Privacy policy

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 (Cth) (‘the Privacy Act’). 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; and
• Whether we are likely to disclose personal information to overseas recipients.

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 and other pharmaceutical purchases;
• Your dental records;
• Your genetic information;
• Your healthcare identifier; and
• Any other information about your race, sexuality or religion, when collected by a health service provider.

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; and
• 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 system, electronic prescription services, Medicare, your health insurer, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

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;
• Information can also be disclosed through an electronic transfer of prescriptions service; and
• 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.

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.
• For details on how to access and correct your health record, please contact our practice as noted below under ‘Contact Details’.
• We will normally respond to your request within 30 days.

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. This includes:

• Holding your information in secure cloud storage;
• Holding your information in a lockable cabinet;
• Our staff sign confidentiality agreements; and
• Our practice has document retention and destruction policies

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 (see below for details). We will normally respond to your request within 30 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

Anonymity and pseudonyms

The Privacy Act provides that individuals must have the option of not identifying themselves, or of using a pseudonym, when dealing with our practice, except in certain circumstances, such as where it is impracticable for us to deal with you if you have not identified yourself.

Overseas disclosure

We may disclose your personal information to the following overseas recipients:

• Any practice or individual who assists us in providing services (such as where you have come from overseas and had your health record transferred from overseas or have treatment continuing from an overseas provider); and
• Anyone else to whom you authorise us to disclose it.

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.

Privacy and websites

Our website contains forms through which users may request information or supply feedback to us. In some cases, telephone numbers or return addresses are required so that we can supply requested information to you. We may also track where you go or what you read on our website so that we can supply you with effective follow-up information, but only if you have given us explicit permission to do so by filling out a form that asks you if we may do so.

This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses “cookies”, which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyze how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google’s behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above.

If you have any questions about our privacy policy or our use of information gathered through our website, please contact us.

Contact details for privacy related issues

Kindred Midwifery, Obstetrics & Gynaecology
124 Wellington Rd
East Brisbane
Queensland 4169

Phone: 3188 7915
Email: info@kindredmog.com.au