Belonging to the medical industry, the Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS) values privacy and is committed to maintaining the privacy of all personal information it collects. Information we collect are voluntarily given and we give notice of how it will be used, and seek consent for sharing and retention from our data subjects.

With respect to patients, our members either collect personal information voluntarily given by them, or receive them from affiliate hospitals that have also collected the information voluntarily given by them and that share this information with our members upon referral, with full compliance with the Data Privacy Law. This information consists of names, addresses, ages, and their medical condition. Patients are notified that the information they provide, with emphasis on their medical condition, may be later shared and used in medical writings and journals or for medical research for purposes of developing new cures, processes, or procedures to address medical disorders to the end that the human condition may be improved, but ensuring that their identities are not shared when non-material to the purpose. This is necessary for the improvement of cures and services, as the medical profession is built on an accumulation of data and research, which provides a legitimate purpose for sharing and keeping data for the period made necessary by the endeavor. Since there is a continuing need for reference for either continued treatment or when a medical condition recurs after treatment, personal information of patients are kept indefinitely as long as the reasons for which they are retained subsist. A patient’s consent is sought for such sharing and retention.

With respect to members, personal information such as telephone numbers, postal and email addresses may be used internally for maintaining records, disseminating information across the membership, soliciting participation in research and other dermatology-related activities and other related purpose, and for inclusion in our directory.

Whenever processing of personal information is outsourced to a third party, such processing is covered by data sharing or data processing agreements between us and the third-party data processor in full compliance with the Data Privacy Act. These agreements specify the rights and obligations of each party, ensures that the third-party processor has adequate security measures in place and will only process the patients’ or members’ personal information within the terms of the agreement.

Data subjects are informed about their rights under the Data Privacy Law.