Privacy Policy | St Lucia Medical

Privacy and Personal Health Information Policy

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 St Lucia Medical, 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. 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, gender (birth and self-identified) contact details, NOK, cultural background
Medical information including medical history, medications, allergies, adverse events, immunisations, social history, family history and risk factors
Medicare number or Allianz Care Overseas Student or Visitor Health Care number (where available) for identification and billing/claiming purposes
Healthcare identifiers

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 our new patient form.
During the course of providing medical services, we may collect further personal information.
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 (e.g. EPOA)
Other involved healthcare providers, such as specialists, allied health professionals, hospitals, community health services, Pharmacists, and pathology and diagnostic imaging services
Medicare, Overseas Student or Visitor Insurance Companies or the Department of Veteran's Affairs.

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 (e.g 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 a claim
For the purpose of confidential dispute resolution process
When there is a statutory requirement to share certain personal information (e.g some diseases require mandatory notification)
During the course of providing medical services, through Electronic Transfer of Prescriptions (eTP), Pathology eReferrals, Referrals sent through Medical Objects to a Specialist or Allied Health Provider, and MyHealth Record system
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.

How do we store and protect your personal information?

Your personal information is stored electronically at our practice.

Our practice stores all personal information securely. Our server is stored in a lockable room. All programs are password protected and a confidentiality agreement is signed by each staff member.

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.

How can you access and correct your personal information?

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

If you request access to your medical record, your GP will need to consider if there may be a risk of physical or mental harm to you or any other person that may result from disclosure of your health information. Your GP may need to remove any information that will affect the privacy of other individuals. If your GP is satisfied that you may safely obtain the record then they will either show you the record, or arrange for provision of a photocopy, and explain the contents to you. Occasionally we may refer you to the treating specialist for access to their letters.

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 30 days.

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 your personal information held by our practice is correct and up-to-date, however at any time you may request straightforward updates to your information with Reception (e.g. Address or Medicare number). You may also request that we correct or update your information, and you should make such requests in writing to your doctor or the Practice Manager. Our Doctors will not delete or remove any entries but annotate them.

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. Please address your letter to:

The Practice Manager
St Lucia Medical

32 Hawken Drive,

St Lucia QLD 4067

The Practice will respond to your complaint 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 Office of the Australian Information Commissioner - OAIC on 1300 336 002.

Appointment bookings online

Appointment bookings online are located on the Practice website: www.stluciamedical.com.au

St Lucia Medical has an agreement with an external provider HotDoc. HotDoc only handles data relating to the patient appointment and health recalls or reminders are used or stored on the HotDoc system. http://www.hotdoc.com.au provides the Terms of Service for the HotDoc application.

Changes to this statement

From time-to-time, we may make changes to the Privacy and Disclaimer Policy. This may be in relation to changes in the law, best practice or changes in our services. These changes will be reflected in this statement, so you should check here periodically for any updates.

Other correspondence

Correspondence

Electronic information (e.g. specialist letters and pathology) is transmitted over the public network in an encrypted format using secure messaging software.

Incoming mail is opened at the Reception Desk. Items for collection or postage are left in a secure area not in view of the public. Outgoing mail is personally delivered to Australia Post located at Shop 1/317 Hawken Drive, St Lucia.

Facsimile

Facsimile, printers and other electronic communication devices in the practice are located in areas that are only accessible to the practice team.

All faxes containing confidential information are sent to fax numbers via eFax after ensuring the recipient is the designated receiver. Once the fax has been successfully sent, this is recorded in our electronic fax log.

The practice uses a fax disclaimer notice on outgoing faxes that affiliates with the practice. It says:

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER This email or fax (including any attachment to it) is confidential and may also be privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify us immediately and delete this email (including any attachment to it) from your computer system. You should also not disseminate or copy the email. We do not assure the security of information electronically transmitted and your communication with us through such means signifies your acceptance of any risk attaching thereto.

Emails

Emails are sent via various nodes and are at risk of being intercepted.

Patient information may only be sent via email if it is securely encrypted with a passcode (DDMMYY), unless the patient has formally consented to their health information being sent by unsecure email which is documented in the clinical software.

Our practice uses an email disclaimer notice on outgoing emails that affiliates with the practice. It says:

SMS

SMS messages are sent through our external provider, HotDoc. Appointment reminders are sent via SMS to those patients who have provided consent for the sending of SMS in our clinical software. All patients have been provided an opportunity to opt out of this service.

Policy review statement

The Practice reviews this policy regularly to ensure it is in accordance with any changes that may occur.