 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Your Privacy : Our Policy
The provision of quality health care requires a doctor-patient relationship of trust and confidentiality. Consistent with our commitment to quality care this practice has developed a policy to protect patient privacy in compliance with privacy legislation.
OUR POLICY INFORMS YOU:
- That we need your consent to collect information about you
- Why we need to collect your information
- How your information will be used by us and to whom we may need to disclose it
- That you may request access to the information we hold about you
- That you may discuss any concerns you have about how we handle your information.
Your Information
Information about a patient’s medical and family
health history is needed to provide accurate medical diagnoses and appropriate
treatment. We will be fair in the way we collect information about our
patients. This information is generally collected from the patient, and
otherwise with the patient’s consent. However, from time to time
we may receive patient information from others. When this occurs we will,
wherever possible, make sure the patient knows we have received this information.
Medical care requires full knowledge of patient health information by
all members of a medical team. To ensure quality and continuity of patient
care a patient’s health information has to be shared with other
health care providers from time to time. Some information about patients
is also provided to Medicare, and private health funds if relev, for billing
and medical rebate purposes. The doctors in this practice are members
of various medical and professional bodies including medical defense organisations.
There may be occasions when disclosure of patient information is required
for medical defense purposes. There are also circumstances where a medical
practitioner is legally bound to disclose personal information. An example
of this is the mandatory reporting of communicable diseases. It is necessary
for us to keep patients’ information after their last attendance
at this practice for as long as is required by law or is prudent having
regard to administrative requirements. A patient has a right to access
their information. They may ask to view the information or ask for a copy
of a part or of the whole record. While not required to give reasons for
their request, a patient may be asked to clarify the scope of the request.
There are some circumstances in which access may be denied but in such
an event, the patient will be advised of the reasonA charge may be payable
where the practice incurs costs in providing access. This will depend
on the nature of the access. The material over which the doctor has copyright
might be subject to conditions that prevent furthercopying or publication
without the doctor’s permission. If a patient finds that the information
held on them is not accurate or complete, the patient may have that information
amended accordingly. Upon request, a patient’s health information
held by this practice will be made available to another health service
provider.
Parents/guardians and children
The right of children to privacy of their health information, based on
the professional judgment of the doctor and consistent with the law, might
at times restrict access to this information by patients or guardians.
Collection
It is necessary for us to collect personal information from patients and
sometimes others associated with their health care in order to attend
to their health needs and for associated administrative purposes.
Sensitive information
Health information is ‘sensitive information’ for the purposes
of privacy legislation. This means that generally patients’ consent
will be sought to collect health information that is necessary to make
an accurate medical diagnosis, prescribe appropriate treatment and to
be proactive in patient health care.
Use and disclosure
A patient’s personal health information is used or disclosed for
purposes directly related to their health care and in ways that are consistent
with a patient’s expectation. In the interests of the highest quality
and continuity of health care this may include sharing information with
other health care providers who comprise a patient’s medical team
from time to time. In addition there are circumstances when information
has to be disclosed without patient consent, such as: Emergency situations.
By law, doctors are sometimes required to disclose information for public
interest reasons, eg mandatory reporting of some communicable diseases.
It may be necessary to disclose information about a patient to fulfill
a medical indemnity insurance obligation. Provision of information to
Medicare or private health funds, if relev, for billing and medical rebate
purposes. In general a patient’s health information will not be
used for any other purposes without their consent. There are some necessary
purposes of collection for which information will be used beyond providing
health care, such as professional accreditation, quality assessments,
clinical auditing, billing and so forth.
Data quality
All patient information held by this practice relevant to the functions
of providing health care will be maintained in a form that is accurate,
complete and up to date.
Data security
The storage, use and, where necessary transfer of personal health information,
will be undertaken in a secure manner that protects patient privacy.It
is necessary for medical practices to keep patient information after a
patient’s last attendance for as long as is required by law or is
prudent having regard to administrative requirements.
Openness
This practice has made this and other material available to patients to
inform them of our policies on management of personal information. On
request this practice will let patients know, generally, what sort of
personal information we hold, for what purposes, and how we collect, hold,
use and disclose that information.
Access and correction
Patients may request access to their personal health information held
by this practice. Where necessary, patients will be given theopportunity
to amend any personal information held that is incorrect. There are some
circumstances in which access is restricted, and in these cases reasons
for denying access will be explained. A charge may be payable where the
practice incurs costs in providing access. This practice acknowledges
the right of children to privacy of their health information. Based on
the professional judgment of the doctor and consistent with the law, it
might at times be necessary to restrict access to personal health information
by parents or guardians. Upon request a patient’s health information
held by this practice will be made available to another health service
provider.
Identifiers
These are the numbers, letters or symbols that are used to identify patients
with or without the use of a name. (eg Medicare numbers). We will limit
the use of identifiers assigned to patients by Commonwealth Government
agencies to those uses necessary to fulfill our obligations to those agencies.
Anonymity
A patient has a right to be dealt with anonymously, provided this is lawful
and practicable. However, in the medical context this is not likely to
be practicable or possible for Medicare and insurance rebate purposes.
It could also be dangerous to the patient’s health.
Transborder data flows
Individual’s privacy is protected Australia-wide by privacy laws.
We will take steps to protect patient privacy if information is to be
sent interstate or outside Australia. ComplaintsIt is import to us that
your expectations about the way in which we handle your information are
the same as ours.
Please do not hesitate to discuss any concerns, questions or complaints
about any issues related to the privacy of your personal information with
us.
If you are still dissatisfied you can complain to the Federal Privacy
Commissioner whose contact details are:
Level 8 Piccadilly Tower
133 Castlereagh Street, Sydney NSW 2000
GPO Box 5218, Sydney 1042
Privacy Hotline: 1300
363 992
Website: www.privacy.gov.au
|
|||||
|
|||||
