East Geelong Medical Centre privacy policy
Current as of: September 2024 Review: September 2025
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.
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 (e.g. staff training).
What personal information do we collect?
The information we will collect about you includes:
- 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.
(Australian Privacy Principle 2)
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 medical services, we may collect further personal information.
This practice participates in the Electronic Transfer of Prescriptions (eTP), MyHealth Record/PCEHR system, where your provider may (with your consent) upload a Shared Health Summary.
We may also collect your personal information when you visit our website, send us an email or SMS, telephone us or make an online appointment.
3. 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 Veteran’s 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 a 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 such as Electronic Transfer of Prescriptions (eTP) and MyHealth Record system (with your consent via Shared Health Summary, Event Summary).
Only people that 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 to market 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.
This may be in the form of paper records, as electronic records, as visual records such as X-rays, CT scans, (and with your consent at the time and prior to taking place – videos, photos, audio recordings).
Our practice stores all personal information securely in electronic format, in protected information systems or in hard copy format in a secured environment.
Passwords are used where appropriate. Staff and contractors sign confidentiality agreements. Staff can only access certain levels of patient information depending on their level of responsibility and reason for access.
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 addressed to The Practice Manager, Po Box 5072, East Geelong, 3219.
Our practice will respond within a reasonable time (30 days). A photocopying fee may apply.
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:
The Practice Manager, PO Box 5072, East Geelong, 3219. Alternatively, our phone number is (03) 5222 4955.
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. We will then attempt to resolve it in accordance with our resolution procedure.
The Practice Manager, PO Box 5072, East Geelong, 3219. Alternatively, our phone number is (03) 5222 4955.
Our practice will respond within a reasonable time (30 days).
You may also contact the OAIC Office, Australian Information Commissioner. 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 at 1300 336 002.
Privacy and our website
We do not collect or use any personal information on visitors to our website through the use of “cookies” or other software or hardware techniques. We use Google Analytics to track website hits and other information when you access our website such as pages viewed, date and time visited etc. This information is used for statistical and website development purposes only. If you use our online contact form your contact details will be used for us to contact you in return.
Secure transmissions are not supported and if personal information is transmitted to the Practice via our email or our online contact form the practice cannot guarantee security of these transactions.
Website Security
We endeavour to ensure our website is as secure as possible; however, users need to be aware that the World Wide Web is not a secure medium. East Geelong Medical Centre takes no liability for any interference or damage to a user’s computer system, software or data occurring in connection with this website. We strongly recommend user’s take appropriate measures to ensure their computer is protected against third party interference whilst on the web.
External links to other websites
This site may contain links to external websites which East Geelong Medical Centre has added to improve the service we offer and expand upon the information readily available to you. Once a user decides to click on a link and navigate away from the East Geelong Medical Centre website the privacy policy noted here is no longer in effect. Users are recommended to familiarise themselves with the privacy policies on these websites once they browse and interact with them.
Recommendations or views purported on these websites are not necessarily reflective of those of East Geelong Medical Centre.
We may also collect your personal information when you visit our website to make an online appointment.
Policy review statement
This privacy policy will be reviewed annually to ensure it is in accordance with any changes that may occur. Updated copies will be available at reception and on our website.