Privacy Notice

For patients and website visitors in the United States

Last updated: 16 August 2026 · Data controller: Dr. Rodrigo Ávila Cervantes / CICOVE, Mexico City, Mexico

This notice explains how Dr. Rodrigo Ávila Cervantes, as a medical professional, and the Centro Internacional de Columna Vertebral (CICOVE) collect, use, share and protect information from visitors and prospective patients located in the United States.

Please read first: HIPAA does not apply to us. CICOVE is a private medical practice located in Mexico. We are not a HIPAA covered entity or business associate, and we do not bill U.S. health plans. Information you send us is not protected health information under HIPAA. It is protected by Mexican law (the LFPDPPP), by this notice, and by the professional duty of medical confidentiality. Certain U.S. state laws, described in section 06, may also give you rights.

01Information we collect

Identifiers: name, email address, phone number, country and city.
Consumer health information: age, region and intensity of pain, neurological symptoms, answers to validated questionnaires (Oswestry Disability Index, Neck Disability Index), prior surgical history, and any imaging studies or operative reports you choose to send us.
Technical and usage data: IP address, browser type, pages viewed, time on site, and referring page, collected through cookies and analytics tools.

We collect this information directly from you — through forms, the pre-diagnostic test, WhatsApp, email or phone — and automatically through your use of the website. We do not buy personal information from data brokers.

02How we use it

To review your case and provide an orientation-only assessment or second opinion.
To generate and send you the pre-diagnostic test report.
To respond to you and, if you ask, to schedule a consultation or procedure.
To maintain a secure internal clinical record.
To measure website performance in aggregate.

03We do not sell your information

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioural advertising. We have never done so. We do not use your health information to target advertising to you.

04Who we share it with

Hospital Ángeles del Pedregal — only if you decide to schedule a consultation or procedure there.
CICOVE clinical and administrative staff — bound by professional confidentiality.
Service providers that host our website and email, acting on our instructions.
Analytics and advertising providers (Google Analytics, Google Ads) — technical and usage data only, never the clinical information you send us.
Authorities — only where legally required.

05Your information is stored in Mexico

CICOVE operates in Mexico City. Information you send us is transferred to, processed and stored in Mexico, and is subject to Mexican law. Mexican data protection law differs from the law of your state. By contacting us or submitting information, you understand that your information will be handled outside the United States.

06State privacy rights

Depending on where you live, you may have some or all of the following rights. We honour these requests regardless of your state of residence.

Right	What it means
Access	Confirm whether we hold information about you and obtain a copy.
Correct	Ask us to fix information that is inaccurate or incomplete.
Delete	Ask us to delete your information, subject to legal retention duties.
Withdraw consent	Withdraw your consent to our processing at any time.
Opt out of sale/sharing	Not applicable — we do not sell or share your information.
Non-discrimination	We will not treat you differently for exercising any of these rights.

Washington, Nevada and Connecticut residents: health information is also covered by our separate Consumer Health Data Privacy Policy, which describes those rights in detail.

California residents: we do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined in the CCPA/CPRA, and we do not use sensitive personal information for purposes other than providing the service you requested.

To exercise a right, email contact@dravilaspine.us with the subject line "Privacy request". We will verify your identity and respond within 45 days. If we deny your request, you may appeal by replying to our response; we will explain our reasons in writing.

07Retention

We keep clinical correspondence for as long as needed to provide continuity of care and to meet Mexican medical record-keeping obligations. Website analytics data is retained in aggregate. When information is no longer needed, we delete it or render it anonymous.

08Children

This website is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their information. If you believe a child has provided information to us, contact us and we will delete it.

09Cookies and analytics

We use cookies and similar technologies (Google Analytics, Google Ads) to understand how the site is used. You can disable cookies in your browser settings. We do not use health information for advertising, and we do not place advertising tags on pages where you submit clinical information.

10Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards, including HTTPS encryption, access-restricted storage and the professional confidentiality duty of all CICOVE staff. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11The pre-diagnostic test is not a diagnosis

The spine pre-diagnostic test on this site is an orientation tool, not a medical diagnosis, and does not create a physician-patient relationship. Results are based on validated questionnaires and age-related patterns, and must be reviewed by a qualified specialist.

12Changes to this notice

We may update this notice. Changes will be posted on this page with a new update date. If we begin collecting new categories of health information or use it for a new purpose, we will obtain your consent first.

Contact us

Questions about this notice or to exercise a privacy right:

Email: contact@dravilaspine.us
WhatsApp: +52 55 3270 9776
Postal: Hospital Ángeles del Pedregal, Camino a Santa Teresa 1055, Héroes de Padierna, Magdalena Contreras, 10700, Mexico City, Mexico