Introduction

This privacy policy provides information to you, our patient, on how your personal information (which includes your health information) is collected and used within our practice and the circumstances in which we may share it with third parties.

Why and When Your Consent is Necessary

When you register as a patient of our practice, you provide consent for our GPs and practice staff to access and use your personal information so they can provide you with the best possible healthcare. Only staff who need to see your personal information will have access to it. If we need to use your information for anything else, we will seek additional consent from you to do this.

Why Do We Collect, Use, Hold, and Share Your Personal Information?

Our practice will need to collect your personal information to provide healthcare services to you. Our main purpose for collecting, using, holding, and sharing your personal information is to manage your health and deliver the best quality health care to you. We also use it for directly related business activities, such as financial claims and payments, practice audits and accreditation, and business processes.

What Personal Information Do We Collect?

The information we will collect about you includes your:

• Names, date of birth, addresses, contact details
• Medical information including medical history, medications, allergies, adverse events, immunisations, social history, family history, and risk factors
• Medicare number (where available) for identification and claiming purposes
• Healthcare identifiers
• Health fund details

Dealing with Us Anonymously

You have the right to deal with us anonymously or under a pseudonym unless it is impracticable for us to do so or unless we are required or authorised by law to only deal with identified individuals.

How Do We Collect Your Personal Information?

Our practice may collect your personal information in several different ways:

1. When you make your first appointment, our practice staff will collect your personal and demographic information via your registration.
2. During the course of providing medical services, we may collect further personal information. This further information may be obtained by gaining your consent to use My Health Record. (You can find the My Health Record Privacy Policy via https://www.myhealthrecord.gov.au/about/privacy-policy)
3. We may also collect your personal information when you visit our website, send us an email or SMS, telephone us, make an online appointment, or communicate via our social media accounts.
4. In some circumstances, personal information may also be collected from other sources. Often this is because it is not practical or reasonable to collect it from you directly. This may include information from:

• Your guardian or responsible person
• Other involved healthcare providers, such as specialists, allied health professionals, hospitals, community health services, and pathology and diagnostic imaging services
• Your health fund, Medicare, or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (as necessary).

When, Why, and With Whom Do We Share Your Personal Information?

We sometimes share your personal information:

• With third parties who work with our practice for business purposes, such as accreditation agencies or information technology providers – these third parties are required to comply with APPs and this policy.
• With other healthcare providers.
• When it is required or authorised by law (e.g., court subpoenas).
• When it is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to a patient’s life, health, or safety, or public health or safety, or it is impractical to obtain the patient’s consent.
• To assist in locating a missing person.
• To establish, exercise, or defend an equitable claim.
• For the purpose of a confidential dispute resolution process.
• When there is a statutory requirement to share certain personal information (e.g., mandatory disease notification to QLD Public Health).
• During the course of providing medical services, through My Health Record (e.g., via Shared Health Summary, Event Summary), Electronic Transfer of Prescriptions (eTP), and eReferrals.
  •  

Only people who need to access your information will be able to do so. Other than in the course of providing medical services or as otherwise described in this policy, our practice will not share personal information with any third party without your consent. We will not share your personal information with anyone outside Australia (unless under exceptional circumstances that are permitted by law) without your consent.

Privacy and Our Website

You are able to contact Stones Corner Medical Centre via our website; however, this method of contact is not secure. All messages from the website will be diverted to the reception email and actioned accordingly. While every effort will be made to keep your information secure, electronic communications can potentially be compromised, so this will be done at your own risk.

Contact Details for More Information

If you have any questions or concerns regarding our privacy policy, please contact us:

Stones Corner Medical Centre 383 Logan Road, Greenslopes 4120 Phone: 07 3394 3622