Lifepoint Clinic Privacy Policy
August 2021
Contents:
- Introduction
- What kinds of personal information do we collect?
- How do we collect and hold personal information?
- Why do we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information?
- How can you access and correct your personal information?
- How do we hold your personal information?
- Privacy related questions and complaints
- Anonymity and pseudonyms
- Overseas disclosure
- Updates to this policy
- Contact details for privacy related issues
- Introduction
Our practice is committed to best practice in relation to the management of information we collect. This practice has developed a policy to protect patient privacy in compliance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (‘the Privacy Act’). Our policy is to inform you of:
- the kinds of information that we collect and hold, which, as a medical practice, is likely to be ‘health information’ for the purposes of the Privacy Act;
- how we collect and hold personal information;
- the purposes for which we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information;
- how you may access your personal information and seek the correction of that information;
- how you may complain about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles and how we will deal with such a complaint;
- whether we are likely to disclose personal information to overseas recipients;
- What kinds of personal information do we collect?
The type of information we may collect and hold includes:
- Your name, address, date of birth, email address and contact details
- Medicare number and/or DVA number although we will not use these for the purposes of identifying you in our practice
- Other health information about you, including:
- notes of your symptoms or diagnosis and the treatment given to you
- your specialist reports and test results
- your appointment and billing details
- your prescriptions and other pharmaceutical purchases
- your genetic information
- any other information about your race, gender identity or religion, when collected by a health service provider.
- How do we collect and hold personal information?
We will generally collect personal information:
- from you directly when you provide your details to us. This might be via a face-to-face discussion, telephone conversation, email correspondence, new patient registration form, online form via Health Engine or the contact form on our website
- from a person responsible for you (e.g. legal guardian, carer, case manager, Power of Attorney, etc.)
- from third parties where the Privacy Act or other law allows it – this may include, but is not limited to: other involved healthcare providers such as specialists, allied health professionals, hospitals, pathology and diagnostic imaging services, Medicare or your insurance company.
Our procedure for collecting personal information is set out below:
- Our staff collect your personal and demographic information at the point of registration when you arrive for your first appointment. You are encouraged to pay attention to the collection statement within the new patient registration form.
- Throughout the course of providing health services to you, our healthcare practitioners will consequently collect further personal information.
- Personal information may also be collected from the patient’s guardian or responsible person as deemed practicable and necessary, or from any other involved healthcare specialists. Our practice holds all personal information securely in electronic formats, in protected information systems or in hard copy formats within a secured environment.
- Why do we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information?
In general, we collect, hold, use and disclose your personal information for the following purposes:
- to provide health services to you
- to communicate with you in relation to the health service being provided to you
- to comply with our legal obligations, including, but not limited to, mandatory notification of communicable diseases or mandatory reporting under applicable child protection legislation.
- to help us manage our accounts and administrative services, including billing, arrangements with health funds, pursuing unpaid accounts, management of our ITC systems
- for consultations with other doctors and allied health professionals involved in your health care;
- to obtain, analyse and discuss test results from diagnostic and pathology laboratories
- for identification and insurance claiming
- when it is required or authorised by law (e.g. subpoenas)
- to liaise with your health fund, government and regulatory bodies such as Medicare, the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) (if you make a privacy complaint to the OAIC), as necessary.
- How can you access and correct your personal information?
You have a right to seek access to, and correction of the personal information which we hold about you.
For details on how to access and correct your health record, please contact our practice as noted below under ‘Contact Details’:
We will normally respond to your request within 30 days.
- How do we hold your personal information?
Our staff are trained and required to respect and protect your privacy. We take reasonable steps to protect information held from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. This includes:
- Holding all hard copies of medical records in lockable cabinets
- Our staff sign confidentiality agreements
- Our practice has document retention and destruction policies
- Strong password protections and IT security systems
- Privacy related questions and complaints
Our practice takes all complaints and concerns about the privacy of patients’ personal information seriously. If you have any questions about privacy-related issues or wish to complain about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles or the handling of your personal information by us, you may lodge your complaint in writing to (see below for details). We will normally respond to your request within 30 days.
If you are dissatisfied with our response, you may refer the matter to the OAIC:
Phone: 1300 363 992
Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au
Fax: +61 2 9284 9666
Post: GPO Box 5218
Sydney NSW 2001
- Anonymity and pseudonyms
The Privacy Act provides that individuals must have the option of not identifying themselves, or of using a pseudonym, when dealing with our practice, except in certain circumstances, such as where it is impracticable for us to deal with you if you have not identified yourself.
- Overseas disclosure
Our practice will not disclose personal information to any third party outside Australia without your consent and without the need expressed in writing.
- Updates to this policy
This policy will be reviewed from time to time to take account of new laws and technology, changes to our operations and other necessary developments. Updates will be publicised on the practice’s website.
- Contact details for privacy related issues
Christie Oh
Practice Manager
Lifepoint Clinic
(08) 9259 0689
