Privacy & Data Protection Policy

1. Identity of the Data Controller

This Privacy Policy applies to all outpatient psychiatric and psychotherapeutic services, as well as the website and online intake portal operated by:

2. Legal Framework & Professional Secrecy

We process your personal data and sensitive health data in strict compliance with:

• The Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (nFADP / nLPD) and its Ordinance (DPO);
• Professional and medical secrecy (Art. 321 of the Swiss Criminal Code), Federal acts on psychology professions (PsyA / LPsy) and medical professions (MedBG / LPMéd), as well as cantonal public health regulations (Vaud, Valais, Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Ticino);
• The Swiss Federal Health Insurance Act (LAMal / KVG) regarding compulsory basic insurance billing under the medical prescription model.

3. Personal and Sensitive Data Collected

In the course of your intake request and therapeutic care, we only collect data strictly necessary for your care:

• Identity and contact details: first and last name, date of birth, postal address, email address, phone number, preferred consultation language;
• Administrative and insurance data: health insurer name, AHV/AVS or insured card number, details of the prescribing physician and medical prescription;
• Clinical and health data (sensitive data under nFADP): reason for consultation, consultation preferences (center, schedule, individual/couple/family modality), clinical notes, assessment reports, and medical-psychotherapeutic correspondence;
• Technical browsing data: security logs, language preference, and strictly necessary session cookies.

4. Purposes of Data Processing

Your data is processed exclusively for the following purposes:

• Evaluating your online intake request and matching you with the appropriate practitioner across our 13 centers or via teleconsultation;
• Managing your clinical and medical record, conducting psychotherapy and psychiatric follow-up;
• Coordinating care with your prescribing physician (GP, pediatrician, psychiatrist) in accordance with the LAMal prescription model and with your consent;
• Invoicing therapeutic services (Tardoc / psychological psychotherapy tariff structure) via accredited clearinghouses and health insurers;
• Complying with our legal, ethical, and cantonal medical record retention obligations.

5. Recipients & Confidentiality

Access to your data is strictly restricted to the healthcare professionals involved in your care (psychologists-psychotherapists, psychiatrists) and our authorized medical secretariat, all bound by professional secrecy.

We never sell or rent your data. Data is only shared with third parties when required for your care or by law (health insurers / billing clearinghouses under LAMal, prescribing physician with your consent, or competent judicial/health authorities when legally mandated).

6. Hosting, Security & Retention Period

Your data is hosted on secure clinical infrastructure in Switzerland and/or within jurisdictions recognized as providing adequate data protection by the Swiss Federal Council, protected by encryption in transit (TLS) and at rest, strict role-based access control, and audit logging.

In accordance with cantonal health laws, patient medical and psychotherapeutic records are retained for the statutory period (generally 10 to 20 years after the last consultation depending on cantonal law) before secure archiving or destruction.

7. Your Rights (nFADP / nLPD)

Under the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection and cantonal health legislation, you have the right to:

• Request access to your personal data and obtain a copy of your patient record;
• Request the rectification of inaccurate or incomplete data;
• Withdraw your consent or request the deletion of data that is no longer subject to a statutory medical retention obligation;
• Request the portability or transfer of your clinical file to another healthcare professional of your choice.

To exercise your rights, please contact our Data Protection Officer at question@LaConsultation.ch or by post at Avenue de la Riviera 18, 1820 Montreux. The competent federal supervisory authority is the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) in Bern.