What patients need to know about how Pure Visage handles health information, communications, photographs and consent.
Privacy is part of your care. We collect personal and health information so we can respond to enquiries, provide safe healthcare, communicate with you and operate the practice. Our full Privacy, Health Information & Data Protection Policy is available on our website or from our team on request.
What information we collect and why
Your relationship with Pure Visage may begin before you become a patient — through our website, telephone, email, social media or an online enquiry. We may collect your contact details, the procedure or service you are interested in, your questions and communication preferences. If you proceed to consultation or treatment, we collect the health and clinical information reasonably necessary for your care.
We use this information to respond to you, arrange appointments, provide assessment and treatment, maintain your medical record, manage accounts and follow-up, and communicate with healthcare providers involved in your care. Where relevant and lawful, information may be shared with providers such as your GP or referrer, hospitals or day surgeries, anaesthetists, pathology or radiology services, Medicare, private health insurers and professional or technology providers acting for Pure Visage.
Information, education and marketing
We may use your contact details and the procedure or service you have expressed an interest in, to send relevant procedure information, educational resources, follow-up information, eNews, practice updates, events or information about our services. This supports patients and prospective patients to make informed decisions.
You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe link or by contacting us. Opting out of marketing does not stop communications needed to respond to an active enquiry or manage appointments, treatment, accounts, safety, consent or ongoing care. We do not use sensitive health information for direct marketing without the consent required by law.
Heidi Health — AI-assisted consultation notes
Pure Visage uses Heidi Health during consultations as an AI-assisted clinical documentation tool. Its purpose is to allow your doctor to focus more fully on you and the clinical conversation, rather than spending the appointment typing or reconstructing notes afterwards. Heidi processes the consultation conversation to help prepare accurate and detailed clinical notes, letters and related correspondence.
In Heidi Health’s standard transcription workflow, the consultation audio is processed only to generate the transcription and draft documentation. Heidi states that real-time consultation audio is not retained after processing. Heidi states that consultation data, session transcriptions and generated notes are not used to train its AI model and that Australian users have local data-residency arrangements.
Pure Visage does not keep a separate permanent audio recording of the consultation through Heidi. The written documentation is then managed as part of our approved clinical workflow and medical record.
Heidi does not make clinical decisions and does not independently determine whether you are suitable for treatment or surgery. Your practitioner retains full professional responsibility and control. The generated documentation is reviewed and, where necessary, edited and verified by the treating practitioner before it forms part of the final clinical record.
We explain the use of Heidi and obtain your verbal or written permission in accordance with our clinical workflow. Its use is voluntary. You may decline its use or ask for it to be stopped at any point during your consultation, without affecting the standard of care you receive.
Clinical photographs and media consent
Clinical photographs may be taken for assessment, treatment planning, clinical documentation, comparison and follow-up. They are health information and are stored in a separate repository with restricted access. Consent is obtained for the taking, use and storage of clinical images.
Consent to clinical photography does not give Pure Visage permission to publish or advertise your images. We obtain separate, specific written media consent before using identifiable photographs, video or other patient information for our website, social media, educational material or advertising. Only approved copies are prepared for this purpose and kept separately from the underlying clinical photograph library. You may refuse media consent without affecting your care.
Other consents and choices
Acknowledging this privacy notice is not a blanket consent and does not replace other permissions that may be required during your care. Depending on your circumstances, we may separately ask for consent or acknowledgement for communication preferences and permission to leave telephone or voicemail messages; sharing information relevant to your care; clinical photography; separate media use of photographs or video; treatment and surgery; hospital documentation and consent; informed financial consent (IFC); and billing and payment arrangements.
These permissions are not interchangeable. For example, consent to take clinical photographs does not authorise their use in advertising or social media. Where the law permits, consent for a future use may be withdrawn, although we may still need to retain information forming part of your medical record or required by law or professional obligations.
Telephone calls, social media and communications
Telephone calls may be recorded for quality, training and continuity of care. Where recording is enabled, callers are informed and may ask not to be recorded where reasonably practicable. Relevant communication records may be used by authorised staff to understand previous discussions and provide continuity of service.
Pure Visage uses social media, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn, to provide information about our practice, procedures and services. Our social media and advertising are managed in accordance with AHPRA and Medical Board of Australia advertising requirements. Social media is not an appropriate place for confidential medical discussions; if you contact us there, we may acknowledge your enquiry and direct you to our team through an appropriate private communication channel.
Protecting and accessing your information
Pure Visage uses a dedicated medical records clinical system and a separate business system, which have restricted access, confidentiality requirements and managed cybersecurity measures appropriate to the information we hold. Identifiable clinical photographs are held in a separate, restricted repository, and photographs approved for external media use are prepared and held separately from the clinical photograph library.
Access is limited according to role and legitimate need. Staff and contractors do not automatically have access to every system or category of information. We use individual accounts and appropriate authentication, confidentiality requirements, encryption and security controls provided by our approved platforms, backup and recovery arrangements, and professional managed cybersecurity support. We give preference to Australian data regions or Australian storage for sensitive information where appropriate and available.
Our full Privacy Policy contains the detailed information about the systems we use, Australian data-location arrangements, provider assurance and certifications, retention, cybersecurity and data-breach procedures.
Questions, complaints and the full Privacy Policy
You may ask to access personal information we hold about you or request correction of information you believe is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading. We may need to verify your identity and may only limit access where permitted by law. You may also raise a privacy question or complaint with our Privacy Officer.
For privacy questions, access or correction of information, or a complaint, please contact the Privacy Officer:
More information about the APPs and HPPs can be found on the Australian Information Commissioner’s website www.oaic.gov.au.
This notice is a concise patient privacy summary. The Full Privacy, Health Information & Data Protection Policy contains the detailed information about the systems we use, Australian data-location arrangements, provider assurance and certifications, retention, cybersecurity and data-breach procedures. It is the authoritative document and is available on our website or from the practice on request.
