Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy: Doctor Northbridge  

Current as of: 01/02/2024 

Introduction 

This privacy policy is to provide 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.  Personal information’ is defined as ‘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’

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. We also use it for directly related business activities, such as financial claims and payments, practice audits and accreditation, and business processes (eg staff training).  

What personal information do we collect?  

The information we will collect about you includes your: 

• names, date of birth, addresses, ethnicity, 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.

Additionally, during your visit, we may collect certain specific details that are pertinent to your interaction with our services. These details could encompass email address, claim numbers. While these data points may not be explicitly detailed in this policy, be assured that we handle such information with the same commitment to privacy and security. Any changes or updates to our data collection practices will be communicated in accordance with our privacy policy update procedures

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.
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 with us using social media.
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 (eg 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 confidential dispute resolution process
• when there is a statutory requirement to share certain personal information (eg some diseases require mandatory notification)
• during the course of providing medical services, through eTP, My Health Record (eg via Shared Health Summary, Event Summary).

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. 

Our practice will not use your personal information for marketing any of our goods or services directly to you without your express consent. If you do consent, you may opt out of direct marketing at any time by notifying our practice in writing.  

Our practice may use your personal information to improve the quality of the services we offer to our patients through research and analysis of our patient data.  

We may provide de-identified data to other organisations to improve population health outcomes. The information is secure, patients cannot be identified and the information is stored within Australia. You can let our reception staff know if you do not want your information included.  

How do we store and protect your personal information? 

Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms, mostly digital. All digital records are protected and can be accessed exclusively by authorized and designated individuals. Physical records are kept in a secure location and are disposed of after utilization via confidential waste management refers to the systematic and secure handling, disposal, or destruction of sensitive and confidential information to safeguard against unauthorized access or disclosure. 

Our practice stores all personal information securely.  

1. Encryption: Utilizing encryption techniques to protect sensitive data, both during transmission and while stored.
2. Access Controls: Implementing strict access controls to limit and monitor who can access the stored personal information. This often involves user authentication and authorization protocols.
3. Firewalls and Network Security: Employing firewalls and other network security measures to safeguard against unauthorized access or cyber threats.
4. Regular Audits and Monitoring: Conducting regular audits and continuous monitoring to identify and address any potential vulnerabilities or unusual activities.
5. Physical Security: Ensuring physical security of servers and data storage facilities to prevent unauthorized access to hardware.
6. Compliance with Data Protection Regulations: Adhering to relevant data protection regulations and standards to ensure legal and ethical handling of personal information.
7. Employee Training: Providing training to staff on data security best practices to reduce the risk of human error or negligence.
8. Data Backups: Implementing regular data backup procedures to prevent data loss in case of system failures or other unforeseen events.

How can you access and correct your personal information at our practice? 

You have the right to request access to, and correction of, your personal information. 

Our practice acknowledges patients may request access to their medical records. We require you to put this request in writing with a Transfer of Medical request from which can be provide to you via info@drnorthbridge.com.au or at the reception and our practice will respond within a 5 business days. Fees will be applicable for the cost of complying with the request and not for making the request. Please enquire regarding fees at our reception. 

Our practice will take reasonable steps to correct your personal information where the information is not accurate or up to date. From time to time, we will ask you to verify that your personal information held by our practice is correct and current. You may also request that we correct or update your information, and you should make such requests in writing to info@drnorthbridge.com.au or give us a call at (08) 6186 2456 or visit us at 68 & 70 Aberdeen Street Northbridge WA 6003. 

How can you lodge a privacy-related complaint, and how will the complaint be handled at our practice? 

We take complaints and concerns regarding privacy seriously. You can express any privacy concerns you may have in writing. We will then attempt to resolve it in accordance with our resolution procedure.  

To address any privacy concerns you may have, kindly articulate them in writing. You can send an email to info@drnorthbridge.com.au or write a letter addressed to Doctor Northbridge/Feedback at 68 & 70 Aberdeen Street Northbridge WA 6003. Subsequently, we will make every effort to resolve the issue in accordance with our established resolution procedure in a reasonable timeframe, however on occasions this may take up to 14 days.

You may also contact the OAIC. Generally, the OAIC will require you to give them time to respond before they will investigate. For further information visit www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC on 1300 363 992 

Policy review Statement This privacy policy is subject to regular review to ensure its compliance with any changes that may occur. We are committed to keeping our patients informed, and in the event of any amendments to this policy, we will provide notification through our website, or other communication channels. Your privacy and trust are of utmost importance to us, and we strive to keep you informed about any updates that may affect you.