional testing results

• Reports or correspondence from other healthcare practitioners

• Clinical consultation notes

• Treatment plans and recommendations

• Herbal and supplement prescriptions

• Information you provide through intake forms, emails or other communications

• Payment and transaction information

• Website enquiry information

• Other information reasonably necessary to provide your care

Health information is considered sensitive information and is handled with additional care.

How we collect information

Where practical, information is collected directly from you.

This may occur when you:

• Complete an intake or consent form

• Book an appointment

• Attend an in-person or telehealth consultation

• Provide pathology or other health records

• Send an email or website enquiry

• Purchase or request products

• Communicate with Sol Culture between consultations

• Use the Sol Culture website

With your consent, or where otherwise permitted by law, information may also be received from third parties such as your GP, specialist, pathology provider, other healthcare practitioner, parent or guardian.

Why we collect your information

• Personal and health information may be collected, used and held for purposes including:

• Providing naturopathic care

• Assessing your health and treatment needs

• Preparing and maintaining clinical records

• Developing and reviewing treatment plans

• Prescribing or arranging herbal medicines and nutritional supplements

• Reviewing pathology and functional testing

• Communicating with you about your care

• Managing appointments and reminders

• Processing payments

• Arranging referrals

• Communicating with other healthcare practitioners where appropriate

• Managing the administrative and legal requirements of the practice

• Improving our services

• Responding to enquiries or complaints

• Meeting legal, regulatory, insurance and professional obligations

We will generally only collect health information where you have consented to the collection or where collection is otherwise permitted by law.

Disclosure of your information

Your personal or health information will not be sold.

Information may be disclosed where reasonably necessary to provide or administer your care, including to:

• Other healthcare professionals involved in your care, with your consent or where otherwise permitted by law

• Pathology and functional testing providers

• Practitioner dispensaries, pharmacies or supplement providers where required to fulfil a prescription or order

• Practice management and booking providers

• Telehealth and communication providers

• Secure technology, cloud storage and email providers

• Payment processors

• Professional advisers, insurers or regulatory bodies where necessary

• Government, law enforcement or other authorities where disclosure is required or authorised by law

• Only information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose will be disclosed.

• Your health information will not be used for direct marketing without your specific consent.

Practice management and third-party platforms

Sol Culture uses third-party technology to operate the practice.

This may include platforms used for:

• Practice management and clinical records, including Splose

• Online bookings

• Email and business communications

• Telehealth

• Website hosting, including Squarespace

• Payment processing

• Pathology or functional testing

• Practitioner dispensing and product ordering

These providers may collect or process information on behalf of Sol Culture and operate under their own privacy and security policies.

Reasonable steps are taken when selecting and using third-party providers to protect the confidentiality and security of personal information.

Overseas storage and disclosure

Some technology providers used by Sol Culture may store or process data using servers or service providers located outside Australia.

Where personal information is likely to be disclosed to an overseas recipient, Sol Culture will take reasonable steps required under applicable privacy law in relation to that disclosure.

Before publishing this policy, Sol Culture will confirm and identify the countries in which relevant service providers are likely to store or receive personal information.

Storage & security

Sol Culture takes reasonable steps to protect personal and health information from misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

Information may be stored electronically using secure practice-management systems, password-protected accounts and other secure digital services.

Access to clinical information is restricted to persons who reasonably require access for the operation of the practice or provision of your care.

No method of electronic storage or transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If Sol Culture becomes aware of a data breach, it will assess and respond to the breach in accordance with applicable privacy and data-breach notification requirements.

Retention of clinical records

Clinical and other personal information will be retained for the period required by applicable legal, professional, insurance and clinical record-keeping requirements.

When information is no longer required to be retained, reasonable steps will be taken to securely destroy or de-identify it where appropriate and permitted by law.

Accessing your information

You may request access to personal information Sol Culture holds about you.

In some circumstances, access may be limited or refused where permitted or required by law. If this occurs, you will generally be provided with an explanation.

To request access, contact Sol Culture using the details below.

Identity verification may be required before records are released.

Correcting your information

If you believe personal information held by Sol Culture is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date, please contact us.

Reasonable steps will be taken to correct information where appropriate.

Anonymous or pseudonymous enquiries

Where lawful and practical, you may make a general enquiry without identifying yourself or by using a pseudonym.

For the provision of individual clinical care, however, sufficient identifying and health information will generally be required to safely and effectively provide services and maintain appropriate clinical records.

Email and electronic communication

Email, online forms, telehealth and other electronic communication involve inherent privacy and security risks.

By communicating electronically with Sol Culture, you acknowledge these risks.

Please avoid sending highly sensitive information through unsecured communication channels unless necessary.

Where appropriate, more secure methods of sharing clinical records may be recommended.

Website information and cookies

When you use the Sol Culture website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, such as browser information, device information, IP address and website usage information.

The website and third-party services integrated with it may use cookies or similar technologies for website functionality, security, analytics or user experience.

You can manage cookies through your browser settings.

Marketing communications

Sol Culture will only use sensitive health information for direct marketing where you have specifically consented to this.

If you choose to receive newsletters or other marketing communications, you can unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe function provided or by contacting Sol Culture.

Clinical and administrative communications relating to your care are separate from marketing communications.

Privacy complaints

If you have a question, concern or complaint regarding the handling of your personal information, please contact Sol Culture in the first instance.

Please provide enough information for the matter to be investigated.

Sol Culture will endeavour to acknowledge and respond to privacy complaints within a reasonable period.

If you are not satisfied with the response, you may be entitled to make a complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

Information about making a privacy complaint is available through the OAIC.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes to Sol Culture's services, systems, third-party providers or legal obligations.

The current version will be published on the Sol Culture website with the date of the latest update.

Contact

For privacy enquiries, requests for access or correction, or privacy complaints, contact:

Sol Culture

Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Privacy Contact: Lily Bennett

Email: lily@sol-culture.com.au