Our Privacy Policy tells you what information we collect, why we do it, and how this information will be shared, stored, and protected.
Auckland UniServices Limited (UniServices) is the wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Auckland (the University).
National Institute for Health Innovation (NIHI or we) is a health-innovation focused business unit within UniServices (www.nihi.org.nz)
Health New Zealand │Te Whatu Ora has been working with NIHI to develop an Alcohol Risk Communication Tool (ARCT) which is an online tool that helps GPs and other health care professionals have conversations with you
about your alcohol use.
ARCT is made available for you to use and is hosted by NIHI.
To get the most out of how users are using the ARCT, NIHI needs to collect information about your use of the tool.
We will protect your information and will only collect, use, store, and share it in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020, including (where applicable) the Health Information Privacy Code 2020.
This Privacy Policy sets out information about:
- What information is collected by us through your use of ARCT; and
- How your information will be used, stored, and shared; and
- How you can access and change your personal information.
How do we collect information from you?
- We collect the number of times ARCT is used and the screens clicked through. We use this information to understand how ARCT is used.
- As the tool is used, we can look at the aggregated outcomes of the tool use (AUDIT scores). These scores provide us with insight into the drinking behaviours of the population being screened. Summary information will be used to contribute towards new insights and learning about alcohol consumption in Aotearoa New Zealand
- We only collect personal information from you if you want to provide feedback to us and then any personal information collected is only shared with our internal staff members who have authorisation to access it;
- We store the information collected securely within the University’s systems and will protect it from unauthorised access, use, modification, or disclosure.
This Privacy Policy forms part of the terms of use of the ARCT. Your use of the ARCT means that you accept and agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy and any changes to it.
We may change this Privacy Policy from time to time. This Privacy Policy was last updated in March 2025.
If you have any questions about this policy, please contact us:
National Institute for Health Innovation - enquiries@nihi.auckland.ac.nz
What information do we collect?
We do not collect any personal information about you when you use the ARCT tool. However, if you provide feedback via ARCT we will collect your email address from you.
We do collect the outcomes of each of the screens clicked through and summarise the variables such as age, ethnicity and sex with scores and regions to provide insights into the use of ARCT and the outcomes in that population region.
We encrypt the emails of the patients who want to have a copy of their assessment outcome sent to them.
When you provide feedback via ARCT, we will ask you for your email address and enquiry details. We will store all these details and our response securely.
We will also collect any information you share in the emails you send to enquiries@nihi.auckland.ac.nz
How do we use your information?
The personal information that we collect from you via Feedback or enquires will be used to:
- Respond to and/or provide you with the service requested. It is only visible to the project team assigned to respond and/or resolve your enquiry.
Will my information be shared with anyone else?
We may share anonymous and aggregated information about number of users of ARCT with public sector health agencies and other organizations and individuals that have an interest in alcohol harm reduction in New Zealand. We will also be sharing aggregated data with Health New Zealand as part of the contractual relationship to manage and maintain ARCT.
At all times your information will only be shared as permitted by the Privacy Act 2020 and where applicable, the Health Information Privacy Code 2020.
How is my information stored?
We take your privacy seriously and will take all reasonable steps to ensure that any personal information is stored in a secure environment and protected from unauthorised access, use, modification, or disclosure.
Information is governed by the following University/NIHI policies. Policies can be
We protect our data with all reasonable technical and process controls.
How long is my information held?
We will only hold your personal information as long as it is required for the purposes for which the information may lawfully be used.
Where any information (which may include personal information) provided to us through our website constitutes a public record, it will be retained as required by the Public Records Act 2005.
Exercising your privacy rights and complaints
You can ask NIHI to provide you with the information we hold about you and request corrections to it. If we have a good reason for refusing a request for correction, you are entitled to ask that a statement be attached to the information that the correction that was requested was not made.
If you have any complaints, questions about our privacy practices or procedures please contact NIHI. We may be able to clarify the need for it or work with you to alter it. We will do our best to respond to all reasonable requests in a timely manner.
Contact us:
enquiries@nihi.auckland.ac.nz
Contact the Privacy Commissioner
If you are not satisfied with the response to any privacy-related concern or you’d like more information on the privacy laws in New Zealand and contact details for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, please visit the Privacy Commissioner's website: https://www.privacy.org.nz/
Use of cookies and tracking technologies
ARCT collects statistical information, which is used to make the site faster and easier to use. Information from your visit is combined with the data from all site visitors and presented as statistical information on overall site use. To do this, NIHI uses "cookies" and other tracking technologies.
A "cookie" is a file our webserver may send to your computer when you access this website. This file is then stored on your computer. ARCT uses "session" cookies. Session cookies are temporary bits of information that are erased once you exit your web browser window or turn your computer off. Session cookies are used, for example, to improve navigation on this site and to collect aggregated statistical information.
ARCT may use "persistent" cookies: Persistent cookies are more permanent bits of information placed on your computer's hard drive and stay there unless you delete the cookie. Persistent cookies store information on your computer for a number of purposes, such as knowing that an unidentified visitor with your cookies has returned to the website and not any personally identifiable information.
