Privacy Policy

Who we are

Our website address is: https://www.spectrumdermatologyseattle.com.

Spectrum Dermatology Seattle is committed to protecting your privacy online. We make every effort to safeguard your personal data.

What personal data we collect and why we collect it

Comments

When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.

An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.

Media

If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website.

Cookies

If you leave a comment on our site you may opt-in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year.

If you visit our login page, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.

When you log in, we will also set up several cookies to save your login information and your screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options cookies last for a year. If you select "Remember Me", your login will persist for two weeks. If you log out of your account, the login cookies will be removed.

If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie will be saved in your browser. This cookie includes no personal data and simply indicates the post ID of the article you just edited. It expires after 1 day.

Embedded content from other websites

Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.

These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

Analytics

This website uses Google Analytics to help us monitor and improve the site. You can find out how Google uses data here: www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/.

Email

Spectrum Dermatology Seattle will not send you any unsolicited information via email or any other form or means regarding commercial offers or advertisements without prior consent. We value our patient’s privacy and relationship and will make every attempt to safeguard this.

Because email is not a completely secure means of communication, please do not use email if you wish to keep your communications private and confidential.

HIPAA Compliant

This website resource allows you to learn information related to certain health topics and find health service providers in your area by linking you to individual health service provider’s web sites. Due to the nature of this web site, Spectrum Dermatology Seattle cannot check or verify the accuracy of information contained on health service provider’s web sites. The inclusion of any link to such sites does not imply endorsement, sponsorship, or recommendation by Spectrum Dermatology Seattle of these sites. Spectrum Dermatology Seattle does not warrant the accuracy of information obtained from these web sites. You are advised to conduct your own thorough review of the health service provider (“provider”) prior to retaining or taking advice from that provider. Advice given and opinions expressed throughout providers’ sites are those of the provider, not of Spectrum Dermatology Seattle. Spectrum Dermatology Seattle expressly disclaims all liability for any actions taken or not taken by you based upon any or all advice given or any service provided by the provider to you.

Links

This site contains links to other sites. Spectrum Dermatology Seattle is not responsible for the privacy practices of other sites that are linked to us.

Copyright

All materials on this server and this Internet site, including the site’s design, layout, and organization, are owned and copyrighted by Spectrum Dermatology Seattle and are protected by U.S. and international copyrights.

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

As of April 14, 2003, we are required under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) law to maintain the privacy of your health information, and to provide you with this Notice of Privacy Rights & Practices.

This document explains in detail how we use your Protected Health Information (PHI) which is any information about you that could identify you, your past, present, or future physical or mental health condition(s). Your acknowledgement of receipt of this document will be required the first time you receive services after April 14, 2003, at Spectrum Dermatology Seattle. Examples of how we can use and disclose your information without your authorization include:

Treatment – we keep a record of each visit and/or admission. These records may include your test results, diagnoses, medications or other therapies. These records are used and disclosed to allow doctors, nurses, spiritual care and other health care and clinical staff providers to offer high quality care to meet your needs.

Payment – we maintain a record of and may use and disclose information related to, services and supplies you receive at each visit and/or admission, so that we can be paid by you, an insurance company, or a third party. We may tell your health plan and other payors about an upcoming treatment or service, which requires their prior approval and authorization.

Health Care Operations – we use and disclose your medical information to improve the services we provide, to train staff and students, for business management, and for customer service purposes.

Your information may be shared amongst Spectrum Dermatology Seattle, other health care providers, third party payors and our Business Associates to facilitate treatment, payment or health care operations.

ADDITIONAL USES AND DISCLOSURES:

There are additional times when we are permitted or required to use/disclose medical information without your permission. These circumstances are listed below:

In emergency treatment situations
If required by law
To assist incommunicative patients
For law enforcement
For reporting child/elder/disabled persons abuse or neglect
For public health activities (tracking diseases or medical devices)
For organ donations
For health oversight activities such as fraud investigations
To Workers’ Compensation if you are injured at work
For certain judicial or administrative proceedings
To coroners, medical examiners and funeral directors
For government functions such as national security & intelligence
To a correctional institution if you are an inmate
For research following an appropriate review or waiver of authorization for subject recruitment application
To avert serious threat to public health or safety authorization by an institutional review board to ensure protection of information

We may also use your information without your permission to:

Recommend treatment alternatives
Tell you about health benefits and/or services
Send or call you with appointment reminders
Ask you to make a charitable gift
List your name, location, and general condition in the patient directory for the duration of your stay
List your religious affiliation in the patient directory provided to clergy for the duration of your stay
To communicate with those involved in your care
Except as otherwise permitted by law, all other uses and disclosures not described above will require your signed authorization. You may revoke any authorization you provide at any time by delivering a written statement directly to the Privacy Officer, except to the extent that we have already taken action in reliance on your authorization.

Please know that federal and state law requires special privacy protections for certain highly confidential information about you including but not limited to:

Psychotherapy notes
Mental health and developmental disabilities services
Alcohol and drug abuse prevention, treatment and referral
HIV/AIDS testing, diagnosis or treatment
Venereal disease(s)
Genetic testing
Child, elder and disabled persons abuse and neglect, and sexual assault.
In order for us to disclose your Highly Confidential Information for a purpose other than those permitted by law, we must obtain your written authorization.

YOUR RIGHTS: Under HIPAA, you have the right to request in writing:

Restrictions on how we use or disclose your medical information.
Confidential communications to an alternate phone or address other than your home.
Access to your medical information to review and obtain a copy, subject to federal and state laws (fees may apply).
An amendment to your medical information if you feel you or your health care provider need to make additions or corrections.
An accounting of disclosures of your medical information for purposes other than treatment, payment, health care operations or made pursuant to an authorization.
A paper copy of this Notice even if you have received it electronically.
A revocation of any specific authorization obtained in connection with your privacy, such as for marketing and research.
While we will consider all requests for privacy restrictions carefully, we are not required to agree to any requested restrictions.

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES: We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your medical information, to provide you with this written Notice of Privacy Rights and Practices, and to abide by the terms of the Notice currently in effect. We reserve the right to change this Notice and our privacy practices and make the new provisions effective for all information we maintain. Revised Notices will be posted in our facilities and offices, and will be available from your direct treatment provider.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: If you would like further information about your privacy rights, are concerned that we have violated your privacy rights or disagree with a decision that we made about access to your PHI, you may contact our Privacy Officer at the address or phone number below. You may also file written complaints with the Director, Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Upon request, the Privacy Officer will provide you with the correct address for the Director. We will not retaliate against you if you file a complaint with us or with the Director.

Spectrum Dermatology Seattle and its employees are committed to protecting patient privacy.