Personal Information Policy and Your Doctor

THE PRIVACY AMENDMENT (PRIVATE SECTOR) ACT 2000

The Australian Privacy Principles (APP’s) are a set of privacy principles that regulate the handling of personal information by both Australian Government agencies and businesses.

The 13 APPs are:

1. Open and Transparent Management of Personal Information.
2. Anonymity and Pseudonymity
3. Collection of Personal and Sensitive Information
4. Dealing with Unsolicited Personal Information
5. Notification of Collection
6. Use or Disclosure
7. Direct Marketing
8. Cross Border Disclosure
9. Adoption, Use or Disclosure of Government

CONSIDERATION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

(APPS 1 and 2)

Staff receive intensive training on the management of your personal information. We have excellent policies and procedures in place to protect your information, especially who has access to it.

Unfortunately we are unable to treat patients who present to the practice under a false name.  Giving a patient the best possible treatment for their presentation, relies on them identifying themselves accurately. We use Patient Identifiers as recommended by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) standards for General Practice.  This is essential in relation to further referral, pathology testing and billing for services.

If you would like more information on the type of Personal information and how we hold, collect, use and Disclose information, please ask your doctor or the Practice Manager.

COLLECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

(APPs 3, 4 and 5)

 It is necessary for us to collect personal information from you in order to attend to your health needs and for  Administration purposes.

Your personal health information is sensitive Information. This means that generally your consent will be sought to collect health information that is necessary to make an accurate diagnosis, for Appropriate treatment and preventative health care.

DEALING WITH PERSONAL INFORMATION

(APPs 6, 7, 8 and 9)

Your personal health information is used or disclosed only for the purposes directly related to your health providers who are involved with your care. There may be some circumstances when information may be disclosed without the patients consent, these include:

• Emergencies.
• Providing Medicare, IMVS, Healthscope, Riverland Regional Imaging, Private Health Providers, Workcover, DTEI, with information for billing and rebate purposes.
• By law, doctors are sometimes required to disclose information for the public interest, e.g. Mandatory  Reporting of communicable diseases.
• It may be necessary to disclose your personal health information to fulfil medical indemnity insurance obligations.
• Staff appropriate to their role are trained in Mandated Notification and such reports will be made when needed.

Your details, medical records and consultations within Renmark Medical Clinic are kept strictly confidential. Generally your health information is only accessed by authorised personnel and will not be released without your written permission. Only de-identified data may be used for reporting and research purposes.

Your privacy is protected nationally by the privacy laws.  Renmark Medical Clinic will take steps to protect patient privacy if information is to be sent to another health provider, but only with your consent.

We would never use or give your details to a third party for research  or marketing purposes.

INTEGRITY OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

(APPs 10 and 11)

Your  personal health information is securely stored and only accessed when necessary  for your care. Your consent is required when transferring to another practice. Your new doctor will arrange this with you.

Your records are held for a minimum of 10 years (for adults) from the date of the last consultation or to the age of 25 years (for minors)

Renmark Medical Clinic will maintain a full, accurate and up to date health summary. It will not contain any derogatory, prejudicial or irrelevant statements about the patient.

ACCESS TO, AND CORRECTION OF, PERSONAL INFORMATION

(APPs 12 and 13)

You have access to the information contained in your personal medical record through the “Freedom of Information” request.

You may be charged an administration fee for the  provision of this information.  The request is lodged with the staff of the Renmark Medical Clinic.

You are free to ask the doctor about any aspect of your health care including information in your medical record or request changes to your medical information. This will need to be discussed with the doctor treating you at the time of your presentation.

Information can be provided to you with an up to  date summary of your care.

You may request access to your personal medical record but your doctor will need to remove any Information provided by others on a confidential Basis. Your doctor will also need to consider the risk of any physical or mental harm to you or any other person which may result from disclosure of your Personal health information.

Personal health information is only accessed by authorised staff.