Introduction
This privacy policy describes how Openconsult, Inc. (“Openconsult,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, shares, and otherwise handles personal information about individuals (“you” and/or “your”) who visit and use our websites and mobile applications that include a link to this privacy policy, and any related products, features, and services (collectively, the “Service” or “Services”).
Any patient information that you provide to us in connection with your use of a secure communication tool that we make available through the Service, will be used solely to provide the associated services to you and your peers. We do not monitor communication content and we do not record audio or video calls. We do not sell Patient Information.
By using the Service, whether as a registered member or an unregistered visitor, you acknowledge that you have read this privacy policy, and consent to the handling of your personal information as described in this policy, which we may update from time to time as described in the “Changes to this Policy” section, below.
Openconsult is a Kenyan company. The Openconsult Service is not intended for users outside of the Africa and only healthcare professionals are eligible for Openconsult membership. By using the Service, you consent to your personal information being stored and otherwise processed in Kenya as described in this policy.
Collection of Information
We collect personal information that you provide us directly, from third party sources, and automatically when you use the Service as follows:
Information That You Provide To Us Directly
Openconsult Member Accounts
When you register a Openconsult account and become a Openconsult member, we require you to provide certain personal information that varies depending on whether we have already created a professional profile for you. If you already have a profile, we ask that you verify the information, and if you do not, we ask that you provide us some of the information typically included in a Openconsult profile. All Openconsult members must provide their email address, and healthcare professionals are required to provide certain information about their education, such as school attended, year of graduation, and specialty.
Registering Openconsult users also have the option to provide additional information to include in their profile, including subspecialty, clinical and professional interests, languages spoken at the office, profile photo, medical group, hospital affiliations, internship, residency program, fellowships, employment history, speaking engagements, publications, memberships, and board certifications. You may choose to update or supplement the information you have provided us at any time.
To enhance the accuracy and integrity of the Openconsult healthcare provider directory, we require registering members to verify their identity and credentials, which verification may require them to answer identity verification questions and/or provide us a professional email address, a copy of their professional license, medical ID or other relevant documentation. While we take steps to verify that Openconsult members are actually the healthcare providers they claim to be, we make no guarantee as to any member’s identity, professional credentials or licensure status.
Submission
We collect content and information that you submit to the Service (and information about you may be provided by other Openconsult members), including comments, searches and contacts.
Information Collected Automatically When You Use The Services
In addition to your personal information that you provide to us directly, we collect a variety of personal information automatically when you use the Services through the use of cookies and similar technologies (e.g., pixels, web beacons and device identifiers), which we refer to as “Log Data”. Log Data includes activity information such as the date and time that you access one of our sites or apps, and whether you view, click or otherwise interact with content, including articles, links, advertisements promoting the products and services of Openconsult or our customers, open or click a link in one of our emails, conduct a search on one of our websites, share an article displayed in your newsfeed, or send, receive, or engage with a message sent through the Service. We collect device information including your IP address (which is a unique numerical address that identifies your device when you access the Internet), your browser and device type and model, operating system, your ISP and mobile carrier, your advertising ID (which is a unique, user-resettable identification number associated with a mobile device), other unique identifiers associated with your computer or mobile device, and the URL of the site from which you access our site.
The use of these technologies helps us serve you better by understanding what you’re interested in, tracking trends, measuring the effectiveness of our content, including ads, and saving your preferences.
We do not collect precise location information unless you elect to enable location services on your device, but we do receive information about your general location at a city or zip code level through your computer’s IP address and your mobile device.
1. Uses of Information
Except as otherwise provided herein, we may use the personal information we collect about you for the following business and commercial purposes:
Provision of the Service
We use your information to provide, operate, support, and improve the Services, including through the development of new tools and features.
Openconsult Profiles and Member Accounts
We use your information to create and update your professional profile, which is publicly viewable by default, regardless of whether you have registered a Openconsult account, to create and maintain your Openconsult member account if you choose to register, and to support and respond to your inquiries and requests.
Communications
We use your information to communicate with you about the Service. These communications may be sent through a variety of channels, including on-site or in-app notifications and email. We also use your information to process, store, and transmit your communications through the Service.
Other Uses of Your Information
We also use your information to detect, investigate, and prevent fraudulent, harmful, unauthorized, unethical or illegal activities to protect the rights, safety and property of Openconsult, our users and others, including through the enforcement of the Openconsult Terms of Service, in connection with legal proceedings, including arbitration, and to comply with our legal obligations. Also, we may create anonymous, aggregated or de-identified data from your personal information and other individuals whose personal information we collect. We may use this anonymous, aggregated or de-identified data and share it with third parties for our lawful business purposes, including to analyze and improve the Services and promote our business.
2. Sharing of Information
Authorities
We may access, preserve, and share your information with third parties, as required or permitted by applicable law, if we believe it is reasonably necessary to comply with legal process and law enforcement instructions and orders, such as a search warrant, subpoena, statute, judicial proceeding, or other legal process served on us, which may involve disclosure to law enforcement, courts, or governmental authorities. Also, if you provide us information about an adverse event relating to a pharmaceutical product or medical device, we may be required to report this information along with your contact information to the manufacturer so it can comply with legally required reporting obligations.
Other Third Parties
We may access, preserve, and share your information if we determine it is reasonably necessary or appropriate to investigate, prevent or take action regarding suspected fraudulent, harmful, unethical or illegal activities, or any violation of our Terms of Service or to protect and defend the legal rights, safety, and property of Openconsult, our employees, agents and contractors (including to enforce our agreements) or in connection with any safety or security concerns, including the personal safety of our users and the public.
With Your Consent
We also may share your personal information with a third party in a manner not addressed by this policy with your consent.
3. Security
We employ technical, administrative and physical safeguards designed to protect your personal information. However, no security measure can guarantee security and that data will not be accessed, disclosed, altered, or destroyed. You should take steps to protect against unauthorized access to your password, phone, and computer by, among other things, signing off after using a shared computer, choosing a complex password that nobody else knows or can easily guess, and keeping your log-in credentials private. We are not responsible for any lost, stolen, or compromised passwords or for any unauthorized account activity.
4. Data Retention
We will retain your personal information for at least the period reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this privacy policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. If we delete some or all of your personal information, we may continue to retain and use aggregate or anonymous data previously collected and/or aggregate or anonymize your personal information.
5. Choices Regarding Personal Information
Your Account And Profile Information.
If you have registered a Openconsult account, you may review and update certain personal information through your account settings. If you prefer to submit an update request to us directly, or if you do not have a Openconsult account but would like us to modify or remove your public profile, or if you wish to close your account, please contact us at admin@Openconsult.co.ke.
Push Notifications
If you consent to receive push notifications, you may withdraw your consent at any time by adjusting the appropriate operating system settings on your mobile device.
6. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to modify this privacy policy at any time and in our sole discretion. When we make a change, we will update the “Effective Date” and post the updated policy on or through the Service. We may, and if required by law will, also provide notification of changes in another way that we believe is reasonably likely to reach you, such as by e-mail (if you have an account where we have your contact information) or another manner through the Service. Any modifications to this privacy policy will be effective upon posting or as otherwise indicated at the time of posting. In all cases, by continuing to use the Service after posting of the updated policy, you are consenting to the changes. If you object to any changes, you may close your account by contacting admin@Openconsult.co.ke.
7. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this policy or Openconsult privacy practices, you may reach us at any time by emailing admin@Openconsult.co.ke