Caulfield Family Medical Practice Privacy Policy
Current as of: November 2024
The objective of this privacy notice is to provide you, our patient, with clear information on how your personal information is collected and used within the practice. Occasionally we also need to share your personal information to involve others in your healthcare and this policy outlines when, how, and why we share your information.
Related Standards:
RACGP Compliance Indicators for the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs)
Privacy Act 1988
Who can I contact about this policy?
For enquiries concerning this policy, you can contact:
Privacy Officer: Ms Carmel Pierias
Contact Details: 263 Glen Eira Rd
Caulfield North, Vic 3161
Ph: 9528 1910
email: reception@travelclinic.com.au
When and why is your consent necessary?
When you register as a patient of this practice, you provide consent for the GPs and practice staff to access and use your personal information to facilitate the delivery of healthcare. Access to your personal information is restricted to practice team members who require it for your care. If we ever use your personal information for purposes other than healthcare provision, we will obtain additional consent from you.
It is important to us that as our patient, you understand why we collect and use your personal information.
Why do we collect, use, store, and share your personal information?
The practice collects, uses, stores, and shares your personal information primarily to manage your health safely and effectively. This includes providing healthcare services, managing medical records, and ensuring accurate billing and payments. Additionally, we may utilise your information for internal quality and safety improvement processes such as practice audits, and accreditation purposes to maintain high-quality service standards.
What personal information is collected?
The information we will collect about you includes your:
- names, date of birth, addresses, contact details
- medical information including medical history, medicines, allergies, and adverse reactions, immunisations, social history, relevant family history and risk factors
- Medicare number (where available) for identification and claiming purposes
- healthcare identifier numbers
- health fund details.
Can you deal with us anonymously?
You can 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.
- Any individual who chooses to access the services of the Practice anonymously will be advised of any potential consequences resulting from their decision
- The Practice will not preclude an individual from participating in the activities of the organisation because they request anonymity
How is personal information collected?
The practice may collect your personal information in several different ways:
- When you make your first appointment, the practice team will collect your personal and demographic information via your registration. Patients are encouraged to pay attention to the collection statement within the New Patient Registration Form about the management of collected information, patient privacy & consent
- While providing medical services, the Practice’s healthcare practitioners will consequently collect further personal information.
- We may also collect your personal information when you send us an email, telephone us, or make an online appointment.
In some circumstances, personal information may also be collected from other sources, including:
- 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 (if relevant).
- While providing medical services, further personal information may be collected via:
- electronic prescribing
- My Health Record
- online appointments.
Various types of images may be collected and used, including:
- Photos and medical images: Dermengine skin mapping device for medical purposes.
- We will always comply with privacy obligations when collecting personal information from third-party sources. This includes ensuring transparency with patients, obtaining necessary consents, maintaining data accuracy, securing the information, and using it only for specified purpose
When, why and with whom do we share your personal information?
We sometimes share your personal information:
- with third parties 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 (e.g. In referral letters)
- 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 an equitable claim
- for the purpose of confidential dispute resolution process
- When it is a statutory requirement to share certain personal information (e.g. some diseases require mandatory notification)
- When it is for provision of medical services, through electronic prescribing, My Health Record (e.g. via Shared Health Summary, Event Summary).
Only people who need to access your personal information will be able to do so. Other than providing medical services or as otherwise described in this policy, the practice will not share personal information with any third party without your consent.
We do not share your personal information with anyone outside Australia (unless under exceptional circumstances that are permitted by law) without your consent.
Will your information be used for marketing purposes?
The practice will not use your personal information for marketing any goods or services directly to you without your expressed consent. If you do consent, you may opt out of direct marketing at any time by notifying the practice in writing.
How is your information used to improve services?
The practice may use your personal information to improve the quality of the services offered to patients through research, analysis of patient data for quality improvement and for training activities with the practice team
We 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 reception staff know if you do not want your information included.
How are document automation technologies used?
Document automation is where systems use existing data to generate electronic documents relating to medical conditions and healthcare.
The practice uses document automation technologies to create documents such as referrals, which are sent to other healthcare providers. These documents contain only your relevant medical information.
These document automation technologies are used through secure medical software Medical Director Clinical 4.3
All users of the medical software have their own unique user credentials and password and can only access information that is relevant to their role in the practice team.
The practice complies with the Australian privacy legislation and APPs to protect your information.
All data, both electronic and paper is stored and managed in accordance with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
How is your personal information stored and protected?
Your personal information may be stored in various forms.
A patient’s personal information may be held at the Practice in various forms:
- as paper records
- as electronic records
- as visual – x-rays, CT scans, videos and photos
The practice stores all personal information securely.
Data Security
Caulfield Family Medical Practice will take reasonable steps to protect the personal information it holds from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Electronic format information is stored in a secure password protected system. Hard copy information is stored in a secure environment. The Practice will destroy or permanently de-identify personal information that is no longer required i.e. shred paper records, remove & reformat hard drives. The Practice will ensure that all personal information transmitted electronically will be appropriately encrypted before transmission. The Practice holds all personal information securely, whether in electronic format, in protected information systems or in hard copy format in a secured environment. This practice uses individual staff passwords for electronic systems & holds regularly updated confidentiality agreements for staff & contractors
Openness
This policy will be made available to any person requesting access to it. A general statement describing our approach to privacy will be on public display at Caulfield Family Medical Practice
How can you access and correct your personal information at the practice?
You have the right to request access to, and correction of, your personal information. The practice acknowledges patients may request access to their medical records.
Access
Patients have the right to request access to their personal information. Patients are encouraged to make this request in writing, and the Practice will respond within 30 days. No fee is charged for requesting access to personal information the Practice may hold, however a reasonable fee may be charged for processing the request.
Patients have the right to request correction of their personal information e.g. if patient believes information held by the practice is incorrect or out of date.
The Practice will take reasonable steps to correct personal information where it is satisfied the information is not accurate or up to date. From time to time, the Practice will ask patients to verify the personal information held by us is correct and up to date.
Making Information Available to Another Health Services Provider:
If an individual requests the Practice to make their health information available to another health services provider or authorizes another health services provider to request that information – The Practice will provide a copy or written summary of that health information within 30 days of the request. Any Health information is sent directly to the other health services provider via fax or mail, never by email
Corrections
The practice will take reasonable steps to correct your personal information where the information is not accurate or up to date. Sometimes, we will ask you to verify your personal information held by the practice is correct and current. You may request we correct or update your information. To do this please contact via Carmel Pierias Practice Manager reception@travelclinic.com.au
How can you lodge a privacy-related complaint, and how will the complaint be handled at the practice?
Complaints Handling & Privacy Concerns
The Practice takes complaints and concerns about the privacy of patients’ personal information seriously. Patients should express any privacy concerns in writing or directly to the Privacy Officer (see Privacy Officer section of this document for details). The Practice will then attempt to resolve the matter in accordance with its complaint resolution procedure. In most cases the complainant will be asked to lodge their complaint in writing. Unless a complaint can be dealt with immediately to the satisfaction of both parties, the Practice will provide a written response to the complaint within 30 days of it being received. If an individual believes their complaint has not been appropriately handled by Caulfield Family Medical Practice, they should contact:
Health Complaints Commissioner Victoria
Complaints and Information
Telephone: 1300 582 113
Fax No.: (61 3) 9032 3111
E-mail: hcc@hcc.vic.gov.au
Level 26 / 570 Bourke Street
Melbourne. 3000
Victoria, Australia
Or Alternately contact:
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner will require you to give them time to respond before they investigate. For further information visit www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC (Office of the Australian Information Commissioner) on 1300 363 992.
Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au Fax:+61 2 9284 9666 Post: GPO Box 5218 Sydney NSW 2001
Policy review statement
Our privacy policy is regularly reviewed to ensure compliance with current obligations.
If any changes are made:
- They will be reflected on the website.
- Significant changes may be communicated directly to patients via email or other means.
Please check the policy periodically for updates. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.