Privacy Policy
This policy explains how Total Joint Specialists and the TJS Staff app handle information related to staff operations, patient care coordination, browsing, analytics, scheduling links, and communications.
App and developer details
This policy applies to the Total Joint Specialists public website and to TJS Staff, the staff-facing clinical and administrative app for Total Joint Specialists workflows. TJS Staff is published on Google Play by Sherlock Health Inc. and is intended only for authorized workforce, care-team, and administrative users. TJS Navigator, the patient app, has its own app privacy page at https://portal.totaljointspecialist.com/privacy.
Information we collect
We may collect information you choose to provide when you call, request an appointment, follow a scheduling link, or contact the practice. We may also collect limited technical information from your browser, such as device type, pages visited, referring URLs, and approximate location derived from network information.
When authorized users use TJS Staff, the app may process staff account information, role and permission details, login and device metadata, audit events, scheduling information, appointment and encounter details, care coordination notes, procedure and billing-support information, uploaded clinical documents or images, and other information needed to operate the orthopedic episode of care.
Analytics and cookies
We use privacy-conscious analytics and Google Analytics with IP anonymization to understand website performance, popular pages, and referral sources. These tools help us improve navigation, content quality, and scheduling access.
Appointment scheduling
Appointment links may send you to a scheduling experience operated on a related Total Joint Specialists domain or by approved service providers. Information entered into scheduling systems is used to respond to appointment requests and coordinate care.
Text messages and phone numbers
We collect mobile phone numbers when you book an appointment, complete an intake or scheduling form, contact the practice, or provide a number to our staff. We use those numbers to send appointment reminders and confirmations, pre-visit and pre-operative instructions, links to forms you need to complete, follow-up and check-in messages, and occasional reminders that it may be time to schedule a visit. We may also call the number, including with an automated phone assistant that can answer questions, take a message for the care team, and schedule appointments.
We do not sell your phone number, and we do not share it with third parties for their own marketing. Phone numbers are shared only with the service providers who deliver messages and calls on our behalf, and only so that they can deliver them.
Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. You can stop text messages at any time by replying STOP to any message, or PARE to a message sent in Spanish. We will send one confirmation that you have been unsubscribed and will not text you again unless you ask us to resume by replying START. Opting out of text messages does not stop phone calls about your care, and does not affect your treatment. You can also ask any staff member to change your communication preferences.
Text messaging is not a channel for urgent or emergency concerns. If you are having a medical emergency, call 911.
Health information
Total Joint Specialists handles patient information in accordance with applicable privacy and health information requirements, including HIPAA where applicable. TJS Staff is used by authorized users to support care delivery, scheduling, documentation, communication, operations, audit, and related healthcare workflows. This public website is not intended for detailed clinical communication. Established patients should use approved patient communication channels for personal medical questions.
How we use information
- To respond to appointment and contact requests.
- To operate, secure, and improve the website.
- To understand which pages and topics help patients.
- To measure marketing and referral performance.
- To comply with applicable legal, security, and practice obligations.
- To authenticate and authorize staff users, maintain audit logs, support care-team workflows, and protect patient information.
Sharing information
We do not sell personal information. We may share information with service providers who support website hosting, analytics, scheduling, communications, security, or practice operations. We may also disclose information when required by law or necessary to protect patients, the practice, or the public.
How long we retain data
We retain website, scheduling, contact, and communication information for as long as needed to respond to requests, operate and secure our services, maintain records, and comply with legal, security, practice, contractual, and healthcare obligations.
TJS Staff account, access, audit, scheduling, encounter, clinical, billing-support, document, and care-coordination records are retained for as long as needed to provide and document care, support healthcare operations, maintain audit and security records, comply with medical-record retention duties, satisfy payer or contract requirements, respond to legal obligations, and preserve system integrity. Healthcare and operational records are generally retained for at least seven years after the last relevant interaction, and may be retained longer when required by law, payer, contract, litigation hold, security investigation, or treating-practice policy.
Security, diagnostic, and access logs are generally retained for up to 24 months unless a longer period is needed for security, audit, fraud-prevention, legal, compliance, or incident-response purposes. De-identified or aggregated information that no longer identifies a person may be retained to improve reliability, safety, quality, and operations.
Your choices
You can limit cookies through your browser settings. You can also contact us to ask about privacy-related concerns, access requests, corrections, or communication preferences where applicable. Patients should use approved patient channels for medical-record questions, care questions, or protected health information requests. Authorized staff users should contact their practice administrator or Sherlock Health support for account, access, or offboarding requests.
Data deletion requests
You may request deletion, de-identification, correction, or access review by emailing privacy@totaljointspecialist.com or by using the contact page at https://totaljointspecialist.com/contact. We may need to verify your identity, confirm your authority to make the request, and route protected health information requests to the treating practice before completing the request. Where deletion is legally permitted, we will delete, de-identify, or restrict access to applicable data within a reasonable period, generally within 45 days after verification.
Some information cannot be deleted immediately or completely if it must be retained for treatment, payment, healthcare operations, medical recordkeeping, audit logs, security, fraud prevention, legal claims, regulatory compliance, backup integrity, or other applicable obligations. Removing TJS Staff from a device or disabling a staff account does not automatically delete server-side healthcare, operational, audit, or account records.
Contact
For privacy questions about Total Joint Specialists, TJS Staff, or this website, contact privacy@totaljointspecialist.com or call 770 292 6500.
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