As healthcare providers, we frequently deal with confidential patient data. Protecting your privacy is of great importance to us. We handle your personal data correctly and in accordance with applicable legislation.

With this privacy policy, we wish to inform you about the way in which we, as healthcare providers, handle your personal and medical data. The reason for recording, processing and sharing your data with other parties (healthcare providers and your health insurer) is explained in more detail below. We also inform you of your other statutory privacy rights.

General

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the new law protecting privacy and personal data. Under this law, an organisation that works with personal data has certain obligations, and the person whose data it is has certain rights. In addition to this general law, specific rules apply to privacy in healthcare. These rules are set out, among other places, in the Wet op de Geneeskundige Behandelingsovereenkomst (WGBO — Dutch Medical Treatment Agreement Act). This privacy policy is intended to inform you of your rights and our obligations under the GDPR and the WGBO.

Podotherapy Practice

In our podotherapy practice, various personal data may be processed relating to you. This is necessary in order to treat you properly. Adequate healthcare requires that we have access to your medical data. In connection with the treatment agreement (WGBO) we enter into with you, we record your health data and the healthcare services and podotherapeutic interventions we perform. In addition, we need your data for the financial processing of the treatment.

As a healthcare provider, we are obliged to register the Burgerservicenummer (BSN — Dutch citizen service number) and to verify your identity. This is laid down in the Wet Gebruik Burgerservicenummer in de Zorg. The BSN is used for invoicing and in medical correspondence. If a credit note is issued on your invoice during complaint handling, the health insurer will be informed.

Obligations of the Podotherapist

Your podotherapist is, in accordance with the GDPR (legislation since 25 May 2018), responsible for the processing of personal data that takes place in the practice. The practice meets its obligations as follows:

Your data is collected for specific purposes:

• for the provision of healthcare;
• for efficient management and policy;
• to support scientific research, education and information.
• In principle, no processing takes place for other purposes.

When engaging other processors (for example for message services for healthcare providers), we ensure that processing agreements safeguard your privacy rights.

• You will be informed that personal data relating to you is being processed. This may be done by your healthcare provider, through a leaflet or via our website.
• All staff within VoorVoet – Praktijk voor podotherapie have committed to treating your personal data confidentially.
• Your personal data is well secured against unauthorised access.
• Your personal data will not be retained for longer than necessary for good healthcare. For medical data, this retention period is in principle 15 years (from the last treatment).

Your Rights as a Healthcare Consumer

You have the following rights:

• The right to know whether and which personal data relating to you is being processed.
• The right to inspect and receive a copy of that data (insofar as the privacy of another person is not thereby harmed).
• The right to correction, supplementation or deletion of data where necessary.
• The right to request (partial) destruction of your medical data. This can only be complied with if retaining the data is not of significant importance to another person and the data does not have to be retained under a statutory regulation.
• The right to add your own (medical) statement to your file.
• The right to object to the processing of your data in certain cases.

If you wish to exercise your rights, you may do so verbally or via the request form to VoorVoet – Praktijk voor podotherapie. You may of course also enlist the help of an authorised representative, guardian or mentor.

The medical data form can be found on the website under the link 'medical data form' at the very bottom of every page.

Explanation of the Request Form

You should be aware that medical data is, by law, retained for a maximum of fifteen years in principle. You help us to find your file and protect your privacy if you fill in the form as completely as possible. The data you provide will be treated by us in strict confidence. VoorVoet – Praktijk voor podotherapie is not liable for errors in postal delivery. If you prefer to collect the file in person, or through an authorised representative, you can indicate this on the form.

Patient Data in the Request Form

Here you state the details of the person whose podotherapeutic file is concerned. The WGBO considers a patient to be a legal adult from the age of 16. Young people aged 16 or older who wish to inspect or receive a copy of their medical file must submit the request themselves. If the patient is no longer alive, the provision of medical data is permitted if it can be assumed that the deceased would not have objected to this, or if there are compelling reasons to break the healthcare provider's duty of confidentiality. This decision rests with the healthcare provider.

Disclosure of Your Personal Data to Third Parties

The staff of VoorVoet – Praktijk voor podotherapie are obliged to treat your personal data confidentially. This means, for example, that the healthcare provider requires your explicit consent before disclosing your personal data. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. A statutory provision may override the healthcare provider's duty of confidentiality, but also when there is a serious threat to your health or that of a third party. In addition, recorded data, for which you have given your consent, may where necessary be exchanged verbally, in writing or digitally with other healthcare providers (for example the physiotherapist or pedicurist with whom you are also in treatment) to ensure optimal treatment and cooperation.

Data Exchange

VoorVoet – Praktijk voor podotherapie exchanges, after you have given specific consent for this, relevant medical data safely and reliably via a secure digital information channel (Zorgmail/Zorgdomein/Siilo) with your GP or other involved healthcare providers.

Transfer of Your File

If you choose another podotherapist, it may be important for your new podotherapist to be informed of your paramedical history. Your paramedical history is documented in your patient file. You can ask your former podotherapist to transfer the file to your new podotherapist. The former podotherapist does this as soon as possible after you have requested the transfer of the file to your new podotherapist.

Your paramedical file is then transferred personally or by registered post by your new podotherapist. You cannot take the original file with you. However, you always have the right to inspect your file and to receive a copy of it. In the case of a digital file, it may also be transferred to the new podotherapist by email. Both podotherapists must then ensure that their computer and internet connections are sufficiently secure.

Question or Complaint

Do you have a question or a complaint? For example, about who we share data with or our handling of your medical data? If so, your podotherapist would be happy to discuss this with you. Please contact us in that case. Should you not be able to resolve the matter with us, you have the right to submit a complaint to the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (Data Protection Authority). You may also contact the Klachtenloket Paramedici via info@klachtenloketparamedici.nl or by telephone on 030 – 310 09 29.