Privacy Policy

Dr. Smita Patel — Washington, DC

Important Notice: This policy describes how information submitted through this website is handled. It is not a HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices — please contact the office directly for information about the privacy of your medical records.

Last updated: September 3, 2026

1. Information Collected Through This Website

The website for Dr. Smita Patel collects personal information only when visitors voluntarily submit it through contact forms and appointment request forms. The information collected through these forms may include:

  • Full name
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Message or inquiry content submitted through the form

This website does not automatically collect sensitive personal information beyond standard website analytics data described in the Cookies section below. No financial or payment information is collected through this website, as the practice does not conduct online payment processing or operate an online store.

2. How Information Is Used

Information submitted through this website's forms is used solely for the following purposes:

  • To respond to inquiries: Office staff may use the contact information provided to reply to questions or requests submitted through the website.
  • To schedule appointments: Appointment request information is used to contact prospective patients and coordinate scheduling with the practice.

Information is not used for automated marketing campaigns, sold to data brokers, or shared with unaffiliated third parties for their own marketing purposes.

3. Information Is Never Sold or Rented

The practice does not sell, rent, trade, or otherwise transfer personal information submitted through this website to third parties. Information may be shared with service providers (such as website hosting or form processing vendors) solely to the extent necessary to operate the website and process submissions, and such providers are bound to use the information only for those limited purposes.

4. Data Security

Reasonable technical and administrative measures are employed to protect personal information submitted through this website from unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse. This website uses HTTPS encryption to protect data in transit. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure, and absolute security cannot be guaranteed. Visitors submit information at their own discretion.

5. Cookies and Analytics

This website may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to understand how visitors interact with the site. Analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) may collect non-personally identifiable information such as:

  • Pages visited and time spent on the site
  • Browser type and operating system
  • General geographic location (city/region, not precise address)
  • Referring URLs

This information is used in aggregate to improve the website's content and usability. Visitors may configure their browsers to decline cookies, though some website features may not function as intended as a result.

6. Your Rights: Access and Deletion Requests

Visitors who have submitted personal information through this website may request:

  • Access: A summary of the personal information the practice holds that was submitted through this website.
  • Deletion: Deletion of personal information submitted through this website, to the extent that retention is not required by applicable law or legitimate operational needs.

To submit such a request, please contact the office directly using the information in the Contact section below. Please note that this right applies to website-submitted data only. For requests regarding the privacy of medical records, please refer to the practice's HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices, available upon request from the office.

7. Changes to This Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in practice, technology, or applicable law. When the policy is revised, the updated date at the top of this page will be changed accordingly. Continued use of this website after a revision constitutes acceptance of the updated policy. Visitors are encouraged to review this page periodically.

8. Contact Information

Questions or requests regarding this Privacy Policy may be directed to the practice office using any of the following:

For additional information, please visit the Contact page.