PRIVACY POLICY

1. 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.

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.

2. 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 and contact details
• Medicare number, DVA number and other government identifiers, 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
  your healthcare identifier

3. 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, registration form or online form
• from a person responsible for you
• from third parties where the Privacy Act or other law allows it - this may include, but is not  limited to: other members of your treating team, diagnostic centres, specialists, hospitals,  the My Health Record system1, electronic prescription services, Medicare, your health  insurer, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme

4. 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 professional involved in your healthcare.
• to obtain, analyse and discuss test results from diagnostic and pathology laboratories
• for identification and insurance claiming
• If you have a My Health Record, to upload your personal information to, and download your  personal information from, the My Health Record system.
• Information can also be disclosed through an electronic transfer of prescriptions service.
• 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.

5. 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.

Should you wish a copy of your medical reports this can be done through emailing or calling the  practice to make a request.

For details on how to access and correct your health record, please contact our practice as noted  below under ‘Contact Details’

6. 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.

7. Privacy related questions and complaints

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 7 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

Website: https://www.oaic.gov.au/individuals/how-do-i-make-a-privacy-complaint

8. 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 and a copy can found in our clinics.

9. Privacy and websites

Information collected through our website will only be used for the purpose of contacting you to make

appointments and will not be shared to any other source.

10. Contact details for privacy related issues

Please send all correspondence to elaine@heartandlungclinic.com.au or call the practice on 03 9965  2750.

Updated November 2024