APS Privacy Policy
1. Purpose
The Australian Pain Society (APS) is a national, not-for-profit, multidisciplinary healthcare organisation committed to improving the understanding and management of pain through education, research, advocacy, and collaboration.
This Privacy Policy outlines how APS collects, uses, discloses, and protects personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).
2. Scope
This Policy applies to personal information collected from:
- members and prospective members
- healthcare professionals across disciplines
- consumers and community representatives
- participants in APS activities (including conferences, education, and research)
- Special Interest Group (SIG) members
- volunteers, committee members, and governance representatives
- suppliers, contractors, and job applicants
3. Types of information collected
APS may collect and hold the following types of personal information:
- identity and contact information (e.g. name, address, email, phone number)
- professional information (e.g. discipline, qualifications, affiliations)
- membership and participation data, including SIG involvement
- education, conference, and event participation records
- consumer engagement and advocacy participation data
- financial and transaction information
- survey, research, and feedback data
- website and digital interaction data
APS may also collect aggregated or de-identified data for reporting, research, and service improvement purposes.
Sensitive information will only be collected where reasonably necessary for APS functions and will be handled in accordance with applicable privacy laws.
4. How information is collected
APS collects personal information by lawful and fair means, including:
- directly from individuals via forms (online or hard copy)
- through membership registration and renewals
- when registering for SIGs, conferences, events, or education programs
- through participation in research, surveys, consultations, or advocacy activities
- via interactions with APS (email, phone, website, or social media)
APS may also collect personal information from third parties where appropriate, including professional bodies, recruitment agencies, service providers, or publicly available sources.
5. Purpose of collection
APS collects, holds, and uses personal information to fulfil its charitable and organisational purposes, including to:
- administer membership programs and maintain member records
- manage and support Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
- deliver conferences, workshops, and professional development programs
- facilitate multidisciplinary collaboration across healthcare professionals
- support research, data collection, and evidence-based practice in pain management
- undertake advocacy and policy development at national and state levels
- engage with consumers and community stakeholders
- communicate publications, resources, events, and opportunities
- administer governance functions, committees, and working groups
- process payments and manage financial records
- comply with legal, regulatory, and reporting obligations
6. Disclosure of personal information
APS will generally only use or disclose personal information for the purpose for which it was collected, or for related purposes that would be reasonably expected.
APS may disclose personal information to third parties that support its operations, including:
- IT and digital service providers
- event and education delivery platforms
- marketing and communications providers
- research and survey partners
- professional, regulatory, or government bodies where required
APS does not sell personal information and will not disclose it for unrelated purposes without consent unless required by law.
7. Digital platforms and cookies
APS may use cookies and similar technologies to enhance user experience, analyse website usage, and improve services.
APS digital platforms may integrate with third-party services (e.g. social media), which may collect data under their own privacy policies. Users are encouraged to review those policies.
8. Data security
APS takes reasonable administrative, technical, and physical steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure.
This includes the use of secure systems, access controls, and encryption where appropriate.
If a data breach occurs that is likely to result in serious harm, APS will notify affected individuals and relevant authorities in accordance with applicable laws.
9. Overseas disclosure
APS primarily operates within Australia; however, some service providers may store or process data overseas (e.g. cloud-based platforms).
APS takes reasonable steps to ensure that such providers maintain appropriate privacy protections consistent with Australian privacy requirements.
10. Access and correction
Individuals have the right to:
- access their personal information held by APS
- request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
Requests will be managed in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
11. Retention of information
APS retains personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil its functions or as required by law.
Where information is no longer required, APS will take reasonable steps to securely destroy or de-identify it.
12. Complaints
If you have a complaint regarding the handling of your personal information, APS will manage the complaint in accordance with its governance processes and applicable legislation.
13. Policy review
This Policy will be reviewed periodically to ensure it remains current, compliant, and aligned with best practice for not-for-profit and healthcare organisations.
14. Contact
For privacy-related enquiries, access requests, or complaints, please contact APS via the appropriate channel listed on our website.
