Website privacy policy
Our commitment to privacy
Sharp HealthCare is committed to maintaining the privacy of those who use our website. This website privacy policy is designed to assist you in understanding how we collect and use the personal information you provide to us and to assist you in making informed decisions when using our website.
We want you to feel safe and comfortable when you use our websites and are dedicated to developing and upholding high standards for protecting your privacy and securing your personal information. You should read and familiarize yourself with this policy and with our Terms and Conditions of Use Agreement. When you use our websites, utilize our online services or mobile applications, or participate in our email or text communications (collectively, the “Digital Tools”), you agree to abide by this agreement.
Information we collect
When you visit our website, you may provide us with two types of information:
Personal information you knowingly choose to disclose
Website use information
Personal information is any information you have provided us through our websites that uniquely identifies you, such as name, Social Security number, health plan ID number, medical record number, date of birth, telephone number, address or email.
Website use information is information that is gathered automatically by Sharp HealthCare to track website activity, including the number of users and pages visited. Website use information includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, internet service provider (ISP), referring/exit pages, operating system and date/time stamp. Website use information does not identify individual users.
Use of cookies, beacons, and other tracking technology
To access the secure services on our websites, cookies must be enabled. Cookies are pieces of information stored on a user's computer, which allow us to recognize repeat users, track usage patterns and better serve you when you return to our sites. Cookies are not used on non-secure portions of Sharp HealthCare’s websites. Your browser is probably set to accept cookies. However, if you would prefer not to accept cookies, you can change your browser settings to refuse them. If you choose to have your browser refuse cookies, it is possible that some areas of our website will not function properly when you view them, and you may have to re-enter personal information every time you use the site in order to participate in certain services or promotions.
Sharp HealthCare uses so-called “behavioral” advertising on third-party sites (also sometimes called "retargeting" or "tracking"), through which information collected about the pages you visit on our site is used to display ads for Sharp HealthCare or Sharp products or services when you visit third-party websites. The information collected that makes this possible may uniquely identify your machine or browser settings, this information does not directly identify you by itself, but it may be possible for some third parties to identify you by combining it with other information they may have from separate sources.
How we use information
Sharp HealthCare uses the personal information that you submit to us via our website to administer our business activities and to respond to your inquiries. We will not sell, lease, rent or license your personal information to a third party, unless you authorize us to do so. We may provide your personal information to health care entities involved in providing health care to you, such as your health plan or physician. In such case, Sharp HealthCare will disclose personal information in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations as described in Sharp HealthCare’s Notice of Privacy Practices.
In addition, Sharp HealthCare reserves the right to de-identify and aggregate data, and to use such aggregated data in accordance with all applicable laws. If your membership is sponsored by your employer or another third party, we may share information with that party in de-identified, aggregate form only. For example, we may report to your employer the number of its employees using the websites or the frequency of their collective use. This information will not identify you personally.
Questions about your personal information
If you have questions about your personal information maintained by Sharp HealthCare, please contact us at the phone number listed below.
How we respond to do-not-track signals
Some internet browsers have incorporated "Do Not Track" (“DNT”) features that, when turned on, signal to the web sites you visit that you do not wish to be tracked. Because there are not yet any common standards for DNT (or even a clear definition of to what it should apply) we do not currently respond to DNT signals.
Our commitment to security
The security of your personal information is important to Sharp HealthCare. To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data security and ensure the correct use of information, Sharp HealthCare has adopted stringent security standards. These standards include physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect and secure the information that we collect from you. While we follow generally accepted industry standards to protect the personal information submitted to us, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. We, therefore, cannot guarantee absolute security.
Links to other websites
Our website contains links to other websites that are not owned or controlled by Sharp HealthCare. Please be aware that Sharp HealthCare is not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or accuracy of such other websites. Sharp HealthCare encourages you to be aware when you leave our website and to read the privacy policies of every website that collects your personal information.
If you identify yourself to us by sending us an email with questions or comments, we may use your personal information to respond to your questions or comments. We may file your comments for future reference, or we may discard the information after we have reviewed it. Any ideas, comments or materials you submit will be treated as non-confidential and shall become the property of Sharp HealthCare. By submitting such ideas, comments or materials, you automatically and irrevocably assign to Sharp HealthCare any and all rights whether now known or arising in the future to such ideas, comments or materials. Sharp HealthCare shall exclusively own all such rights, with no obligation to you of any sort. This provision is necessary to avoid future misunderstandings in the event that projects developed by our staff might seem to others to be similar to their own creative work.
If you give us your email via our website or via any other method, we may send you unsolicited email with information about Sharp HealthCare, health or wellness or other topics of interest to our patients. If you provide us your work email or any account provided by your employer, your employer may have access to any emails sent to or from that address in accordance with your employer’s right to monitor employee email. If you request to be removed from our email list, we will honor your request. We will never sell your email or provide it to anyone else except as described in this Privacy Policy or as set forth in Sharp HealthCare’s Notice of Privacy Practices.
Changing your email preferences
Sharp HealthCare may send you communications, including email communications, regarding products, services, promotions, changes to our websites or other information. You always have the opportunity to choose not to receive such communications:
By following unsubscribe directions stated in the footer of email communications
For Sharp HealthCare, by contacting Customer Care at 1-800-82-SHARP (1-800-827-4277).
Required third-party terms
Our app may access your device’s Bluetooth to detect other nearby devices. This information will be used to notify front desk staff electronically when you arrive for an appointment. Our app will not store your Bluetooth data.
Our app interacts with your microphone only if you choose to use your microphone to navigate our mobile apps. Our app interacts with your camera roll only if you choose to add a profile image to a profile in our app. This information will not be used in connection with COVID-19.
Our app accesses, collects, uses and shares your information (including video, audio, images, files, phone). Our app accesses your information to read and write files and photos you choose to use in our app. These files and photos may be used as attachments that are sent to your provider, or they may be created from attachments sent to you from your provider.
Our mobile app is not created specifically for the COVID-19 pandemic. We may allow you to access COVID-19-related vaccination information, laboratory test results, and documents with illness-related information using our app. You may choose if or how you want to access, display or use the information — just like you can make those decisions about health information relating to other conditions, services, tests or vaccinations.
We may allow you to use our app to conduct telehealth appointments with your healthcare providers. Our app only provides the technical support for those appointments to happen. We do not interact with any health information about you exchanged during any telehealth appointments.
Your responsibility
Although we will protect your privacy on our website as described in this policy, you should keep in mind that if you give others access to your computer, your password or disclose personal information online, it is possible that despite our efforts, information may be accessible by others. You can help guard against this by never disclosing your password, giving anyone else access to your personal computer, and by ensuring that information you disclose online is transmitted securely.
Changes to our website privacy policy
Sharp HealthCare reserves the right to change this website privacy policy at any time without advance notice to our users. Modifications to the policy shall be effective when they are posted on this website, in which case posting shall constitute notice to you. Your continued use of the website following the posting of any such modifications on the website constitutes your acceptance and agreement to be bound by such modifications. We encourage you to check the website regularly to see if we have made any modifications to this policy.
If you have questions regarding our website privacy policy or other general questions, please send us an email or give us a call at 1-800-82-SHARP (1-800-827-4277), Monday through Friday, 7 am to 7 pm.