Introduction

The Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles require that I provide a document that clearly sets out my policies on handling personal information, including health information. This privacy policy is to provide information to you, my patient, on how your personal information (which includes your health information) is collected and used within my practice, and the circumstances in which I may share it with third parties.

Why and when your consent is necessary

When you register as a patient of my practice, you provide consent for me 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 I need to use your information for anything else, I will seek additional consent from you to do this.

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

Me and/or my practice will need to collect your personal information to provide healthcare services to you. My main purpose for collecting, using, holding and sharing your personal information is to manage your health. I 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 I collect?

The information I 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 me anonymously

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

How do I collect your personal information?

Me/my practice may collect your personal information in several different ways.

When you make your first appointment my practice staff will collect your personal and demographic information via your registration.
During the course of providing medical services, I may collect further personal information. This includes (but is not limited to) information collected through electronic transfer of prescriptions (eTP), My HealthRecord, Queensland Health Provider Portal
I may also collect your personal information when you send an email or SMS, telephone the practice or make an online appointment
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 I share your personal information?

I sometimes share your personal information:

with third parties who work with my 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, mandatory reporting circumstances)
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, I will not share personal information with any third party without your consent.

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

I will not use your personal information for marketing any of my 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 me in writing.

I may use your personal information to improve the quality of the services I offer to my patients through research and analysis of my patient data.

I may provide de-identified data to other organisations to improve population health outcomes. The information is secure, patients cannot be identified and the information is stored within Australia. You can let me know if you do not want your information included.

How do I store and protect your personal information?

Your personal information will be stored at my practice in electronic form. In some circumstances paper correspondence is held for a short period of time whilst it is transfered to your electronic record.

Personal information that I hold is protected by:

securing the premesis
using passwords and varying access levels on databases to limit access and protect electronic information from unauthorised intereference, access, modification and disclosure
using locked cabinets and rooms for the storage of physical records

How can you access and correct your personal information atour practice?

You have the right to request access to, and correction of, your personal information. My practice acknowledges patients may request access to their medical records. I require you to put this request in writing and my practice will respond within 30 days.

The 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 requestsin writing to my practice manager.

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

I take complaints and concerns regarding privacy seriously. You should express any privacy concerns you may have inwriting either via email or letter. I will then attempt to resolve it in accordance with my practice's resolution procedure.

If you access care through Neighbourhood Medical, please lodge a complaint in writing via email or letter to:

The Practice Manager

Neighbourhood Medical

1A Stuartholme Road

Bardon, Qld 4065

admin@neighbourhoodmedical.com.au

If you access care through Brisbane Youth Services, please complete the online complaint form here or lodge a complaint in writing via email:

Health Services Director

Brisbane Youth Services

P.O Box 1389Fortitude ValleyQLD 4006

quality@brisyouth.org

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

Policy review statement

This privacy policy will be reviewed annually to ensure it is in accordance withany changes that may occur. Amendants to the policy and the latest review date will be available for you to see on this website.