Privacy Policy of the Ballad Health App

Last Updated Aug. 11, 2022

About Ballad Health

Ballad Health is an integrated community health improvement organization serving 29 counties of the Appalachian Highlands in Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, Northwest North Carolina and Southeast Kentucky. We're dedicated to improving the health of the people we serve.

Our system of 21 hospitals, post-acute care and behavioral health services, and a large multi-specialty group physician practice works closely with an independent medical community and community stakeholders to improve the health and well-being of close to one million people.

Overview

The Ballad Health App (the “App”) incorporates the Epic Systems Corporation’s (“Epic”) MyChart mobile application libraries. MyChart allows patients to access portion of their Electronic Medical Records, including Covid-19 and other lab results. Epic’s Privacy Policy can be found here:

https://www.epic.com/about/privacypolicies#mobile-policy-patient

MyChart could use the 12 following permissions if authorized by the user:

• ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION
• ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION
• ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION
• BLUETOOTH
• BLUETOOTH_ADMIN
• BLUETOOTH_CONNECT
• BLUETOOTH_SCAN
• CALL_PHONE
• CAMERA
• READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
• RECORD_AUDIO
• WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE

This privacy policy

This Privacy Policy describes how the Ballad Health App mobile application (the “App”) accesses, collects, uses, stores, and transmits user information and data. Ballad Health may modify this Privacy Policy at any time, effective upon its posting. Your use of our App constitutes your acceptance of this Privacy Policy and any updates. Your use of our App is subject to the App’s Terms of Use found here:

https://mychart.balladhealth.org/mychart/Authentication/Login?mode=stdfile&option=termsandconditions

Purpose

This Privacy Policy lets you know what limited information you provide to us when you use our App and how that information is used.

Ballad Health is the owner or custodian of information provided or collected using the App. We will not share or rent this information to others in ways different from what is disclosed in this Privacy Policy or the App Terms and Conditions of Use. We will not sell this information.

App use of data

When you use the App, you may provide us with different types of information, including personal information you knowingly choose to share with us and information that is collected on an aggregate basis as you and others use the App. We use the personal information you provide for the purposes of making products and services available to you and administering our business activities. Occasionally, we may also use your information to notify you about important changes to the App, new services, and new information we think you might find valuable. Users who do not wish to receive communications (whether e-mail, paper mail, SMS text messaging or other means) or who believe they are receiving those communications by mistake can contact us and request removal from the communications by calling the Ballad Health Consumer Call Center at 1-866-517-5873.

We receive and store any information you enter into the App. It is completely optional for you to use the App and to provide us your information.

For example, we request information from you when you:

1. Sign up for the App;
2. Send a secure message to your health care provider, billing office or MyChart or App customer support;
3. Request an appointment or health service(s);
4. Access test results;
5. Connect and communicate with physicians or other licensed health care professionals (“Providers”) in real time, via live streaming video, telephone and/or secure email for the purpose of diagnosis and/or treatment;
6. Request access or grant access to your account for another MyChart account user;
7. Link your Ballad MyChart information with other healthcare organization information.

In the instances above, we may ask for your name, e-mail address, billing address, home address and credit card information, as well as other similar personal information that is needed to register, subscribe, or request several of the services we offer. Ballad Health will never ask you for your password in any communications (including letters, phone calls, SMS, text, or email messages).

We may also provide information you request using the App. It is completely optional for you to request this information. For example, at your request, we may provide you with access to a copy of your medical records and the results of certain tests you have had at Ballad Health. You may also request to communicate through secure messaging with your physician/health care provider, our billing, or customer support services.

If you choose to correspond further with us through e-mail, through the secure messaging feature, we reserve the right to retain the content of your messages and communications (including video content), together with your email address(es) and our responses.

From time to time we may share aggregated information that does not personally identify you with agents, contractors, or affiliates of ours for the purpose of providing services to us. We may also share this information with our partners.

The App may link to other websites and services from other parties than Ballad Health. Ballad Health is not responsible for the privacy or the content of these sites. Please review the privacy statement for each site you visit.

Some of our affiliates or subsidiaries may use an outside credit card processing company to bill users for services. When you sign up for these services, we will share names, or other contact information that is necessary for the third party to provide these services.

We reserve the right to release personal and account information when we believe it is appropriate to do so in accordance with the law, other agreements, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Ballad Health, our users, or others.

Cookies

We receive and store certain types of information whenever you use the App, through the use of "cookies." A "cookie" is an element of data that a Website or mobile app can send to your computer or smartphone, which may then be stored on your hard drive or smartphone and used to provide you with tailored information. We use cookie information to analyze how frequently the App is being used or viewed, for automatic user recognition, and to improve your overall App experience with us.

Location services

We may offer, and you may choose to utilize, services in the App to aid navigation or appointment check-in or to find a doctor nearby a location. The App does not use location services without your authorization. If location services are authorized, the App does not record or track your location data. The App will never share any location information with advertisers or third parties. These location data settings and features can be controlled by your phone’s location settings for the Ballad Health App.

Appointment Arrival feature – The Ballad Health App Appointment Arrival feature does not use location services without your authorization. The Ballad Health App Appointment Arrival feature requires the “All the Time” or “Always in Use” location permission. This permission feature runs in the background and allows your phone or other Bluetooth-connected devices if enabled to notify you to check in when you enter a check-in area, even if the Ballad Health App is not running. The Ballad Health App Appointment Arrival feature does not record or track your location data and will never share any location information with advertisers or third parties.

Find a Physician feature - The Ballad Health App Find a Physician feature does not use location services without your authorization. The Ballad Health App Find a Physician feature uses location services only when in use. The Ballad Health App Appointment Arrival feature does not record or track your location data and will never share any location information with advertisers or third parties.

Bluetooth

If enabled, Bluetooth can be utilized by the App to track health data from a smartwatch connected to the smartphone the Ballad Health App is installed on. This data includes heart rate and weight. The Ballad Health App does not distribute or sell the collected data. The collected information will be stored alongside the user’s electronic medical records for health tracking and patient goal-setting with healthcare providers.

If enabled, the App may also utilize Bluetooth at participating Ballad Health locations to alert the front desk of their arrival to automatically begin check-in as part of the Appointment Arrival feature, if that feature is enabled. This is not done without the user’s permission.

External storage

If enabled, the user gives the app permission to save files to the phone’s storage system. This allows users to save health files from the app including PDFs, images, videos, and audio files. Users can then print, export, and manage these downloaded files as they see fit from their personal file system.

Contact Ballad Health

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, you may contact the Ballad Health Consumer Call Center at 1-866-517-5873, or you may contact the Ballad Health Privacy Officer, Corporate Compliance Department, 400 N. State of Franklin Road, Johnson City, TN 37604-6094 or by phone at 423-302-3345 or toll free at 1-800-535-9057.