Vitalign Chiropractic (“Vitalign”, “we”, “us”) is committed to protecting your privacy. As a health service provider, we're bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the 13 Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), regardless of the practice's size — the small business exemption that applies to some businesses does not apply to health service providers.
This policy explains what personal and health information we collect, how, why, who it's shared with (including overseas), how long we keep it, and how you can access, correct, or complain about how it's handled.
What we collect
To provide chiropractic care, we collect:
- Contact details — name, address, phone number, email
- Health information — your presenting complaint, medical history, examination findings, imaging (including on-site X-ray, where clinically indicated), treatment notes, and any reports or scans you bring to your appointment
- Funding and billing details — health fund membership, WorkCover Queensland claim details, DVA card details, Medicare/EPC referral details, or CTP insurer details, where relevant to your visit
How we collect it
Directly from you — at the clinic, by phone, or when you book online. Booking happens through PracSuite, our practice management and booking software, embedded on this site's booking page. Where relevant to your care, we may also receive information from your GP, another treating practitioner, or a health fund/WorkCover/DVA/insurer processing your claim.
This website also uses Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager and Google Ads to understand how the site is used and to measure the effectiveness of our advertising, and Cloudflare as our content delivery and security provider. These collect technical and usage information (such as pages viewed, device type, and approximate location from IP address) — not your clinical information, and not linked to your patient record.
How it's stored
Your clinical records are held electronically in PracSuite, our practice management system, with access limited to practice staff involved in your care. We don't keep a separate paper record system.
Why we collect it
We collect this information to assess and treat you safely and appropriately, to manage your appointments, to bill and claim on your behalf where applicable (WorkCover Queensland, DVA, Medicare/EPC, health funds, or a CTP insurer), and to meet our legal and professional record-keeping obligations as a registered chiropractor.
How long we keep it
Queensland doesn't have a specific law setting a retention period for private-sector health records (unlike some other states). In the absence of one, we follow the standard professional guidance given to Ahpra-registered practitioners by indemnity insurers: we retain adult patients' clinical records for 7 years from your last consultation, and for patients who were minors when treated, until they turn 25.
Who we share it with, and overseas disclosure
We only share your information where it's necessary to provide your care, run this website, communicate with you, or where we're required to by law:
- PracSuite — our booking and practice management software provider, including its SMS and email functions for appointment reminders and communications
- Mobile Message — our SMS provider for patient communications
- Mailchimp — our email provider for patient communications. Mailchimp is a US-based provider, so information sent through it may be processed on servers located in the United States.
- WorkCover Queensland, DVA, Medicare, your health fund, or a CTP insurer — where you're claiming or being billed through one of these
- Your GP or another healthcare provider — only with your consent, or where referred by them as part of your care
- Regulatory bodies (such as Ahpra) or courts, where we're legally required to
- Google (Analytics, Tag Manager, Ads) and Cloudflare — for website analytics, advertising measurement, and content delivery/security. These providers may store or process information on servers located overseas, principally in the United States, and potentially other countries where these providers operate infrastructure. This information is technical/usage data, not your clinical record.
We don't sell your information, and we don't share it with third parties for their own marketing purposes.
Accessing or correcting your information
You can ask to see your clinical record, or ask us to correct information that's wrong or out of date, at any time. Contact us using the details below. We aim to respond within a reasonable time and, in any event, within the timeframe the Privacy Act requires. In some circumstances permitted by law, access may be limited — for example, where releasing information could pose a risk to your health or someone else's.
Marketing communications
From time to time we may send you communications encouraging a return visit or otherwise promoting our services — for example, a reminder that you're due for a check-up. Because these relate to a paid service even when framed around your care, we treat them as commercial electronic messages under the Spam Act 2003, not as exempt transactional messages, and handle them accordingly:
- We send these through four channels: SMS via PracSuite SMS, SMS via Mobile Message, email via PracSuite, and email via Mailchimp.
- Consent — you'll only receive these where you've given consent, whether express or reasonably inferred from your existing relationship with us as a patient, consistent with the Spam Act's requirements.
- Identification — every message clearly identifies Vitalign Chiropractic as the sender, with a way to contact us.
- Unsubscribe — every message includes a working way to opt out, and any unsubscribe request is honoured within 5 business days. This doesn't affect appointment-related communications necessary to manage a booking you've already made.
How to complain
These are two different pathways for two different kinds of concern — use whichever fits:
- Concerns about how we've handled your personal or health information — contact us first using the details below and we'll do our best to resolve it directly. If you're not satisfied, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au.
- Concerns about your clinical care or a practitioner's conduct — these go to the Office of the Health Ombudsman (Queensland) at oho.qld.gov.au, not the OAIC.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The current version is always the one published on this page.
Contact us
Vitalign Chiropractic
Suite 3, Level 1, The Eaves at West Village, 111 Boundary Street, West End QLD 4101
(07) 3217 2473