TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
We respect and uphold your rights to privacy protection under the National Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act 1988
We respect and uphold your rights to privacy protection under the Australian Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Act 2012.
This policy describes how we manage any personal information we hold.
WHAT INFORMATION DO WE HOLD?
We may hold the following information about you:
Name, residential, postal and email address, telephone numbers, date of birth, country of birth, language spoken at home, marital status, indigenous status, next of kin, referring doctor and general practitioner details, Medicare, pension/DVA, health insurance numbers, transaction details associated with the services we provided to you, any additional information provided to us by you, any information you have provided to us through patient surveys and comment cards.
We will only request information from you that we need to provide a service to you and will at all times seek your approval prior to using your information for any other purpose.
WE USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION TO:
- Provide medical treatment and care to you
- Assist with any calls you make to us
- For our internal administrative requirements
- Process private health insurance claims
- For benchmarking and clinical indicator reporting in a de-identified format
- Provide data to state regulatory bodies in compliance with reporting obligations
- Provide data in a de-identified form to the Private Hospital Data Bureau
- For quality improvement for accreditation purposes with ACHS – The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards
STORAGE
The vast majority of patient records and information are stored in electronic form. Comprehensive policies and procedures govern the security and access to electronic records. Only authorised personnel have access to electronic records and only for the purpose of carrying out their employment.
OPENNESS
You may request access to the personal information we hold about you by writing to our Privacy Officer, Mrs Regina Ferreira. You do not have to provide a reason for requesting the information. Where we hold information that you are entitled to access, we will endeavour to provide you with a suitable range of choices as to how you may access it (eg. postal, email, fax or collection).
If you believe any personal information held by us about you is incorrect, incomplete or inaccurate then you may request amendment of it. If we do not agree that there are grounds for amendment, then we will add a note to the personal information stating that you disagree with it.
Any questions about this policy or any complaint regarding treatment or privacy should also be in writing and addressed to us at the address on this website.
Please mark Personal and Confidential
PRIVACY STATEMENT
We acknowledge our obligations to you under the Health Records and Privacy Act 2002 (HRIP Act commencing1 July 2004) and the Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection).
Personal information we collect from you will be used primarily to ensure that you receive optimal care but may be used for other purposes such as to satisfy Federal and State Health Department reporting requirements or requirements set out by your health fund, or for the purpose of health accreditation.
The use of your personal information for the above purposes does not require your consent. If we want to use the information for other purposes we will ask for your consent. A copy of the Diagnostic Endoscopy Centre Personal Information Management Policy is available upon request.
We are committed to protecting the privacy of the personal information and sensitive information which it collects and holds.
- Policy Statement
We are committed to protecting the privacy of the personal information and sensitive information which it collects and holds. We must comply with the Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), and other privacy laws which govern the way in which organisations (such as us) hold, use and disclose personal information (including your sensitive information).
The purpose of this Privacy Policy is to explain:
(a) the kinds of information that we may collect about you and how that information is held;
(b) how we collect and holds personal information;
(c) the purposes for which we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information;
(d) how you can access the personal information we hold about you and seek to correct such information; and
(e) the way in which you can complain about a breach of your privacy and how we will handle that complaint.
- Definitions
In this Privacy Policy the following terms have the following meanings:
Health information is:
(a) personal information or an opinion about:
(i) an individual’s physical or mental health or disability (at any time);
(ii) an individual’s express wishes about the future provision of health services for themselves; or
(iii) a health service provided, or to be provided, to an individual;
(b) other personal information collected to provide, or in providing, a health service;
(c) other personal information about an individual collected in connection with the donation, or intended donation, by the individual of his or her body parts, organs or body substances; or
(d) genetic information about an individual in a form that is, or could be, predictive of the health of the individual or a genetic relative of the individual.
Personal information means information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable:
(a) whether the information or opinion is true or not; and
(b) whether the information or opinion is recorded in a material form or not.
Sensitive information means:
(a) personal information or opinion about an individual’s:
(i) racial or ethnic origins;
(ii) political opinions or political associations;
(iii) philosophical beliefs or religious beliefs or affiliations;
(iv) sexual preferences or practices; or
(b) health information about an individual; or
(c) genetic information about an individual that is not otherwise health information.
- Collection and use of personal information
3.1 Types of personal information collected by us
We will only collect information which is necessary to facilitate the provision to you of health care services or to appropriately manage, conduct and oversee our business. This may include (as applicable):
(a) Patients/residents/clients/research participants
We collect information from you to facilitate the provision of health care services to you or to enable you to participate in research studies. This includes collecting personal information such as your name, address, your health history, family history, past and current treatments lifestyle factors, and any other information which is necessary to assist the health care team in providing appropriate care, or our research team in conducting its research.
(b) VMOs, students, contractors and volunteers.
We collect information from you which is necessary to properly conduct, manage and oversee our business. This includes collecting personal information such as your name, address, professional experience, qualifications and past employers, and any other information which may be necessary to appropriately conduct, manage and oversee our business.
3.2 How we collect personal information
We will usually collect your personal information directly from you, however sometimes we may need to collect information about you from third parties, such as:
(a) another health service provider;
(b) related entities (being those listed in the annexure).
We will only collect information from third parties where:
(c) you have consented to such collection;
(d) such collection is necessary to enable us to facilitate the provision of appropriate health care services;
(e) such collection is reasonably necessary to enable us to appropriately manage, conduct and oversee our business; or
(f) it is legally permissible for us to do.
3.3 How we use your personal information
We only use your personal information for the purpose for which it was collected by us (primary purpose), unless:
(a) there is another purpose (secondary purpose) and that secondary purpose is directly related to the primary purpose, and you would reasonably expect, or the we have informed you, that your information will be used for that secondary purpose;
(b) you have given your consent for your personal information to be used for a secondary purpose; or
(c) We are required or authorised by law to use your personal information for a secondary purpose (including for research and quality improvements within us).
For example, we may use your personal information to:
(d) facilitate the provision of health care services to you;
(e) facilitate the provision of any ongoing health-related services to you;
(f) appropriately manage, conduct and oversee our business, such as assessing insurance requirements, conducting audits, and undertaking accreditation processes;
(g) assist us to manage, conduct and oversee our business, including quality assurance programs, billing, improving its services, implementing appropriate security measures, conducting research and training personnel;
(h) where required, effectively communicate with third parties, including Medicare Australia, private health insurers and Department of Veterans’ Affairs; and
(i) carry out fundraising activities (where you have consented).
3.4 Complete and accurate details
Where possible and practicable, you will have the option to deal with us on an anonymous basis or by using a pseudonym. However, if the personal information you provide us is incomplete or inaccurate, or you withhold personal information, we may not be able to provide the assistance or support you are seeking, or deal with you effectively.
- Disclosing your personal information
4.1 Disclosures
We will confine its disclosure of your personal information to the primary purpose for which that information has been collected, or for a related secondary purpose. This includes when disclosure is necessary to facilitate the provision of health care services to you, to help us manage, conduct and oversee our business, or for security reasons.
We may provide your personal information to:
(a) medical and other healthcare professionals involved in your care;
(b) government agencies, such as Defence or Department of Veterans Affairs, where an individual is receiving services;
(c) government departments responsible for health, aged care and disability where we are required to do so;
(d) third parties contracted to provide services to us, such as entities contracted to assist in accreditation or survey processes;
(e) any of the related entities listed in the annexure;
(f) research institutions with which we collaborate;
(g) private health insurance providers and Medicare Australia;
(h) anyone authorised by you to receive your personal information (your consent may be express or implied);
(j) anyone we are required by law to disclose your personal information to.
4.2 Third-party service providers
Where we engage third-party service providers, we may disclose personal information to those service providers who may use, process and/or store that information overseas. For example, we have contracted with an Australian company for the provision of an electronic document portal to host papers for our consultations. Consultation letters include personal information.
- Data storage, quality and security
5.1 Data quality
We will take reasonable steps to ensure that your personal information which is collected, used or disclosed is accurate, complete and up to date.
5.2 Storage
All your personal information held by us is stored securely in electronic form.
5.3 Data security
We strive to ensure the security, integrity and privacy of personal information and will take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Our reviews and updates (where necessary) its security measures in light of current technologies.
5.4 Online transfer of information
We do all it can to protect the privacy of your personal information, no data transfer over the internet is 100% secure. When you share your personal information with us via an online process, it is at your own risk.
There are ways you can help maintain the privacy of your personal information, including:
(a) always closing your browser when you have finished your user session;
(b) always ensuring others cannot access your personal information and emails if you use a public computer; and
(c) never disclosing your user name and password to third parties.
- Use of cookies
A cookie is a small file placed in your web browser that collects information about your web browsing behaviour.
Use of cookies allows a website to tailor its configuration to your needs and preferences.
Cookies do not access information stored on your computer or any personal information (e.g. name, address, email address or telephone number).
Most web browsers automatically accept cookies but you can choose to reject cookies by changing your browser settings. We suggest consulting the Help section of your browser or taking a look at the About Cookies website which offers guidance for all modern browsers.
This may, however, prevent you from taking full advantage of this website.
We use cookies to analyse website traffic and help us provide a better website visitor experience.
- Data storage, quality and security
We may provide links to third-party websites. These linked sites may not be under our control and we are not responsible for the content or privacy practices employed by those websites. Before disclosing your personal information on any other website, we recommend that you carefully read the terms and conditions of use and privacy statement of the relevant website.
- Accessing and amending your personal information
You have a right to access your personal information which we hold about you. If you make a request to access your personal information, we will ask you to verify your identity and specify the information you require. You can also request an amendment to any of your personal information if you consider that it contains inaccurate information. You can contact us about any privacy issues as follows:
While we aim to meet all requests for access to personal information, in a small number of cases and where permitted to do so by law, we may not give access or may do so only under conditions. Subject to applicable laws, we may destroy records containing personal information when the record is no longer required by us.
- Complaints
If you have a complaint about our information handling practices or consider we have breached your privacy, you can lodge a complaint with us or
the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. We deal with all complaints in a fair and efficient manner.