Privacy policy
In short: Flow Forms collects intake forms for clinics that use Cliniko and files them in Cliniko. A form that files itself cleanly is not kept by us. One that needs a person is encrypted and deleted after 14 days if nobody acts on it. Your clinic remains responsible for its patients' information; we look after it on the clinic's behalf.
1. Who we are
Flow Forms ("we", "us") is provided by Kotahi Health Limited, a New Zealand company (company number 9464403, NZBN 9429054012288). Contact us about privacy at support@flowforms.nz.
For patient information, the clinic is the agency responsible for it under the Privacy Act and the Health Information Privacy Code. We hold and process it only on the clinic's behalf, to provide Flow Forms. If you are a patient, please contact your clinic first; we will help them answer you.
2. What we collect
- From clinic staff: name, email address, role, and the clinic's settings: its name, logo, colours, forms, consent wording and payment details.
- The clinic's Cliniko API key, which we encrypt and lock to that clinic. It is never shown again after it is saved.
- From patients, whatever the clinic's form asks: usually contact details, date of birth, injury details, a body chart, pain scores, health history, consent answers and a signature. A form may also include an outcome measure such as the LEFS or Oswestry.
- Counts, not content: how many forms came in each day, by form, by source (link, iPad or QR code) and whether they filed themselves. These contain no patient information.
3. How patient forms are handled
- When a patient sends a form, we match it to the patient in Cliniko (by surname and date of birth) or create them, update their details, add the answers as a note and save the signed PDF to their file. Then we let it go. A form that files itself is not stored by us.
- If a form could belong to more than one patient, or Cliniko cannot be reached, it waits in the clinic's inbox, encrypted, and the clinic is emailed the PDF so nothing is lost. If nobody files or dismisses it, it is deleted after 14 days.
- A reception iPad keeps only its pairing with the clinic. Patients' answers are not saved on the iPad or on their phone.
4. How we use information
Only to run Flow Forms for the clinic: to show and file forms, send sign-in links, invites and alerts, take payment, keep the service secure, and help when someone asks for support. We do not sell information, we do not use it for advertising, and we do not use patient information to train anything.
5. Who else handles it
We use these providers to run the service. Some of them process information in Australia, the United States or elsewhere, which the Privacy Act allows where the information is protected in a comparable way (Information Privacy Principle 12); each one is bound by its own security and privacy commitments.
| Provider | What for | What it handles |
|---|---|---|
| Vercel | Runs the Flow Forms apps. Our functions run in Sydney, Australia. | Everything that passes through the forms and the staff app |
| Supabase | Our database. | Clinic settings, staff accounts, encrypted Cliniko keys, forms waiting for a person, and monthly form counts |
| Cliniko | Your practice management system, reached with your own API key. | Patient details, the intake note and the signed PDF |
| Resend | Sends our emails. | Sign-in links, team invites, and the clinic alert for a form that is waiting, with its PDF |
| The address finder on the form, if your clinic has it turned on. | What the patient types into the address box, while they type it | |
| Stripe | Takes subscription payments. | The clinic's billing name, email and card. We never see the card number |
| Recoup | Only if your clinic connects it, for New Zealand ACC claims. | A draft ACC claim from the patient's own answers |
6. Keeping it safe
- Everything travels over encrypted connections (HTTPS).
- Cliniko keys and forms waiting for a person are encrypted, and locked to the clinic they belong to.
- Each clinic can see only its own information, and removing a team member ends their access straight away.
- Staff sign in with a one-time link sent to their email; there is no shared password.
7. How long we keep it
Patient forms: not at all once filed, and no more than 14 days while waiting for a person. Clinic accounts, settings and form counts: while the clinic subscribes, then deleted on the clinic's written request, except where the law requires us to keep something (for example billing records).
8. Cookies
The staff app uses a cookie to keep you signed in. This website and the patient forms use no advertising or tracking cookies.
9. Seeing and correcting information
You have the right to ask for the personal information held about you and to ask for it to be corrected. A patient's record lives in their clinic's Cliniko account, so the clinic is the place to start. Staff can ask us directly at support@flowforms.nz. If you are not happy with how we respond, you can complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner at privacy.org.nz.
10. If something goes wrong
If a privacy breach affects a clinic's information, we will tell the clinic as soon as we can, and help it notify the Privacy Commissioner and the people affected where the Privacy Act requires.
11. Changes
We will update this page if how we handle information changes, and tell clinic owners before a change that matters.