1. Commitment to Uphold Privacy
Divine Word Hospital (DWH) commits to upholding and respecting your rights and data privacy. DWH ensures that all personal data and information collected throughout the data process are utilized and processed in accordance with Republic Act 10173, otherwise known as the Data Privacy Act of 2012.
This Privacy Statement summarizes our policies regarding the collection, storage, use, retention, and destruction of personal and sensitive personal information that we collect and receive from our data subjects, including patients, prospective patients, clients, and users of this site.
2. What Data Do We Collect From You?
With your consent, DWH, through doctors, nurses, and other members of the healthcare team, may collect, document, use, and store your personal and sensitive information to ensure that you are given the appropriate and highest possible patient care that you need. This information may include:
- Name, age, sex, date of birth, civil or marital status, nationality or citizenship, religion, occupation or current employment, address, contact information, and signature specimen.
- Relevant contact information about your relatives, guardian, or next of kin.
- Chief complaints regarding your health or existing illness.
- Current medication or treatment used.
- Previous or current medical history, including family medical history when relevant.
- Vital signs, including blood pressure, temperature, and pulse rate.
- Accredited Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), when applicable.
- Laboratory test results, diagnostic test results, and other ancillary service results, when applicable.
- Any other information that will assist us in providing you with better health care.
3. What Do We Do With Your Data?
The personal and sensitive personal information stated above is processed for the following purposes:
- For admission and billing.
- For medical treatment and diagnosis, so DWH and its healthcare providers can understand your current status and the treatment you need.
- For reporting requirements, including information about certain diseases and other conditions that may be reported to the Department of Health (DOH) as mandated and authorized by laws and regulations.
- For processing PhilHealth, HMOs, and financial assistance requests such as DSWD or PCSO.
- For historical, statistical, scientific, or research purposes that help the hospital enhance its services.
- For other legitimate processing necessary to, and as a consequence of, the main functions and responsibilities of the hospital.
Your information may be used to generate data that would help the hospital enhance its services. However, DWH will obtain informed consent from you or your authorized representative before using your personal data for purposes other than those stated above, such as training, research, and direct marketing.
4. Sharing Your Personal Data to Other Institutions or Organizations
We do not share your personal information with third parties unless:
- You have consented to the sharing.
- The sharing is required or permitted by law, such as with the DOH or PhilHealth.
- The information is shared with HMOs or companies with which you are affiliated.
- The sharing is needed to assist you when you request financial help from social welfare institutions such as PCSO or DSWD.
- The sharing is needed to fulfill a legal mandate, such as a lawful order from a court, government agency, or public authority.
5. How Do We Store Your Personal Data?
We have appropriate security measures to ensure that all data collected is highly confidential and restricted to authorized personnel only. All personal and sensitive information that the hospital collects is kept secure, both physically and electronically.
We also implement security controls whenever a user enters, views, or submits information to maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your personal information. Offices and rooms in the hospital where data is stored are secured and locked after office hours.
6. How Do We Retain Your Personal Data?
We store your personal data in accordance with our policies on retention, observing applicable laws, government rules, and regulations. DWH also adheres to the general principles outlined in the Data Privacy Act of 2012, Chapter III, Section 11(e): all data collected will be retained only for as long as necessary for a legitimate purpose.
7. How Do We Dispose of Your Data?
All documents containing personal and sensitive personal information will be shredded when the data exceeds its retention period or when it is no longer needed by the hospital. This helps prevent further processing by unauthorized individuals.
8. Your Rights as a Data Subject
Under the Data Privacy Act, you have the following rights:
Right to be informed
As a data subject, you have the right to be informed whether personal data pertaining to you shall be, are being, or have been processed. When collecting and processing your data, you will be informed and provided with the following information:
- Description of the personal data to be entered into our system.
- Purpose for which the data is or will be processed, including direct marketing, profiling, or historical, statistical, or scientific purposes.
- Basis of processing when processing is not based on your consent.
- Recipients or classes of recipients to whom the personal data is or may be disclosed.
- Period for which the information will be stored or retained by our organization.
Right to object
As a data subject, you have the right to withdraw consent or object to the processing of your personal data. This effectively means that you can stop or prevent from using your data.
Right to access or get a copy of your personal data
As a data subject, you have the right to obtain a copy of information relating to you. It should be provided in an easy-to-access format and accompanied by a full explanation in plain language.
Right to rectify or correct erroneous data
As a data subject, you have the right to dispute the inaccuracy or error in your personal data.
Right to erase or order the blocking of your personal data
As a data subject, you have the right to request the suspension, withdrawal, blocking, removal, or destruction of your personal data upon discovery and substantial proof of any of the following:
- Your personal data is incomplete, outdated, false, or unlawfully obtained.
- Your personal data is used for an unauthorized purpose.
- Your personal data is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.
- You withdraw consent or object to processing, and there is no other legal ground or overriding legitimate interest for the processing.
- The processing is unlawful.
Right to be indemnified for damages
As a data subject, you have the right to be indemnified for any damages sustained due to inaccurate, incomplete, outdated, false, unlawfully obtained, or unauthorized use of your personal data, taking into account any violation of your rights and freedoms as a data subject.
Right to file a complaint
As a data subject, you have the right to file a complaint with the National Privacy Commission if you feel that your personal information has been misused, maliciously disclosed, improperly disposed, or that any of your data privacy rights have been violated.
9. Inquiries
If you have any further concerns or inquiries, you may contact our designated Data Protection Officer through the contact section below.
Data Protection Officer
[email protected]For questions about personal data processing, corrections, access requests, or privacy concerns.
Need more help?
For general hospital inquiries, service questions, or help finding the right office, visit our contact page.
You may also file a complaint with the National Privacy Commission if you believe your personal information has been misused, maliciously disclosed, improperly disposed, or that your data privacy rights have been violated.