Privacy

Ascot Vale Health Group Supports Good Privacy Practice.

The Commonwealth Privacy Act was amended in 2012 and as from March 2014 incorporates 13 Australian Privacy Principles (the APP's) that set out the rules for the handling of personal information in Australia.  The APP's replace the previous 10 National Privacy Principles (NPP).

In the interests of providing quality health care this Service Facility Provider has developed a privacy policy that complies with the privacy legislation and the APP's.

The provision of quality health care is our principal concern.  It requires a doctor patient relationship of trust and confidentiality. Your doctor regards patient health information as confidential and will only collect this information with patient consent.

A patient's personal information is handled in accordance with this Service Facility Provider's privacy policy and consistent with privacy legislation. Patients are entitled to know what personal information is held about them; how and under what circumstances they may have access to it; why it is held; its use; to whom and under what circumstances it may be disclosed; when consent is required for these purposes; and how it is stored.

Every effort will be made to discuss these matters with patients at the time personal health information is collected from patients attending this facility.  Because there will be occasions when it is not practical to make patients aware of these matters at the time of collection this post (& brochures available at reception) is designed to outline how this Service Facility Provider endeavours to protect the privacy of patient's personal health information.

1. Openness.  This Service Facilities Provider has made this and other material available to patients to inform them of the policies on management of personal information.  On request this Service Facilities Provider will let patients know, generally, what sort of personal information is held, for what purposes, and how we collect, hold, use and disclose that information.
2. Anonymity. A patient has the right to be dealt with anonymously, provided this is lawful and practicable.  However, in the medical context this is not likely to be practicable or possible for Medicare and insurance rebate purposes.  It could also be dangerous to the patient’s health.
3. Collection of Information. It is necessary for the Service Facilities Provider to collect personal information from patients and sometimes others associated with their health care in order to attend to their health needs and for associated administrative purposes.
4. Unsolicited Information.  If this Service Facilities Provider receives personal information and we did not request that information, we will notify the sender then we will destroy and/or de-identify that information.
5. Collection - Notification. If this Service Facilities Provider collects information from patients it will only be used for the purposes outlined.
6. Use And Disclosure.  A patients’ personal health information is used or disclosed for purposes directly related to their health care and in ways that are consistent with a patients’ expectations.  In the interests of the highest quality and continuity of health care this may include sharing information with other health care providers who comprise a patients’ medical team from time to time.  In addition there are circumstances when information has to be disclosed without patient consent, such as:
   • By law, doctors are sometimes required to disclose information for public interest reasons, e.g. - mandatory reporting of some communicable diseases.
   • Provision of information to Medicare or private health funds, if relevant, for billing and medical rebate purposes.
   • Requests from the Police in relation to obtaining access to patient information will require a Warrant.
   • Emergency situations

   In general a patients’ health information will not be used for any other purposes without their consent. There are some necessary purposes of collection for which information will be used beyond providing health care, such as professional accreditation, quality assessments, clinical auditing, billing and so forth.

7. Direct Marketing. The Service Facilities Provider does not use or disclose personal information for the purposes of direct marketing. We will contact you regarding health recalls, appointment reminders, preventative health measures or similar health related issues.

8. Cross Border Disclosure. Except in exceptional circumstances, or with the patients written consent, this Service Facilities Provider does not send information overseas; if we need to send overseas we will take steps to protect patient privacy.  We do not store any information outside Australia.

9. Government Identifiers. These are numbers, letters or symbols that are used to identify patients with or without the use of a name. (e.g.- Medicare Numbers).  This Service Facilities Provider will limit the use of identifiers assigned to patients by Government agencies to those uses necessary to fulfil our obligations or as required by law.

10. Information Quality. All patient information held by this Service Facilities Provider relevant to the functions of providing health care will be maintained in a form that is accurate, complete and up to date.

11. Information Security. The storage, use and, where necessary, transfer of personal health information will be undertaken in a secure manner that protects patient privacy.  It is necessary for Service Facilities Providers to keep patient information after a patients’ last attendance for as long as is required by law or is prudent having regard to administrative requirements. Where data is to be destroyed this will be done in a secure manner or in a way to ensure the information is de-identified.

12. Access to Information. Patients may request access to their personal health information held by this Service Facilities Provider.  There are some circumstances in which access is restricted, and in these cases reasons for denying access will be explained. e.g. - providing access would pose a serious threat to life, prohibited by court order.

13. Correction.  Where necessary, patients will be given the opportunity to amend any personal information held by the Service Facilities Provider that is incorrect.

     

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    Where the Service Facilities Provider receives a request in relation to any of the APPs outlined, it is generally accepted

    that the Service Facilities Provider will respond within 30 days

    of the request being received.

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    Information about the APPs is available online at:

          www.oaic.gov.au  - Fact Sheet 17

     

    Complaints.

    Patients should feel free to discuss any concerns, questions or complaints about any issues related to the privacy of their personal information with their doctor.  If a patient remains dissatisfied you can contact the Office of the Information Commissioner  -  ph:  1300 363 992

The provision of quality health care requires a doctor-patient relationship of trust and confidentiality

This Service Facilities Provider collects information from you for the primary purpose of providing quality health care. We require you to provide us with your personal details and a full medical history so that we may properly assess, diagnose, treat and be proactive in your health care needs. This means we will use the information you provide in the following ways:

• for administrative purposes in running our practice including telephone confirmation of appointments
• for billing purposes, including compliance with Medicare Australia requirements
• for disclosure to others involved in your health care, including treating doctors and specialists outside this practice.

        This may occur through referral or for medical tests and in the reports or results returned to us following referrals

• for disclosure to other doctors, medical assistants, trained nurses not in this practice and occasionally to medical students attached to the practice for the purpose of teaching

As part of our commitment to continually improve quality care and services to patients, the Service Facilities Provider advises of requirements for doctors consulting at this location to participate in Quality Assurance (Q A) activities.

Periodically, the Service Facilities Provider partakes in research studies that may require disclosure of de-identified primary health information. At times this may be in identified form and will only be undertaken with your prior written consent.

Patients are not obliged to provide any information requested of them, but the failure to do so may compromise the quality of the health care and treatment given to them. All patients are made aware of their right to access the information collected about them, except in circumstances where access might legitimately be withheld. Patients should understand they will be given an explanation in these circumstances.