About this policy
Better Well Pty Ltd (ABN 19 701 078 346) trades as Betterwell. In this policy, "Betterwell", "we" and "us" mean Better Well Pty Ltd. We provide telehealth consultations and ongoing care by video or phone to adults living in Australia.
We follow the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). We also follow the Health Privacy Principles in the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW). If we care for you in another state or territory, its health records laws may also apply.
This policy covers everything we collect through this website, our online assessment, your consultations and check-ins, and any email or other contact with us.
What health information means
Health information is a type of sensitive information under the Privacy Act. The law gives it extra protection. It includes any information or opinion about:
- your physical or mental health, illness, injury or disability;
- the health services you have received or will receive, and your wishes about future care;
- information collected while we provide a health service to you, such as your contact details, appointment times and payment records; and
- genetic information that is or could be predictive of your health.
For you, this means your assessment answers, medical history, medicines and allergies. It also means your symptoms, consultation notes, diagnoses, test requests and results, referrals, care plans, prescriptions, check-in records, and the details of each consultation.
Information we collect
We collect only what we reasonably need to care for you. Depending on how you deal with us, this may include:
- Identity and contact details: your name, date of birth, gender, email address, phone number and postal address.
- Health information: as described above, including your assessment answers and the records of your consultations and monthly check-ins.
- Consultation details: the date, time, length and type of each consultation, the practitioner you saw, and our messages with you.
- Government and healthcare identifiers: your Medicare number or Individual Healthcare Identifier (IHI), only where needed (see below).
- Payment and account details: your billing details and the status of your care plan.
- Website information: technical details such as your IP address, device and browser type, the pages you visit and how you found our website.
We collect health information only with your consent, or where the law requires or allows it.
How we collect information
Most of what we hold comes straight from you. You share it when you complete our online assessment, book or attend a consultation, or email us.
With your consent, or where the law allows, we may also collect information from others involved in your care. This includes your GP, other health practitioners, pathology or imaging providers, and a pharmacy you have chosen.
From time to time, we may receive personal or health information that we did not solicit. Where we receive unsolicited personal information, we will promptly assess whether that information is of a kind we could have collected under our standard collection practices. If it is not, we will destroy or de-identify it as soon as practicable, where it is lawful and reasonable to do so.
Anonymity and pseudonyms
You can browse this website without telling us who you are. You can also email us a general question without giving your name.
Due to the nature of the health services we provide, it is generally impracticable for us to deal with individuals who have not identified themselves. Accurate identification is required to ensure the safety and continuity of clinical care, and to comply with our legal and professional obligations under applicable health legislation.
Our online assessment
Our online assessment asks about your health goal, your health history and how to reach you. Before you send it, you tick a box to consent to us collecting your health information.
The assessment follows set rules to guide your next step. It ends early if you are under 18, live outside Australia, or describe a situation that needs urgent or in-person care. If it ends early, your answers are not sent to us.
The assessment does not diagnose you, and it is not a consultation. A registered health practitioner reads the answers you send before any consultation is booked. Every decision about your care is made with your practitioner in a live consultation.
Telehealth and your privacy
Your consultations and check-ins happen live. Your first consultation is by video. Check-ins may be by video or phone. To protect your privacy and safety:
- your practitioner confirms your identity at the start of each consultation;
- we tell you if anyone else is present on our side of the call, and you can tell your practitioner if anyone is with you;
- we never record a consultation without your express consent; and
- if telehealth does not suit your situation, your practitioner will tell you and may recommend in-person care.
For each consultation, choose a private place and a secure internet connection.
How we use your information
We use your information to:
- review your assessment and arrange your consultation;
- provide, coordinate and follow up your care, including your monthly check-ins;
- contact you about your appointments, care plan and account;
- process payments;
- meet our legal, regulatory, professional and insurance obligations;
- answer your questions, feedback and complaints; and
- check and improve the quality and safety of our services and website.
We use your information for another purpose only in 3 cases. You consent, or you would reasonably expect it and it is directly related to your care, or the law requires or allows it.
Who we share information with
We share your information only for the reason we collected it, for a directly related reason you would reasonably expect, with your consent, or where the law requires or allows it. This may include:
- the registered health practitioners involved in your care at Betterwell;
- pathology and imaging providers, when your practitioner requests a test;
- a pharmacy of your choice, if your practitioner issues a prescription where deemed medically appropriate;
- your GP or other health practitioners, with your consent;
- service providers who help us run the clinic, such as website hosting, form and email delivery, data storage, booking, telehealth video, payment and IT support providers, who must keep your information confidential;
- our professional advisers and insurers, where reasonably needed; and
- government agencies, regulators, courts or others where the law requires or allows it, or where it is needed to lessen or prevent a serious threat to someone's life, health or safety.
We do not sell your personal information.
Medicare numbers and healthcare identifiers
We ask for your Medicare number or Individual Healthcare Identifier (IHI) only when we need it, such as for a pathology request or a referral. Our own fees are private, and you cannot claim a Medicare rebate for them.
We never use these numbers as our own way of identifying you. We use and share them only as the law allows, including under the Healthcare Identifiers Act 2010 (Cth).
My Health Record
We will talk with you before we upload anything to your My Health Record. You can ask us not to upload any information, at any time.
Any access to My Health Record follows the My Health Records Act 2012 (Cth). You choose who can see your record through your own My Health Record settings.
AI and automated tools
No AI or automated tool makes clinical or prescribing decisions about you. Every decision about your care is made by a registered health practitioner.
If we use an AI tool to help with our work, such as drafting consultation notes, we will tell you first and ask for your consent. Your practitioner checks any output before it is saved to your record. We never enter your personal or health information into public AI tools.
If we add a chat tool to this website that uses AI, we will label it clearly as AI.
Information stored outside Australia
Some of our service providers may store or process information outside Australia. These providers, and the country where each is likely to store or process it, are:
- our website host and security provider (United States);
- our form and email delivery provider (United States);
- the provider that stores a copy of each form you send us (United States); and
- our business email provider (United States).
Before we use a provider like this, we take reasonable steps to make sure it handles your information in line with the APPs. These steps include contract terms and checks on its security. We do not send your health records overseas for any other reason without your consent, unless the law allows it.
If a provider changes, we update this policy before we use the new one.
News and marketing emails
We send news and updates by email only if you say yes. You do this by ticking the optional box on our assessment or contact form. That box is separate from your consent about your care. Leaving it unticked does not affect your care.
Every marketing email has an unsubscribe link. You can also ask us to stop at any time by emailing [email protected].
We never use your health information to target marketing to you. We do not share your details with other businesses for their marketing. Messages about your care, appointments and account are not marketing, so they continue while you are a patient.
Cookies, analytics and tracking
Our website uses cookies and similar tools so the site works as it should.
We use Cloudflare Web Analytics to count visits and see which pages people read. It does not use cookies, and it does not follow you to other websites.
If you arrive from a campaign link, your browser keeps a note of where you came from for up to 30 days. That note is sent with any form you complete. It helps us see which of our messages people find. We use it only for our own internal reporting. We never share it with advertising platforms.
The pages you visit on a health website can reveal sensitive interests. So we hold to 3 rules:
- we never send your assessment answers or other health information to analytics or advertising providers;
- we will ask for your express consent before we use any advertising tool, such as a tracking pixel, that shares details of your visit with an advertising platform; and
- before any such tool goes live, we will name it and its platform on this page.
You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. Some parts of the website may not work as intended if you do.
How we keep information secure
We take reasonable steps to protect your information from misuse, interference and loss, and from unauthorised access, change or disclosure. These steps include access controls, encrypted connections, secure storage, and confidentiality duties for our team and service providers.
No way of sending or storing information is completely secure. Please keep detailed health information out of general emails. Your practitioner will go through your health history with you in your consultation.
Data breaches
We follow the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme in Part IIIC of the Privacy Act. If we suspect a data breach, we act quickly to contain it and assess it within 30 days. If it is likely to cause serious harm to anyone, we notify the OAIC and each person affected as soon as practicable. We also tell you what steps you can take.
How long we keep information
We keep health records for the periods set by section 25 of the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW):
- if the information was collected while you were an adult, for at least 7 years from the last occasion we provided a health service to you; and
- if it was collected while you were under 18, at least until you turn 25.
If the health records law where you live sets a longer period, we keep your records for that longer period.
We keep other personal information only for as long as we need it for the purposes in this policy, or as the law requires. After that, we securely destroy it or de-identify it.
Accessing and correcting your information
You can ask to see the personal and health information we hold about you. You can also ask us to correct it if you think it is wrong, out of date, incomplete or misleading. To make a request, email [email protected].
We confirm your identity before we act on a request, and we aim to respond within 30 days. In limited cases the law allows us to refuse access or correction. If we do, we will tell you why in writing and explain how to complain. If we do not correct your record, you can ask us to attach a statement of your view to it.
Making a request is free, and so is correcting your information. We may charge a reasonable fee to cover the cost of giving you access. If so, we will tell you the amount first.
Privacy complaints
If you have a concern about how we have handled your information, please email us first at [email protected]. Our Privacy Officer will acknowledge your complaint, look into it and tell you the outcome in writing. You can read more on our complaints and feedback page.
If you are not satisfied with our response, or you have not heard from us within 30 days, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au or on 1300 363 992.
For health privacy matters under the NSW health records law, you can also contact the Information and Privacy Commission NSW.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy when our services, providers or the law change. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last updated. If a change affects how we use your health information, we will let you know.
Contact us
For privacy questions, requests or complaints, please contact:
Privacy Officer, Better Well Pty Ltd (trading as Betterwell)
Email: [email protected]
Post: 1/299 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW 2000