Dated: August 2020
This document is the privacy policy for Medical HQ. It tells you how we collect and manage your information, as we have a legal obligation under the Privacy Act 1988 (known as the Australian Privacy Principles), to tell you how we collect, use, disclose, and secure information
What is Personal information?
“Personal information” is information used to identify you, including your name, address, date of birth, telephone number, email address and profession or occupation.
What Personal information may we collect?
- your name, address, date of birth and telephone number;
- your Medicare number, Veterans’ Affairs number, Health Care Card number, health fund details or pension number;
- medical care information , both previous and current and if relevant, your family medical history including drugs or treatments;
- your ethnic background, profession, occupation or job title;
- the name of any health service provider or medical specialist to whom you are referred, copies of letters of referrals and reports back; and
- Information which we may give to other medical or allied health professionals working from our practices.
How do we collect personal information?
- Attendance at this practice or making a telephone call to book an appointment;
- Information passed on during your consultation;
- Filling out a patient information form.
- another service provider passes on information to us about you ;
- health service providers referring you to medical practitioners or allied health professionals at our practices;
- health service providers to whom you are referred;
- your employer or prospective employer in the case of a work-related consultation or service; or
- Law enforcement agencies and government entities.
Why do we need to collect personal information?
To provide you with quality, ongoing health care, this practice will need to collect information about you AND so we are better able to run our business.
When would we disclose of your personal information?
Your information will be used in the normal course of managing your healthcare, including referrals to other specialists (including radiology and pathology). It may also be used to keep our records up to date, to advise of follow-up visits, reporting back to your employer and/or your employer’s insurer. We may also need to disclose your information if we are complying with any laws or if contacted by a government authority, when meeting obligations of a medical defence organisation or insurer and in processing a complaint made by you. Your information will not be shared, sold, rented or disclosed other than as required under this Privacy Policy or as allowed under the Act.
PenCS
Doctors at this practice use Pen CS software to help provide you with the best medical care. This practice, like others around Australia, securely shares patient health information (that is not identifiable) with Primary Health Networks, to improve health services in this area. If you have any questions or wish to opt out, please ask reception. pencs.com.au
Your access
You have a right to see or obtain a copy of the information we hold about you, and you can make this request in writing to us. We will give you access to the information, unless by law we cannot do so. If that happens, we will give you written reasons for not giving you access. We cannot give you access if in doing so we identify another person or we breach confidentiality We will amend your information if we both agree it needs amendment, but you may need to pay us a fee to access and copy the information. We do not as a rule disclose your personal information overseas, but if we need to, we will ask you for your consent.
Complaints about a breach of privacy
It is important we meet your expectations about how we manage your information. If you think we have breached your privacy please contact our Practice Managers to investigate. The Practice Manager can also ask our General Manager and Principal Doctor to be involved. If you are still dissatisfied you can then contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) on the Privacy Hotline – 1300 363 992.
Security
Your health care records are stored safely and securely by us taking reasonable steps to protect information and prevent unauthorised access. Information is securely destroyed when no longer needed. If we want to use your personal information for research, we will first obtain your consent. Our website is linked to the internet and we cannot guarantee the information you supply will not be intercepted while being sent and information you transmit to us online is at your own risk. Neither you nor any of our staff including Doctors, nurses, reception etc. may record a consultation or interaction either in person or via telehealth without the consent of all parties. It is illegal to record a private conversation without the express or implied consent of all parties.
Links
Our websites may contain links to other websites operated by third parties and we are not responsible for their privacy. They must inform you about their own privacy policy.
Medical HQ Athelstone:
athelstonepm@medicalhq.com.au
Medical HQ Glynde:
glyndepm@medicalhq.com.au
Medical HQ Maitland:
maitlandpm@medicalhq.com.au
Medical HQ Ardrossan:
ardrossanpm@medicalhq.com.au
