Effective Date: July 1, 2026
Privacy Policy for Allergy Institute of Chicago
This privacy policy has been compiled to better serve those who are concerned with how their ‘Personally Identifiable Information’ (PII) is being used online. PII, as used in US privacy law and information security, is information that can be used on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate a single person, or to identify an individual in context. Please read our privacy policy carefully to get a clear understanding of how we collect, use, protect, or otherwise handle your Personally Identifiable Information in accordance with our website (https://allergyinstitutechicago.com/).
What personal information do we collect from the people that visit our website?
When utilizing our site, as appropriate, you may be asked to enter your name, email address, phone number, or other details to help you with your experience and to facilitate appointment scheduling.
When do we collect information?
We collect information from you when you fill out a form, subscribe to a newsletter, or otherwise enter information on our site.
Online Scheduling Form & Prospective Patient Disclaimer
Our website features an online scheduling form designed exclusively for inquiries from new, prospective patients who have not yet completed a primary visit or established a formal provider-patient relationship with Dr. Sonia Shah or the Allergy Institute of Chicago.
The online scheduling form collects the following specific information: first name, last name, chief complaint, phone number, and email address.
By utilizing this online patient request form, you explicitly acknowledge, understand, and agree to the following:
- Transmission via Email: Information submitted through this form is transmitted to our office via standard email protocols.
- Why We Limit This Form: Because the initial transmission of data over the internet via website forms and standard email carries inherent security risks, we strictly limit the use of this online scheduling tool to primary, new patient appointment requests only.
- Subsequent Appointments: To ensure the ongoing protection of your personal health information, all subsequent or follow-up appointments—once you are an established patient—must be made by calling our office directly.
- Non-Patient Status: Submitting a request for an appointment does not constitute medical advice, nor does it establish a formal physician-patient relationship. You are considered a prospective patient until you have been formally evaluated by Dr. Shah during a primary visit.
- Limitation of Sensitive Data: Users should exercise discretion and avoid submitting highly sensitive medical data or Protected Health Information (PHI) beyond the basic contact details and chief complaint requested on the form.
How do we use your information?
We may use the information we collect from you in the following ways:
- To facilitate new appointment requests and communicate with prospective patients.
- To improve our website in order to better serve you.
- To send periodic emails regarding office updates, health information, or other services.
How do we protect visitor information?
- Our website is scanned on a regular basis for security holes and known vulnerabilities in order to make your visit to our site as safe as possible.
- We use regular Malware Scanning.
- Your personal information is contained behind secured networks and is only accessible by a limited number of persons who have special access rights to such systems, and are required to keep the information confidential.
- We implement a variety of security measures when a user enters, submits, or accesses their information. All data is encrypted via Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology.
Do we use ‘cookies’?
We do not use cookies for tracking purposes. You can choose to have your computer warn you each time a cookie is being sent, or you can choose to turn off all cookies through your browser settings. If you disable cookies, some features will be disabled that make your site experience more efficient, but you can still submit inquiries.
Third-Party Disclosure
We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personally identifiable information to outside parties. This does not include website hosting partners and other parties who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or servicing you, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential. We may also release your information when we believe release is appropriate to comply with the law, enforce our site policies, or protect ours or others’ rights, property, or safety.
California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA)
According to CalOPPA, we agree to the following:
- Users can visit our site anonymously.
- Once this privacy policy is created, we will add a link to it on our home page or as a minimum, on the footer of our website.
- Our Privacy Policy link includes the word ‘Privacy’ and can easily be found on the page specified above.
- Users will be notified of any privacy policy changes on our Privacy Policy Page.
COPPA (Children Online Privacy Protection Act)
We do not specifically market to children under the age of 13. Any patient forms or information regarding minors must be submitted by a parent or legal guardian.
CAN-SPAM Act
We collect your email address in order to send information, respond to inquiries, and process scheduling requests. To be in accordance with CAN-SPAM, we agree to the following:
- Not use false or misleading subjects or email addresses.
- Honor opt-out/unsubscribe requests quickly.
- Allow users to unsubscribe by using the link at the bottom of marketing emails.
If at any time you would like to unsubscribe from receiving future emails, you can follow the instructions at the bottom of each email, and we will promptly remove you from ALL correspondence.
Contacting Us
If there are any questions regarding this privacy policy, you may contact us using the information below:
Allergy Institute of Chicago
- Website: https://allergyinstitutechicago.com/
- Address: 4211 N. Cicero Ave Suite 203, Chicago, IL 60641
- Phone: 773-794-8800
- Fax: 773-794-8830
- Email: office(nospam)@allergyinstitutechicago.com