Privacy

Ascot Vale Health Group Supports Good Privacy Practice.

Introduction and Purpose

We are committed to protecting the privacy of patient information we collect and to handling your personal information in a responsible manner in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles, cyber security legislation and relevant state and territory privacy legislation (referred to as privacy legislation).

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use and disclose your personal information, how you may access that information and how you may seek the correction of any information.

It also explains how you may make a complaint if you are concerned there has been a breach of privacy legislation.

From time to time we may make changes to our policy, processes and systems relating to how we handle your personal information. We will update this Privacy Policy to reflect any changes. Those changes will be available on our website and in the practice.

This Privacy Policy also addresses the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies within our practice.

When and Why Consent is required

When you first attend Ascot Vale Health Group, we will ask you to provide information (for example, contact details) and also ask you to confirm you consent to the collection of your information.

This means that you are providing consent for the practitioners and staff to gather, access and use your personal health information to facilitate the delivery of healthcare to you.

Your personal information will only be accessed by practitioners and staff who need to do so for the purpose providing healthcare to you.

We will seek your express consent before using your information for any purpose not directly related to your healthcare

Collection of Personal and Health Information

We collect personal and sensitive health information that is necessary for the provision of healthcare. This may include, but is not limited to:

• personal identifiers such as name, date of birth, address, and contact details

• medical history, clinical notes, diagnostic test results, and treatment plans

• medicare and private health insurance details

• information generated or processed through AI-enabled tools used in clinical or administrative contexts.

We primarily collect information directly from patients. In certain circumstances, and with appropriate authority, we may also obtain information from third parties such as other treating practitioners, hospitals, or diagnostic service providers and the My Health Record. In limited situations, we may also collect information from other people, such as your relatives or friends.

CCTV footage: Collected from our premises for security and safety purposes.

Clinical images: From time to time, we may also take photographs or images with your consent obtained at the time, including on a personal device.

Website use: When you visit our website, we collect information through Healthengine. This information is used for patient identification and appointment scheduling – this is classified as personal information as you will be identified or reasonably identifiable, and this information will be treated as personal information under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

Use & Disclosure of Personal Information

We may use or disclose your personal and health information for the following purposes:

• to provide medical treatment and care, including to communicate with other healthcare providers involved in your care

• for administrative functions including billing and compliance with legal obligations

• compliance with our legal obligations.

We will communicate with or about you using the following methods – telephone, SMS text reminders for appointments, email that is password protected and secure messaging such as Healthlink/ReferralNet.

This may include your personal and health information.

We do not disclose personal information to overseas recipients unless it is necessary for the provision of care and appropriate safeguards are in place, in accordance with Australian Privacy Principle 8.

Use for research/education, quality improvement and marketing

We are committed to continuously improving the quality of our services and supporting clinical education. We may use your information in the following ways:

• Quality Improvement and Staff Education

We may use patient information for internal audits, staff training, clinical review, and accreditation activities, de-identified where practicable. These processes help ensure we maintain high standards of care and safety.

•         Research

From time to time, we may participate in health research projects. If identifiable information is required, we will seek your express consent before sharing your data. You may be contacted by a member of our team to discuss a research opportunity, but you will never be contacted directly by researchers unless you have provided consent. We will only provide identifiable information for research if the project has appropriate ethics approval and meets legal and privacy requirements.

• De-identified Data Sharing

We may contribute de-identified health data to health improvement initiatives or registries. This data cannot identify you and is stored securely. If you do not want your data included in these de-identified datasets, please inform our reception staff.

• Marketing

o   

We will not use your personal information to market goods or services directly to you without your express consent. If you do provide consent, you may opt out of receiving marketing communications at any time by notifying us in writing or using the unsubscribe function.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Ascot Vale Health Group may use AI technologies to enhance clinical decision-making, streamline administrative processes, and improve patient engagement. Examples of AI applications include:

• automated transcription of clinical consultations

o     Governance of AI Use:

• We use AI tools in a manner consistent with the APPs and relevant ethical standards.

• Personal information is not used to train AI models unless express consent has been obtained.

• All outputs generated by AI systems are subject to human review and clinical oversight.

• No automated decision-making tool is used in this practice.

As a matter of best practice, this Service Facility Provider does not enter personal information, and particularly sensitive information, into publicly available generative AI tools, due to the significant and complex privacy risks involved.

https://trust.lyrebirdhealth.com/

Anonymity and pseudonymity

The APPs provide for individuals to be dealt with anonymously or under a pseudonym, except where impracticable or where the law requires individuals to be identifiable. Please raise this with us if you wish to remain anonymous or use a pseudonym when interacting with our practice and we will consider your request. However, given the nature and requirements of providing healthcare, if impractical or required by law we will require you to be identifiable.

Data Security and Retention 

We will take reasonable steps to ensure your personal information is accurate, complete, up to date and relevant.

We implement robust technical and administrative measures to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. These measures include:

• secure electronic medical record systems with role-based access controls

• regular staff training on privacy and data protection

• having a robust cybersecurity framework

• regular audits and updates to our software and cybersecurity framework.

Information is retained in accordance with applicable legal and professional obligations. Information no longer required for the purposes it was collected and the minimum period for retention has passed, will be destroyed in a safe and responsible manner as required under privacy legislation.

Access to and correction of Information

You have the right to access your personal information. To request access or corrections, please contact our Privacy Officer in writing.

We will respond within 30 days. A small fee may apply to cover administrative costs (but you will not be charged for making the request).

We will respond to such requests in accordance with applicable privacy principles and legislation.

Privacy enquiries and Complaint

If you have any questions or concerns about how your personal information is handled or want to request access to or correction of your information, please contact:

Name: Dr Michael Skehan

Role: Practice Principal

Practice name: Ascot Vale Health Group

Postal address: 73 Union road, Ascot Vale, Victoria 3032

Phone: (03) 9370 3322

Email: reception@avhg.com.au

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

Website: www.oaic.gov.au

Phone: 1300 363 992

Policy Review Statement

This document was updated on 01/10/2025.

We review this privacy policy at least annually, or when there are changes to operations, legislation, or relevant technology.

Significant changes may be communicated to patients via email, in the practice, or on our website.