We want you to know how we collect, use, and share your information when you opt-in for text messaging from our healthcare practice. For information on how we handle your Protected Health Information under applicable privacy laws (including for healthcare treatment and payment), please review our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices.
We collect personal information from you to send you text messages, including your name and phone number. We may also collect message interaction and consent data, including delivery status, response data, and method of opt-in. You provide your personal information to us when you contact us to make an appointment or if you are referred to our office, and our third-party service provider may collect message interaction data through their systems.
We use your information to send you healthcare-related text messages, such as appointment reminders, text-to-pay links, mobile check-in links, and office closure announcements. We also use your information to monitor and improve our text messaging services. Under HIPAA, we may further use your name and phone number (along with other Protected Health Information) as explained in our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices.
We do not sell or share the personal data collected under this policy with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes without your prior explicit consent. Your text messaging opt-in is not shared with third parties except as required by law or with our trusted service providers as needed to provide the text messaging services. We may disclose your information as permitted by law for purposes of providing the services, legal compliance, corporate transactions (such as a merger or sale), or for security and safety (to prevent harm or to respond to an emergency).
Your consent for us to send you text messages applies only to communications from our medical office and service partners and does not extend to third-party businesses. We collect your consent to receive text messages in three different ways.
You can opt out of our text service at any time by calling our office or replying with “STOP” to any message you receive from us. Once you opt out, you will promptly stop receiving further messages unless you opt back in.
We take reasonable measures to protect the information you provide from unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse. However, no system is completely secure, and we do not guarantee the security of your data during transmission or storage. Please also be aware that SMS text messages are not encrypted and the content may be accessible by third parties. We do not recommend sending sensitive information through SMS text message.
We reserve the right to update or modify this Text Messaging Privacy Policy at any time. Any significant changes will be communicated via text message or other method as we determine appropriate. Continued use of our text service after any changes indicates your acceptance of the revised policy. If anything in this policy is inconsistent with our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices, the HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices will control if it applies.
If you have any questions about this Text Messaging Privacy Policy or wish to update your text preferences, please contact our office.
