Practice Privacy Policy

Practice Privacy Policy

Warrina Medical Centre Privacy Policy – Australian Privacy Principles https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/australian-privacy-principles/

Current as of May 2024  Author: Roxanna Gonzalez - Practice Manager

Introduction

This privacy policy is to provide information to you, our patient, on how your personal information (which includes your health information) is collected and used within our practice, and the circumstances in which we may share it with third parties.

Why and when your consent is necessary

When you register as a patient of our practice, you provide consent for our GPs and practice staff to access and use your personal information so they can provide you with the best possible healthcare. Only staff who need to see your personal information will have access to it. If we need to use your information for anything else, we will seek additional consent from you to do this.

Our patient registration form or other process includes a section for patients to provide consent.

Why do we collect, use, hold and share your personal information?

Our practice will need to collect your personal information to provide healthcare services to you. Our main purpose for collecting, using, holding and sharing your personal information is to manage your health. We also use it for directly related business activities, such as financial claims and payments, practice audits and accreditation, and business processes (eg staff training).

What personal information do we collect?

The information we will collect about you includes your:

• names, date of birth, addresses, contact details, email address, Next of kin and emergency contact details

• medical information including medical history, medications, allergies, adverse events, immunisations, social history, family history and risk factors

• Medicare number (where available) for identification and claiming purposes

• Concessional entitlement information

• Health care identifiers

• Health fund details (if applicable)

Dealing with us anonymously

You have the right to deal with us anonymously or under a pseudonym unless it is impracticable for us to do so or unless we are required or authorised by law to only deal with identified individuals.

[Note: The Privacy Act requires us to provide patients with the option of not identifying themselves, or of using a pseudonym, when dealing with us (APP 2) unless it is impracticable for you to do so. Information about this appears in the practice privacy policy or collection notice.]

How do we collect your personal information?

Our practice may collect your personal information in several different ways.

1.When you make your first appointment our practice staff will collect your personal and demographic information via your registration.

[A disclaimer collection statement is indicated within the patient registration form.]

2.During the course of providing medical services, we may collect further personal information.

[Information such as collection through electronic transfer of prescriptions (eTP), My Health Record, eg via Shared Health Summary, Event Summary. Or any e-health services.]

3.We may also collect your personal information when you communicate with us by email, sms or telephone us.

4.In some circumstances personal information may also be collected from other sources. Often this is because it is not practical or reasonable to collect it from you directly. This may include information from:

• your guardian or responsible person

• other involved healthcare providers, such as specialists, allied health professionals, hospitals, community health services and pathology and diagnostic imaging services

• your health fund, Medicare for the purpose of identifying eligibility of item number claims, or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (as necessary).

When, why and with whom do we share your personal information?

We sometimes share your personal information:

• with third parties who work with our practice for business purposes, such as accreditation agencies or information technology providers – these third parties are required to comply with APPs and this policy

• with other healthcare providers

• when it is required or authorised by law (eg court subpoenas)

• when it is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to a patient’s life, health or safety or public health or safety, or it is impractical to obtain the patient’s consent

• to assist in locating a missing person

• to establish, exercise or defend an equitable claim

• for the purpose of confidential dispute resolution process

• when there is a statutory requirement to share certain personal information (eg some diseases require mandatory notification)

• during the course of providing medical services, through eTP, My Health Record (eg via Shared Health Summary, Event Summary).
  
  
  

Only people who need to access your information will be able to do so. Other than in the course of providing medical services or as otherwise described in this policy, our practice will not share personal information with any third party without your consent. Consent is obtained via the patient registration form or verbally.

We will not share your personal information with anyone outside Australia (unless under exceptional circumstances that are permitted by law) without your consent.

[WE DO NOT SEND YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION OUTSIDE AUSTRALIA.]

Our practice will not use your personal information for marketing any of our goods or services directly to you without your express consent. If you do consent, you may opt out of direct marketing at any time by notifying our practice in writing.

De-Identified information:

To facilitate quality improvement measures and requirements of the Department of Health, it may be necessary for us to send de-identified health information to a third party such as Primary Health Network & Department of Health. This information does not identify single patients, but as a cohort of patients in a target group. (I.e Diabetic patients in certain age group that have not had HBA1c). You consent to this via patient registration. If you do not consent you may opt out by notifying our practice in writing.

How do we store and protect your personal information?

Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms.

[Our practice retains your records electronically. Some information maybe archived in hard copy. We do not retain or store radiology images.]

Our practice stores all personal information securely.

[Our practice securely stores and protects personal information, eg electronic format through the use of individual passwords, confidentiality agreements, anti-virus protection & firewalls.

The protection of hard copy patient health information is via a secured environment, accessible to staff only.]

How can you access and correct your personal information at our practice?

You have the right to request access to, and correction of, your personal information.

Our practice acknowledges patients may request access to their medical records. We require you to put this request in writing and our practice will respond within a reasonable time ie 30 days.

Fees for providing this information may apply. This is not for making the request, it is administration charges for complying with the request. Current charges will be advised at time of request.

Our practice will take reasonable steps to correct your personal information where the information is not accurate or up to date. From time to time, we will ask you to verify that your personal information held by our practice is correct and current. You may also request that we correct or update your information, and you should make such requests in writing to the practice manager,email : info@warrinamedicalcentre.com.au].

How can you lodge a privacy-related complaint, and how will the complaint be handled at our practice?

We take complaints and concerns regarding privacy seriously. You should express any privacy concerns you may have in writing. We will then attempt to resolve it in accordance with our resolution procedure.

[Contact: Practice Manager, 2900 Albany Highway, Kelmscott WA 6111 or info@warrinamedicalcentre.com.au

Our time frame for response is within 30 days]

You may also contact the OAIC. Generally, the OAIC will require you to give them time to respond before they will investigate. For further information visit www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC on 1300 363 992.

Details of State Authority:

HADSCO - Health & Disabilities Complaints Office

469 Wellington Street, Perth WA 6000

Phone: 6551 7600

Website: www.hadsco.wa.gov.au

Privacy and our website

[We do not collect personal health information via our practice website nor do we use cookies.]

Policy review statement

[This privacy policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure it is in accordance with any changes that may occur. We will notifiy you by poster display of any changes, and or on our website.]

Disclaimer

The Privacy policy template for general practices has been adapted from RACGP