Privacy Policy

Kate Johnson Osteo is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your personal information and health information.

We recognise that health information is sensitive and personal information and take reasonable steps to handle it responsibly and securely.

This Privacy Policy explains how Kate Johnson Osteo collects, holds, uses and discloses your personal and health information, how you may access and request correction of your information, and how you may make a complaint about the way we handle your information.

This Privacy Policy applies to personal and health information collected through our osteopathy practice, our website and other services operated by Kate Johnson Osteo.

Our Privacy Obligations

Kate Johnson Osteo handles personal and health information in accordance with applicable Australian and New South Wales privacy laws and professional obligations, including:

  • The Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW) and the Health Privacy Principles;

  • The Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles, where applicable; and

  • Other applicable legal and professional obligations relating to the handling of personal and health information.

The Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW) regulates how health information is collected, stored, used and disclosed by health service providers in New South Wales.

As an osteopathy practice, Kate Johnson Osteo collects and holds personal and health information where reasonably necessary to provide healthcare services, manage the practice and meet legal and professional obligations.

Collection of Personal and Health Information

Kate Johnson Osteo collects personal and health information that is reasonably necessary to provide you with safe, appropriate and effective osteopathic care and to manage the operation of our practice.

The information we may collect includes:

  • Your name

  • Date of birth

  • Address

  • Phone number

  • Email address

  • Emergency contact details

  • Medicare details

  • Private health insurance information, where relevant

  • Medical and health information

  • Relevant medical history

  • Family history, where relevant to your care

  • Information about your symptoms, injury or condition

  • Information relevant to your assessment and treatment

  • Information about other healthcare providers involved in your care

Where practicable, we will collect information directly from you.

We may collect information when you:

  • Attend an appointment

  • Complete a new patient information or clinical history form

  • Complete electronic forms provided through Finger Ink

  • Book an appointment online

  • Contact us by phone or email

  • Communicate with us by email through our Google Workspace and Gmail email services

  • Submit an enquiry through our website

  • Subscribe to our email communications

  • Communicate with us through our social media channels

Kate Johnson Osteo uses Finger Ink to collect new patient information and forms electronically. Information provided through these forms may include personal information and health information relevant to your assessment and treatment.

Where appropriate and reasonably necessary for your care, we may also collect relevant information from other sources, including:

  • Your general practitioner

  • Medical specialists

  • Other healthcare practitioners involved in your care

  • Radiology or imaging providers

  • Hospitals or other health services

  • Relatives or other responsible persons in emergency situations

Where we collect relevant information from another healthcare provider or other third party, we will handle that information in accordance with applicable privacy laws.

Why We Collect and Use Your Information

We collect and hold personal and health information for purposes including:

  • Providing osteopathic assessment and treatment

  • Maintaining accurate clinical records

  • Managing your healthcare and ongoing treatment

  • Managing appointments and online bookings

  • Sending appointment confirmations and reminders

  • Communicating with you about your care

  • Processing Medicare claims and rebates where applicable

  • Managing practice administration

  • Responding to enquiries

  • Meeting legal, regulatory and professional obligations

  • Managing and improving our practice and services

  • Sending newsletters or marketing communications where you have chosen to receive them

We will only use your personal and health information for purposes reasonably related to the reason it was collected, where you have provided consent, or where otherwise permitted or required by law.

Online Bookings and Clinical Records

Kate Johnson Osteo uses Cliniko as its practice management system.

Cliniko is used to manage online bookings, appointments, patient information and clinical records.

When you book an appointment or receive treatment at Kate Johnson Osteopathy, relevant personal and health information may be collected and stored within our Cliniko practice management system.

This information may include:

  • Contact information

  • Appointment information

  • Medical and health history

  • Clinical notes

  • Assessment and treatment information

  • Other information relevant to the provision of your healthcare

Access to patient information is limited to people who require access for the purpose of providing or administering your care.

We take reasonable steps to ensure that the systems used to manage patient information have appropriate privacy and security measures in place.

Our Website

The Kate Johnson Osteo website is hosted and operated using Squarespace.

When you visit our website, we may collect information that you provide directly to us, such as when you submit an enquiry or subscribe to receive communications.

We may also collect certain information automatically when you visit our website, including information about your browser, device and how you interact with our website.

This information may be collected through cookies and similar technologies.

We do not ask patients to provide detailed clinical or sensitive health information through general website forms unless this is reasonably necessary for the service being provided.

Cookies and Google Analytics

Kate Johnson Osteo uses Google Analytics to help us understand how visitors use our website.

Google Analytics may collect information such as:

  • How visitors arrive at our website

  • Which pages are visited

  • How visitors interact with our website

  • General information about the device and browser used

  • Approximate location information

  • Website usage and traffic information

This information helps us understand how our website is being used and identify opportunities to improve our website and services.

Google Analytics may use cookies and similar technologies.

You can manage or disable cookies through your web browser settings. Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of some websites.

Email Communications and Marketing

Kate Johnson Osteo may use Google Workspace/Gmail, Mailchimp and Squarespace to manage email communications, newsletters and other marketing communications.

We may collect your name and email address when you subscribe to receive communications from us.

Marketing and newsletter communications will only be sent where you have subscribed, consented or where otherwise permitted by law.

You may unsubscribe from marketing or newsletter communications at any time by:

  • Selecting the unsubscribe link included in the email; or

  • Contacting Kate Johnson Osteo directly.

Transactional communications relating to your appointments or healthcare may still be sent where necessary.

Social Media

Kate Johnson Osteo may use social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, to communicate with the public and share information about the practice.

If you contact us through a social media platform, we may collect information that you choose to provide to us through that platform.

We encourage you not to provide detailed or sensitive health information through public social media channels.

Social media platforms may collect and handle your personal information independently in accordance with their own privacy policies.

Medicare Claims

Kate Johnson Osteo may collect and use relevant Medicare information where necessary to process Medicare claims and rebates.

Medicare claiming may involve the use of Provider Digital Access (PRODA) and other authorised Australian Government systems or services.

Information used for Medicare claiming will only be used for purposes reasonably necessary to process and administer relevant claims, rebates and associated practice requirements.

Disclosure of Personal and Health Information

Your personal and health information is treated as private and confidential.

We may use or disclose your information where this is reasonably necessary for your care and treatment, where you have provided consent, or where otherwise permitted or required by law.

This may include disclosure to:

  • Your general practitioner

  • Medical specialists

  • Other healthcare practitioners involved in your care

  • Radiology or imaging providers

  • Hospitals and other health services

  • Medicare or other government agencies where required for claiming or legal purposes

We may also disclose information where disclosure is required or authorised by law, including where required by a court, tribunal or government authority.

Where appropriate, we may use de-identified information for purposes such as practice analysis, quality improvement, research or service improvement. De-identified information is information that has been altered so that you cannot reasonably be identified.

Third-Party Service Providers

Kate Johnson Osteopathy uses a number of third-party service providers to assist in operating our practice and communicating with patients and the public.

These providers may collect, store or process personal or health information in connection with the services they provide to us.

Third-party providers used by Kate Johnson Osteopathy may include:

  • Finger Ink – electronic collection of new patient information and forms

  • Cliniko – online bookings, practice management and clinical records

  • Google Workspace and Gmail – direct email communication and correspondence

  • Squarespace – website hosting, website services and email communications

  • Mailchimp – email newsletters and marketing communications

  • Google Analytics – website analytics

  • Australian Government services, including PRODA – where relevant to Medicare claiming

Information communicated to us by email may be processed and stored through Google Workspace and Gmail.

We encourage patients not to send highly sensitive or detailed health information by email unless reasonably necessary. While we take reasonable steps to protect information communicated to us, email transmission may not always be completely secure.

These organisations have their own privacy policies and data handling practices. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of third-party services that you interact with to understand how they collect, use, store and protect personal information.

Where third-party providers collect or process information on our behalf, we take reasonable steps to select reputable providers and to use services with appropriate privacy and security arrangements.

The privacy practices of third-party providers are also governed by their own policies and applicable legal obligations.

Overseas Storage and Processing of Information

Some third-party service providers used by Kate Johnson Osteo may store or process personal information on servers located outside Australia.

The countries in which information may be stored or processed may vary depending on the service provider and its infrastructure.

Where information is handled by third-party providers or processed overseas, Kate Johnson Osteo takes reasonable steps to select reputable providers and to ensure appropriate privacy and security arrangements are in place.

Different types of information may be handled by different service providers.

Clinical and patient health information is managed through systems used for patient care and practice management, including Cliniko. New patient information may be collected electronically through Finger Ink. Direct email communications may be processed or stored through Google Workspace and Gmail. Website, analytics, marketing and communication information may be handled through other service providers, including Squarespace, Google and Mailchimp.

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of these providers for further information about their privacy, security and data handling practices.

Security of Personal and Health Information

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

Measures used to protect information may include:

  • Secure clinical and practice management systems

  • Password protection and access controls

  • Secure electronic storage

  • Appropriate physical security measures

  • IT security procedures

  • Secure handling of clinical records

  • Access restrictions based on the need to provide or administer healthcare

  • The use of reputable third-party service providers

While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no method of electronic storage or transmission over the internet can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Retention of Health Information

Kate Johnson Osteo retains health information in accordance with applicable New South Wales legislation and professional obligations.

Under the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW), private health service providers are generally required to retain health information:

  • For at least 7 years from the last occasion on which a health service was provided, where the information was collected while the individual was an adult; or

  • Until the individual reaches 25 years of age, where the information was collected while the individual was under 18 years of age.

After the applicable retention period, health information may be securely deleted, disposed of or otherwise managed in accordance with applicable legal and professional requirements.

Keeping Your Information Accurate

It is important that the personal and health information we hold about you is accurate, complete and up to date.

Please let us know if any of your contact details, medical information or other relevant information changes.

Keeping your information up to date helps us provide safe and appropriate care.

Access to and Correction of Your Information

You may request access to the personal and health information that Kate Johnson Osteo holds about you, subject to applicable legal requirements and exceptions.

You may also request that inaccurate, incomplete or out-of-date information be corrected or amended.

To request access to or correction of your information, please contact us in writing using the contact details below.

We may need to verify your identity before providing access to personal or health information.

We will respond to requests for access or correction within a reasonable period and in accordance with applicable privacy and health records legislation.

Kate Johnson Osteo will not charge a fee for receiving or considering a request for access. However, where permitted by law, a reasonable administrative fee may apply for providing copies of records.

Privacy Complaints and Enquiries

If you have a question, concern or complaint about how Kate Johnson Osteopathy handles your personal or health information, please contact us in writing.

Kate Johnson Osteo

Email: kate@katejohnsonosteo.com.au
Phone: 0466 910 564

Please provide as much detail as possible about your privacy concern so that we can investigate and respond appropriately.

We will take reasonable steps to investigate and respond to privacy complaints in a timely manner.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may be able to make a complaint to the relevant privacy authority.

For complaints or enquiries relating to health information handled by a private health service provider in New South Wales, further information may be available from the NSW Information and Privacy Commission.

Depending on the circumstances and applicable privacy legislation, you may also be able to contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

Kate Johnson Osteo may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our practice, services, technology or legal obligations.

The most current version of this Privacy Policy will always be available on our website.

Last updated: September 2026

Privacy Policy Complaints and Enquiries

If you have any queries or complaints about our Privacy Policy please contact us at:

Kate Johnson Osteo 

Suite 5, Level 1 490 David St, Albury, NSW 2640

www.katejohnsonosteo.com.au

0466 910 564