Health Information Policy

As a patient of our medical practice we require you to provide us with your personal details and a full medical history, so that we may properly assess, diagnose, treat and be proactive in your health care needs.

We protect the privacy and secure storage of your health information. To assist in providing a safe environment, a closed circuit television (CCTV) surveillance system has been installed in the practice (this excludes the consultation rooms).

The practice also has a privacy policy which contains information about accessing and seeking correction of personal information, privacy complaints handling process, and whether the practice is likely to disclose personal information to overseas recipients.

We require your consent to collect personal information about you and to use the information you provide in the following ways:

• Administrative purposes in running our medical practice
• Billing purposes, including compliance with Medicare and Health Insurance Commission requirements
• Note taking, such as artificial intelligence (only with your permission on every use)
• Disclosure to others involved in your healthcare and treating doctors, hospitals and specialists outside this medical practice. This may occur through referral to other doctors, or for medical tests and in the reports or results returned to us following referrals
• Disclosure to other doctors in the practice, locums etc. attached to the practice for the purpose of patient care and teaching
• For research and quality assurance activities to improve individual and community health care and practice management. Usually information that does not identify you is used but should information that will identify you be required you will be informed and given the opportunity to ‘opt out’ of any involvement. To opt out of de-identified research please speak to reception or your doctor, opting out of de-identified research will not impact on our ability to manage your health care.
• To comply with any legislative or regulatory requirements e.g. reporting any notifiable diseases
• For reminder letters which may be sent to you regarding your health care and management
• Your doctor may wish to email to you specific information about your health that you have requested

You can decline to have your health information used in all or some of the ways outlined above but it may influence our ability to manage your health care to provide the best outcome for you.