Infinity Health Medical Centre Privacy Policy
Current as of: 31 May 2019
Introduction
Why and when your consent is necessary
When you register as a patient of our practice, you provide consent for our GPs, allied health, & practice staff to access and use your personal information so they can provide you with the best possible healthcare. Only staff and clinicians 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 (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
- 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
- healthcare identifiers
- health fund details.
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. Under the Privacy Act, you have the option of not identifying yourself, or using a pseudonym, when dealing with us, unless it is impracticable for you to do so.
How do we collect your personal information?
Our practice may collect your personal information in several different ways.
- 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. We participate in the eHealth services. Information can also be collected through our eHealth service electronic transfer of prescriptions (eTP), and My Health Record via Shared Health Summary, Event Summary.
- We may also collect your personal information when you visit our website, send us an email or 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 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.
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. We predominantly use electronic record system, however at times we may store information on paper, or on visual records such as X-rays and CT scans.
Our practice stores all personal information securely. Hard copy records are kept in a secured environment, and where possible, discarded onsite via a secure shredding service after it has been migrated to your electronic record. If the document needs to be retained onsite, they are stored in secure cabinets until they are discarded.
Our computer system is governed by professional IT providers who we retain a confidential agreement under a service agreement. Our staff use their own private passwords to access clinical databases. Our computers are networked securely with firewalls and antivirus software.
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 (within 30 days). A fee may be applicable for these requests (i.e. photocopy or secure disc costs). Our reception staff will contact you to discuss this prior to release of records.
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:
Attn: Practice Manager
Infinity Health Medical Centre Green Square
INFINITY By Crown
Shop 108 / 305 Botany Road
Zetland, NSW 2017
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. You can email us or write to us with details of your complaint, and we will respond to your correspondence within 30 days.
Address: Email:
Attn: Practice Manager pm@infinityhealthgreensquare.com.au
Infinity Health Medical Centre Green Square
INFINITY By Crown
Shop 108 / 305 Botany Road
Zetland, NSW 2017
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.
You may also wish to escalate your complaint to the Health Care Complaints Commission.
Health Care Complaints Commission
Tel: 1800 043 159
Email: hccc@hccc.nsw.gov.au
Web: http://www.hccc.nsw.gov.au/
Postal: Locked Mail Bag 18, Strawberry Hills NSW 2012
Privacy and our website
Please refer to our Terms and Conditions located on our website full terms of use and privacy policies.
Policy review statement
This privacy policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure it is in accordance with any changes that may occur. We will notify you of any changes via the website or in the practice via a poster. All revision of the document will replace the previous version, and will be available on the website, or at reception.
