Introduction
This privacy policy is to provide information to you, the client, on how your personal 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/client of our practice, you provide consent for our Practitioners 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:
- names, date of birth, addresses, contact details
- health information including health history, medications, allergies, adverse events, immunisations, social history, family history and risk factors
- healthcare identifiers
- health fund details for identification and claiming purposes
How do we collect your personal information?
Our practice will collect your personal information:
- When you make your first appointment our practice staff will collect your personal and demographic information via your registration.
- During the course of providing health services, we may collect further personal information.
- 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. For more details, please see the Privacy Policy on our website.
- 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, Workcover Authority or their insurer (as necessary).
Who do we share your personal information with?
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/client’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)
Only people that need to access your information will be able to do so. Other than in the course of providing health 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.
How do we store and protect your personal information?
Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms.
Once you have completed your new patient form, it will be scanned and attached to your profile on our practice software (Cliniko). Any reports or forms that you provide us will also be scanned and attached to your profile. After every appointment, your practitioner will write clinical notes detailing all aspects of your treatment attached to your profile within our practice software.
Within 3 months of receiving your new patient form, the hard copy of this form will be shredded for your privacy and security.
Our practice stores all personal information securely.
Our practice software (Cliniko) is password protected and encrypts all data. It has inbuilt user access levels which ensures only practitioners have access to your clinical notes and health record. Any sensitive information is kept in a locked cabinet and we do not store any credit card or financial information. We also shred all hard copies of personal information within 3 months of receiving it to ensure your privacy and security.
In addition to this, staff have a confidentiality agreement in place which prevents them from discussing you or your case with anyone outside the clinic (without your consent)
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 patient/clients may request access to their health records. We require you to put this request in writing and prefer this via email and our practice will respond within 10 business days.
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 your personal information held by our practice is correct and up-to-date. You may also request that we correct or update your information, and you should make such requests in writing to admin@healinghandsosteopathy.com
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 should express any privacy concerns you may have in writing to admin@healinghandsosteopathy.com. We will then attempt to resolve it in accordance with our resolution procedure within 10 business days. If you wish to speak to someone about your complaint, you can call the practice on (03) 97232233 or call the business owner Adam on 0433 197 095
You may also contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (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 336 002.
Privacy and our website
Privacy Policy
When we talk about ‘us’, ‘our’ or ‘we’, it means https://www.healinghandsosteopathy.com. The words ’you’ or ’your’ means you, the visitor to our website.
Personal information is information that would identify you, or from which you can be identified. It is important for us to protect your personal information. We don’t give it away or sell it and we have systems in place to protect it.
COLLECTION
We collect personal information about you when you give it to us, usually when you complete an online form. We don’t collect your information from anywhere or anyone else.
We may also use ‘cookies’ so that you can customize our web pages or so that you do not have to keep filling in your details repeatedly. Cookies may also track the information that you access online and affect the display of any advertisements on our website to reflect your preferences. Cookies do not necessarily collect information that can identify who you are, more about what you like. You can change your browser settings or use anti-virus software to limit the ability of cookies to track your internet use. If you want to find out more about ‘cookies’ and how they work, we suggest you look up Wikipedia
USE
We use your personal information to tailor your experience of our products and services specifically for you. We want to offer you products and information you want, not stuff you have no interest in.
DISCLOSURE
We don’t give away or sell your personal information. We will disclose your personal information if we are legally compelled to do so or need to provide instruction to our professional advisors.
We might use another provider to deliver our products or services to you. If they need your personal information to complete that delivery, we will require them to use your information only for that purpose and then destroy it.
STORAGE OVERSEAS
We may change the host of this website from time to time in accordance with our business requirements. This may mean that the information collected through our website is hosted overseas. We do our best to use reputable companies that have appropriate information protection to host our website.
LINKS and PUBLIC FORUMS
We have no control over the information accessed through links from our site. You use links at your own risk.
If you post your personal information in a public forum, we have no control over how it is used and no responsibility to protect it for you.
FEEDBACK
Any feedback or concerns regarding the way we manage your personal information should be directed to adam@healinghandsosteopathy.com. We will take action to fix any problems, within reason. We will update this policy from time to time to meet our legal obligations.
Policy review statement
The Privacy policy will be reviewed at least every 12 months to ensure it is up to date and in accordance with any legislative changes which may occur. We will contact you via email when the policy has been updated.