Privacy Policy

Our business is to understand and meet our clients’ hearing needs and deliver hearing and related services. To do this effectively, we need to collect certain personal information.

We collect, use and disclose personal information so we can:

• provide audiology, hearing care and related services
• assess eligibility for government-funded or subsidised programs
• book, confirm, reschedule and manage appointments
• send appointment reminders and service-related communications
• maintain clinical records
• manage payments, accounts and administration
• respond to enquiries, feedback and complaints
• improve our systems and service quality
• comply with legal and regulatory obligations

We may also use your information to contact current or former clients about hearing-related services where this is permitted by law, where there is an existing relationship with Active Audiology, and where the communication is relevant to the services you have received or may be eligible for.

This may include re-engaging clients who have previously attended Active Audiology about ongoing hearing care, missed or overdue appointments, service follow-up, appointment reminders, or possible eligibility for hearing services, including by WhatsApp where permitted by law and where you have not opted out.

The type of personal information we may collect includes, but is not limited to:

• your name
• date of birth
• address
• email address
• mobile number and other contact details
• concession, pension or DVA details
• referral details
• appointment and booking information
• payment and billing information
• call recordings
• correspondence with us by phone, email, SMS, website form, Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp
• clinical information and health information relevant to the hearing services we provide, including audiology records, audiograms, clinical notes, fitting records and related documents

When you interact with our AI-assisted booking or messaging systems, we may also collect:

• your preferred clinic location
• your preferred appointment time
• the type of appointment you are seeking
• other booking-related information you choose to provide

Our AI-assisted messaging tools are designed for appointment booking, reminders, general service enquiries and eligibility-related questions. They are not intended to collect detailed symptom histories or provide clinical advice.

We obtain most of the information directly from you through forms, enquiries, appointments, consultations and records created in the course of providing hearing services.

We may also collect information from other sources where appropriate, including:

• your GP or other treating practitioner
• a family member, carer or authorised representative
• government programs or portals relevant to hearing service eligibility
• referrers or service providers involved in your care

We do not collect information from third-party data brokers.

If you give us feedback, make an enquiry, submit a form, respond to a message, or contact us through our website, phone, email, SMS, Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp, we may keep a record of that communication so we can respond to you, improve our service and maintain appropriate records.

If you no longer want to receive WhatsApp or SMS communications from us, you may follow the opt-out instructions in the message or contact us directly.

Suppression or opt-out records may be retained so we can respect your communication preferences and avoid sending further messages after you have opted out.

The primary purpose for collecting your personal information is to enable us to provide you with hearing and related services.

Unless you are informed otherwise, the personal information we hold may be used for:

• establishing and providing hearing services and related activities
• reviewing your ongoing hearing needs
• enhancing our customer service and appointment processes
• assessing eligibility for government-funded or subsidised hearing services
• giving you service-related information relevant to your hearing needs and circumstances
• contacting you about appointments, reminders, follow-up and related hearing services where permitted by law

We do not use your information for direct marketing unrelated to Active Audiology’s hearing services.

We do not sell your personal information.

We hold personal information in a combination of secure electronic systems, on-premise clinic systems and, where relevant, paper-based files and records.

Based on the information provided to us:

• conversation transcripts are stored on Australian servers
• call recordings are stored on Australian servers
• suppression and opt-out logs are retained
• Heidi is not retained after processing
• Fitting Wizard clinical records are stored on on-premise servers located at our Melbourne clinic sites

We take reasonable steps to protect the personal information we hold from misuse, interference and loss, and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

We may disclose personal information where appropriate to:

• your treating clinicians and authorised Active Audiology staff
• any person you ask us or authorise us to deal with, including a family member, carer, specialist or GP
• government agencies or programs where required for eligibility, claims, administration or compliance
• contractors and service providers who help us operate our business and deliver our services
• third parties where disclosure is required or authorised by law

We use third-party service providers to support our operations, which may include Meta, Amazon Web Services, Twilio, Cloudflare, Heidi and other technology, communications or practice management providers we use from time to time.

We may disclose personal information to these providers where reasonably necessary for them to supply services to us. We take reasonable steps to work with providers that handle personal information in a manner consistent with our privacy obligations.

Active Audiology stores its own conversation records, transcripts and call recordings on Australian infrastructure where stated in this policy, and Fitting Wizard clinical records are held on on-premise servers at our Melbourne clinic sites.

Some third-party providers we use, including Meta for Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, and Twilio for SMS delivery, may handle or make personal information accessible outside Australia, including in the United States, as part of operating their platforms and services. Where practicable, we identify likely overseas disclosure locations in this policy.

We keep personal information for as long as it is reasonably required for the purposes for which it was collected, and as otherwise required or permitted by law. When we no longer need personal information, we take reasonable steps to securely destroy it or de-identify it, unless we are required to retain it.

Active Audiology may use AI-assisted tools in limited parts of its business, including:

• Heidi, to support clinical note preparation during consultations where you have consented
• AI-assisted messaging tools to help with appointment booking, confirmations, reminders and general service enquiries

These tools are used to support efficiency and communication. They are not a substitute for clinical judgment.

Our AI-assisted messaging systems are not intended to:

• access your full clinical record through public messaging channels
• provide medical diagnosis or treatment advice
• replace direct communication with our staff where a matter needs human review

Where Heidi is used during a consultation, your clinician will inform you and seek your consent before using the tool. If you do not want Heidi used, please tell us. Your care will not be affected by your decision.

If you would like a staff member to assist you instead of an automated system, please contact us directly.

Facebook Messenger may also apply platform rules that limit when follow-up messages can be sent after your last interaction.

You may request access to personal information we hold about you, and you may ask us to correct information that is inaccurate, incomplete, out of date, irrelevant or misleading.

You may also withdraw consent for Heidi during consultations and request review of call recording issues.

We aim to respond to access and correction requests within 30 days. If we refuse access or correction, we will provide written reasons where required by law.

For access or correction requests, please contact:

General Manager
Active Audiology
Email: info@activeaudiology.com.au
Phone: 1300 364 007

We may record inbound telephone calls for training, quality assurance and service improvement purposes.

If you do not want a call recorded, please tell our staff member. Where practical, we will discuss available options with you.

Call recordings are stored on Australian servers and are only accessible to authorised staff.

If you believe we have mishandled your personal information, you may make a complaint to Active Audiology by contacting our General Manager or emailing info@activeaudiology.com.au.

We aim to respond to privacy complaints within 30 days. We will review your complaint, may ask you for further information, and provide a written response.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact:

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)
Website: oaic.gov.au

Health Complaints Commissioner Victoria
Website: hcc.vic.gov.au

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

General Manager
Active Audiology
Email: info@activeaudiology.com.au
Phone: 1300 364 007

You can also contact your nearest Active Audiology clinic through our website.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our services, technology or legal obligations. The current version will always be available on our website.