Eastbound Medical Clinic Privacy Policy
Current as of: November 2020. Adapted from the RACGP Privacy Policy template
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.
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 (e.g. staff training).
What personal information do we collect?
The information we will collect about you includes:
- Names, date of birth, addresses, contact details
- Medical information including medical history, medications, allergies, adverse events, immunisations, social history, family history and risk factors
- Medicare and/or Veterans’ number (where available) for identification and claiming purposes
- Healthcare identifiers
- Health fund details.
- Next of kin and emergency contacts
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 you to provide patients with the option of not identifying themselves, or of using a pseudonym, when dealing with you (Australian Privacy Principle 2) unless it is impracticable for you to do so. Information about this should appear in the practice privacy policy or collection notice.]
How do we collect your personal information?
Our practice will collect your personal information:
- When you make your first appointment our practice staff will collect your personal and demographic information via your registration.
- During the course of providing medical services, we may collect further personal information.
Information can also be collected through Electronic Transfer of Prescriptions (eTP), Eastbound Clinic also participates in and gathers information from MyHealth Record, e.g. via Shared Health Summary, Event Summary.
- We may also collect your personal information when you, send us an email or reply SMS, telephone us, make an online appointment or communicate with us using social media.
- 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, or the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (as necessary).
Who do we share your personal information with?
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 Electronic Transfer of Prescriptions (eTP), MyHealth Record (eg via Shared Health Summary, Event Summary).
Only people that 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.
We will not share your personal information with anyone outside Australia (unless under exceptional circumstances that are permitted by law) without your consent.
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.
How do we store and protect your personal information?
Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms: in secure electronic format, in protected information systems, as paper records stored in secure, locked on-site premises, or in areas where staff only has access, as visual (some X-rays and CT scans). Each staff member has his/her own secure password, and confidentiality agreements are signed by staff and contractors. Either our monitors are located in areas where patients/visitors cannot see what’s displayed, or we use the Windows Lock system as a screen saver.
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 (e.g. 30 days)
You will be advised in advance of fees that may be associated with providing this information, e.g. photocopying and registered postage.
Our practice will takes 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 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 either through reception or your general practitioner, or writing to the Practice Manager, Eastbound Medical Clinic, 179 East Boundary Rd, Bentleigh East. 3165.
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 via email: reception@eastboundclinic.com.au, or in writing to the Practice Manager, Eastbound Medical Clinic, 179 East Boundary Rd, Bentleigh East 3165 or by telephone call to the practice manager 9579 3522. We will acknowledge your communication as soon as possible, and give a time frame for when to expect an answer
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 336 002. Or contact Health Complaints Commissioner https://hcc.vic.gov.au/ 1300 582 113.
Privacy and our website/Facebook
We do not collect personal information via our practice website or Facebook page. We use de-identified data to analyse google searches, and Facebook data. Reviews have been disabled for the Eastbound Facebook page.
Policy review statement
This privacy policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure it is in accordance with any changes that may occur within State or Federal legislation. Patients are informed of these changes via our website.
