Last updated:
1. Introduction and scope
OpenCare is an Australian healthcare technology platform that connects patients with doctors. OpenBrain Pty Ltd is the holding company for OpenCare. In this policy, “OpenCare”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to the OpenCare team responsible for this marketing website.
This policy explains how personal information is collected, used, disclosed, stored and protected through this website, its GP and practice enquiry forms, and related communications. It is intended to support transparent handling of information under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), where applicable.
This marketing website provides information and a public doctor directory. It does not register patients, book appointments or hold clinical consultation records. Selecting Start a Consult takes you to the separate patient platform at opencare.au. Information submitted there is subject to the privacy notices and collection statements provided by that platform and the treating clinic or practitioner. This policy does not replace those notices.
2. Personal and health information
Personal information is information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable. Health information is sensitive information under Australian privacy law and requires particular care.
We do not ask patients to submit symptoms, medical histories, Medicare details or other clinical information through this marketing website. Please do not include these details in GP or practice enquiries. If we receive unsolicited health information, we will assess how it should be handled, including whether it should be securely deleted or de-identified where lawful and reasonable.
Your treating practitioner or clinic is the appropriate contact for questions about clinical records, treatment information, prescriptions or referrals. Additional health records, healthcare identifier or My Health Record legislation may apply to those services where relevant; this website does not itself provide those systems.
3. Information we collect
- GP and practice enquiries: your name, email address and phone number, any optional comments, and information associated with the submission such as its date and reference.
- Communications: correspondence you send us and information needed to respond to an enquiry, privacy request or complaint.
- Public professional profiles: doctor names, photographs, qualifications, clinic affiliations, languages and professional biographies provided for the public directory.
- Technical information: information processed to deliver and protect the website, such as network addresses, browser and device information, request information and security logs. Optional measurement is described in section 12.
- Privacy preferences: your analytics and advertising measurement choices, stored in your browser.
We do not collect patient account registrations through this website. Any earlier patient interest enquiries are contact enquiries, not clinical accounts.
4. How we collect information
We collect information directly when you submit a GP or practice enquiry, communicate with us or manage your privacy preferences. Public directory information is provided by doctors, clinics or authorised content editors.
Our website and service providers also process technical information when you visit, make requests or use website features. Doctor directory searches are used to show relevant profiles; search terms and form values are not sent in our analytics or advertising events.
5. How we use information
We use personal information to respond to GP and practice enquiries, discuss participation in OpenCare, manage correspondence, publish authorised professional profiles, operate and secure the website, prevent abuse, address privacy requests and complaints, and meet applicable legal obligations.
Submitting an enquiry does not subscribe you to unrelated marketing. Unless you opt out, we may use generic conversion events to measure website and campaign performance. Enquiry contact details and comments are not included.
6. Disclosure of information
Information may be disclosed to authorised OpenCare team members and service providers where needed to perform the functions described in this policy, to advisers assisting with a privacy matter or legal obligation, or where disclosure is required or authorised by law. It may also be disclosed with your consent.
GP and practice enquiries are saved in the website database and emailed to the OpenCare team using a connected Google Gmail account so the team can respond. Public doctor profile information is intended to be visible to visitors and search engines.
This marketing website does not send clinical records to doctors, pharmacies, Medicare, pathology providers or insurers. Any such disclosures associated with a consultation are addressed by the patient platform and the treating provider.
7. Telehealth and overseas processing
Consultations take place on the patient platform, not on this marketing website. Questions about consultation recording, video or voice services, health record hosting, or disclosures to other care providers should be directed to that platform or your treating clinic. This policy does not make claims about their recording practices or infrastructure.
Service providers may process information outside Australia. Google may process enquiry emails and, unless you opt out, measurement information overseas. This policy does not guarantee Australian-only storage.
Applicable overseas disclosure obligations, including APP 8 where relevant, need to be considered when personal information is disclosed overseas. Visiting this website is not treated as blanket consent to waive those protections.
8. Security and storage
We take reasonable steps to protect the personal information handled through this website from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Website safeguards include HTTPS, restricted staff access, authentication, enquiry validation and rate limiting.
Public enquiry rate-limit records use expiring, window-specific cryptographic keys derived from network addresses rather than raw IP addresses or persistent visitor identifiers. This does not mean that hosting or other service providers never process network addresses in delivering or securing their services.
Public marketing content and professional directory information are separate from enquiry records. Patient records and appointment information must not be placed in the marketing content management system. No internet transmission or storage system can be guaranteed completely secure. If an eligible data breach occurs, notifications will be made where required by applicable law.
9. Retention and disposal
We retain enquiry records, correspondence and related personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which they were collected, including follow-up, administration, resolving complaints and meeting legal obligations. When information is no longer required, reasonable steps should be taken to securely destroy or de-identify it, unless retention is required by law.
Clinical record retention is managed by the patient platform and the treating provider under the requirements that apply to them. Retention periods can depend on the jurisdiction, the type of record and the patient's age. We do not apply a single medical-record retention period to this marketing website's contact enquiries.
10. Access, correction and privacy choices
You may request access to personal information we hold about you, or ask us to correct information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading. We may ask you to verify your identity before acting on a request, and will respond within a reasonable period.
Access or correction may be limited where permitted by law. If a request is refused, we will explain the reasons and the available complaint process, except where it would be unreasonable to do so. If a correction is not made, you may ask for a statement of your requested correction to be associated with the information. Any access charge must be lawful and reasonable; we do not charge you simply to make a request.
You can also ask about our use or disclosure of your information, request a reasonable alternative way of communicating with you, or withdraw consent where processing depends on that consent. These choices do not override legal obligations to retain or disclose information. For clinical records, contact the treating provider.
11. Consent
Where consent is needed, it should be informed, voluntary, current and specific. Sending a GP or practice enquiry lets us use the contact details you provide to respond to that enquiry. It does not provide consent to optional tracking, unrelated marketing or the collection of patient health information through a marketing form.
Consent for treatment, telehealth, recordings or the handling of clinical information is managed by the patient platform and treating provider. Withdrawing consent may affect a service that relies on it, but does not undo lawful processing that has already occurred.
12. Cookies, analytics and advertising measurement
Analytics and advertising measurement are enabled by default unless you have opted out. Your saved choices are respected. Use Cookie preferences in the footer to turn either off or reject both. Neither is required to use the website or submit an enquiry. Preferences are stored in your browser.
When enabled and configured, Google Analytics 4 receives generic visits, Start a Consult clicks and enquiry-completed events; Google Ads may receive generic enquiry conversions. Events exclude form values, contact details, doctor searches, invitation links, health-related page paths and URL query strings. Page locations use only the website root URL.
This website does not use enhanced conversions, customer matching, remarketing or advertising personalisation. Google may still receive technical network and device information when a tag runs; this is not a promise that measurement is anonymous. See Google's privacy policy for its practices.
Use Cookie preferences in the footer at any time to change or reject optional measurement. The website stops sending optional events and attempts to remove its Google measurement cookies. Previously sent events cannot be recalled through this browser setting. You can also manage cookies through your browser settings.
13. Service providers and external websites
Service providers support website hosting, database and file storage, staff authentication, public content management, email delivery and optional measurement. Their access should be limited to what is needed for their role and subject to appropriate contractual and security arrangements.
Links to the patient platform, clinic websites or other third-party services take you outside this marketing website. Review the privacy notice provided by the relevant service before submitting personal or health information. This policy does not describe every third party's practices.
14. Children and dependants
This marketing website does not provide a child patient registration or family consultation form. Please do not include a child's health information in a GP or practice enquiry.
Where care is sought for a child or dependant on the patient platform, the treating provider and platform are responsible for their collection notices, authority and consent requirements. Those requirements may depend on the person's capacity, circumstances and applicable law, rather than age alone.
15. Changes to this policy
This policy may be updated to reflect changes to the website, information handling practices or legal requirements. The latest version will be published on this page with an updated date. Changes to this policy do not themselves change your saved optional measurement choices.
16. Privacy requests, complaints and contact
To raise a privacy enquiry, request access or correction, or make a complaint, email the OpenCare team at help@opencare.com.au. OpenBrain Pty Ltd is the holding company for OpenCare. For a clinical record request, contact your treating clinic or practitioner.
Include your preferred contact method, a brief description of your request or concern, and relevant dates if known. Do not send medical records, identity documents or other sensitive information until a suitable way to provide them has been arranged.
We will review privacy complaints and respond within a reasonable period. If you are dissatisfied with the response, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) for information about making a privacy complaint, or call 1300 363 992.