Medical Observer Privacy Statement

Medical Observer and its publisher, CMPMedica Australia Pty Ltd ("We" or “us”), are committed to protecting your privacy. We are committed to complying with the National Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act 1988. CMPMedica Australia Pty Ltd aims to provide the best possible service across a wide range of health care communications, educational material and services. To achieve this aim, We need to make the most efficient use of all personal information that is provided by you to us on a confidential basis.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully before you submit any information through the Web site as usage of this Web site is conditional on your agreeing to be bound by this policy. If you have any questions, or would like to provide feedback, please feel free to contact us on the number or address listed below.

The information practices of Medical Observer

1. What is personal information?

Personal information is any information about you that identifies you, or by which your identity can be reasonably determined

2. Collecting information about you

In order to access and use the Web site, you must be an Australian medical practitioner. You will be asked to provide your name and your provider number or registration number to verify that you are an Australian medical practitioner. This is to ensure that the Web site is not accessed by consumers.

Some services provided through the Web site require your email address and may involve disclosing some personal information about yourself. This is to allow Us to respond to a query or provide you with information that you have requested.

You will also have the option to provide other personal information voluntarily.

We may also collect information about your use of the Web site such as what pages you visit and the Internet address you have come from. By having this information We can tailor your experience of our website to your personal interests.

Any further collection of your personal information than that explained here will only occur with your consent.

3. Using your personal information

Any personal information collected by Us will be treated as confidential. We may use your personal information to provide you with access to the Web site, in providing you with information or services you request, and in tailoring your experience of our site to your interests.

We may also use pooled information obtained from all Web site visitors to understand our users' interests and improve our services. These reports may be shared with the partners and sponsors of the Web site but they will not disclose personally identifiable information.

4. Disclosure

We will not disclose any of your personally identifiable information, except when it has your permission or under special circumstances, such as when we believe in good faith that the law requires disclosure or where we believe it necessary to provide you with a service that you have requested.

5. Direct Marketing

We will use your email address to send you a regular email newsletter which will contain content pertinent to the medical profession, where you have given us permission to do so. Except for the regular newsletter, we will not use your personal information to provide you with any information on any issue or service we may think you would be interested in or to engage in any form of direct marketing for the Web Site.

We do not disclose your personal information to any parties outside CMPMedica Australia Pty Ltd for the purposes of allowing them to direct market their products or services to you.

6. Disclosure of Personal Information to Third Parties

Medical Observer may disclose your personal information in certain circumstances.

If you are emailing Content or other contributions such as a letter to the editor, GP tip, Pictorial Practice or IT Helpdesk your query may appear in the print version of Medical Observer at the editor's discretion. The editor will contact you prior to publication to verify your details and confirm permission for publishing your contribution.

Like many businesses, the Web site uses a range of service providers to help us maximise the quality and efficiency of our services and our business operations. This means that individuals and organisations outside of the Web site, such as Web hosting services, will sometimes have access to personal information held by the Web site and may use it on behalf of the Web site. We require our service providers to adhere to strict privacy guidelines and not to keep this information or use it for any unauthorised purposes.

7. Our website privacy practices

We sometimes use cookie technology on our website to enable us to provide information and services to web site visitors. Cookies are pieces of information that a website transfers to your computer's hard disk for record keeping purposes and are a necessary part of facilitating online transactions. Most web browsers are set to accept cookies. The Web site uses cookies to make your use of our website and services as enjoyable as possible. Cookies in and of themselves do not personally identify users, although they do identify a user's browser. Cookies are useful to estimate our number of members and determine overall traffic patterns through our website, as well as responding to your requests for particular services.

If you do not wish to receive any cookies you may set your browser to refuse cookies. This may mean you will not be able to take full advantage of the Web site services. It will also mean that you will need to enter your name and medical practitioner provider number or registration number each time you access the Web site.

8. Storage

The Web site will endeavour to take all reasonable steps to ensure your personal information is kept secure, accurate and up to date. Your information is stored on secure servers that are protected in controlled facilities. Unfortunately, no data transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure.

We cannot give an absolute assurance that the information you provide to Us will be secure at all times. You accordingly do so at your own risk and We will not be held responsible for events arising from unauthorised access to your personal information.

9. Password and log-in security

In accordance with the terms and conditions of service, if you join as a member of some of our affiliated sites, you will be provided with a user name and password for each affiliated site.

For the purposes of signing up as a member of some of our affiliated sites , you will nominate a user name and password. You are responsible for the security of your password and log-in information. You can play an important role in keeping your personal information secure by maintaining the confidentiality of any passwords or log-ins used as a member. Please notify our affiliated sites immediately if there is any unauthorised use of your account by any other Internet user or any other breach of security.

10. Security of Your Personal Information

We endeavour to take all reasonable precautions to safeguard personal information from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. The precautions we take include:

external and internal premises security;
restricted access to personal information;
confidentiality agreements with contractors and third party organizations;
maintaining technology products to prevent unauthorised computer access.

11. Ensuring your personal information is to up to date

If we have collected any personal information about you, it has been done for a specific purpose such as ensuring payment for a contribution to the Medical Observer. In most cases, a summary of any personal information collected is held by us, which would include your name, address, contact telephone numbers. This information is freely available to you by contacting our office.

We rely on personal information we hold about you to efficiently conduct our business. Therefore, it is important that the personal information collected is accurate, complete and up-to-date. If you think we have incorrectly recorded your personal information, and you wish to change or remove your personal information, please contact us by email ( ) or by mail:

The Privacy Officer,
CMPMedica Australia
Pty Ltd, Locked Bag 3000,
St Leonards NSW 1590 Australia

All requests for changes to personal information or removal of personal information will be handled as quickly as possible and we shall endeavour to process any request within 30 days of having received the request. Some requests may take longer than 30 days to process depending upon the nature of the personal information involved.

12. Identification

A Commonwealth identifier is a Commonwealth Government or Commonwealth Government agency designated identification number such as your Tax File Number (TFN) or Medicare number.

We do not use Commonwealth identifiers as a means of identifying the personal information that we may have collected about you.

Some of our affiliated sites: MO Learning may collect your doctor registration number from time to time. Please refer to the terms and conditions of use and privacy policy for those particular sites for further information.

13. Sensitive Information

If personal information concerns particular topics it is regarded as sensitive information.

Sensitive information can be information about:

racial or ethnic origin
political opinions
membership of a political association
religious beliefs or affiliations
philosophical beliefs
membership of a professional or trade association
membership of a trade union
sexual preferences or practices
criminal record
health

political opinions
membership of a political association
membership of a professional or trade association
membership of a Trade Union

This information is collected from Users who provide an opinion to Medical Observer for publication.

This information will be published in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Web site and stored by the Web site in accordance with this privacy policy.

CMPMedica Australia Pty Ltd only publishes this information in the format that has been agreed to in consultation with the User involved. The User, by providing the opinion to Medical Observer, has explicitly consented to that information being published.

If a User does not want that information published, he or she should expressly advise the Web site of his or her request when her or she provides the opinion.

14. Concerns or requests for access?

If you have a question about this Privacy Policy, wish to lodge a request to access information, or lodge a complaint, you can contact the Privacy Officer as follows:

Ph (02) 9902 7740
Fax: (02) 9902 7778
E-mail:

If we have collected any personal information about you, it has been done for a specific purpose such as ensuring payment for a contribution to Medical Observer. In most cases, a summary of any personal information collected is held by us, which would include your name, address, contact telephone numbers. This information is freely available to you by contacting our office.

If you make a request for more detailed personal information, for example, access to information held in archives, you may incur a fee to cover the cost of retrieval and the supply of this information to you.

All requests for access to personal information will be handled as quickly as possible and we shall endeavour to process any request for access within 30 days of having received the request. Some requests for access may take longer than 30 days to process depending upon the nature of the personal information being sought.

We may be required by law to retain personal information for a period of time after you have ceased your relationship with us. We are not always required to provide access to personal information upon request. Access may be refused in a number of circumstances such as:

where the information may relate to existing or anticipated legal proceedings;
where required or authorised by law;
where the request is regarded as frivolous or vexatious.

If access is denied, we will explain why.

If you are not satisfied with the result of your complaint to CMPMedica Australia Pty Ltd, you can refer your complaint to the Federal Privacy Commission, who can be contacted:

By telephone: 1300 363 992
By writing to:
Director of Complaints Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner
GPO Box 5218
Sydney NSW 1042

15. Web site Classifieds and Freebies Advertising

CMPMedica Australia Pty Ltd offers You the opportunity to submit classified advertisements ("Paid Display" and "Freebies") in accordance with the following rules:

To apply for a "Paid display listing", contact the Advertising Manager by phone
(1 800 444 848 or 9902 7851), fax (02) 9902 7779 or complete the form on our Web site http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/classifieds/paidform.asp.
It is at the Advertising Manager’s discretion whether or not a “Paid Display” application will be accepted.
Paid display ads can be included online free of charge as long as a paid ad is booked within the classifieds section of Medical Observer. We do not run classified ads solely online.
Display rates are advertised in the paper and on our Web site
“Paid Display” Ads will appear only for as long as they have been booked.
No cancellations or bookings can be made after the booking deadline. All cancellations must be made in writing and must be made nine days prior to the publication date. Cancellations can be made by contacting our advertising manager by email (classifieds@medobs.com.au) or by fax.
the “Freebies” are for locum, wanted items, for sale items, general excluding practice for sale or business for sale advertisements;
the “Freebies” are available to individual Australian Medical Practitioners for personal items only;
the “Freebies” are available on the basis of one entry by email, facsimile or post per doctor or surgery or medical centre per week;
to apply for a “Freebie”, the form available in the paper or on the Web site must be completed ( http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/classifieds/freebiesform.asp ). Each “Freebie” will be published if possible, but no guarantee is given;
each “Freebie” will be displayed for 7 days only;
Classified “Freebies” are limited to 20 words only;
You acknowledge that by disclosing this information in accordance with the terms and conditions for the Web site, you are indemnifying the Web site and CMPMedica Australia Pty Ltd from any claim for any loss, damage, or harassment which may occur by this information being available on the Internet.

16. Community Notice Board

As you are aware, CMPMedica Australia Pty Ltd offers You the opportunity to submit by email, free community announcements ("Announcements") on the Community Notice Board in accordance with the following rules:

the Community Notice Board is for the display of non-commercial announcements such as for reunions, obituaries and anniversaries.
Any advertisements for commercial products or events will not be accepted.
It is at the Advertising Manager's discretion to decide whether or not an Announcement is suitable for the Community Notice Board.
Community noticeboard announcements are limited to 100 words (e) Only members of the Australian medical community can post Announcements to the Community Notice Board.
To apply for an Announcement to be placed on the Community Notice Board the form available on the Web site must be completed and sent to the Advertising Manager via the website
Each Announcement that meets the above criteria will be published and displayed for the time specified by the user by the date of publishing.
You acknowledge that by disclosing information in accordance with the terms and conditions of use for the Web site you are indemnifying the Web site and CMPMedica Australia Pty Ltd from any claim for any loss, damage, or harassment which may occur by this information being available on the Internet.

17. Transfer of business

In the unlikely event that the assets and operations of the Medical Observer business is transferred to another party as a going concern, the personal information collected by Medical Observer will be provided to the new business operator. However, it will remain subject to the privacy safeguards set out in the Medical Observer privacy policy.

Contact us If you have questions about our privacy policy and practices, or would like to provide feedback, please contact our privacy officer.

Email:

Mail:
Medical Observer Privacy and Security
Locked Bag 3000,
St Leonards, NSW 1590,
Australia

Future Changes

We will continue to evolve as we introduce new services and features to the Web site. Because of this, from time to time, our policies will be reviewed and may be revised. We reserve the right to change our privacy policy at any time and notify you by posting an updated version of the policy on the Web site. If you object to any changes, you may discontinue your use of the services. The amended Privacy Policy will apply between us whether or not we have given you specific notice of any change.

Your agreement I agree that I have read and agree with the terms and conditions outlined in this privacy policy. Click here to return to the Medical Observer site.

Last revised: February 2008.