AMS Redfern Privacy Policy: Managing Patient Health Information

Current as of: 15^th June 2022

Purpose

This privacy policy is written to provide information to patients about how their personal information (which includes their health information) is collected and used within the AMS, and the circumstances in which we may share it (with your consent) with third parties.

Patient Consent

When you register as a patient of the AMS, you provide consent for our doctors and AMS staff to access and use your personal information so they can provide you with the best possible healthcare. Only staff that needs to see your personal information will have access to it.

Why do we collect, use, hold and share your personal information?

The AMS 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, AMS audits and accreditation, and business processes.

What personal information do we collect & hold?

The information we will collect about you includes:

• names, date of birth, addresses, contact details, ethnicity, Aboriginality, profession
• medical information including medical history, medications, allergies, adverse events, immunisations, social history, family history and risk factors,
• current drugs or treatments used by you
• Medicare number, Veterans’ Affairs number, Health Care Card number, health fund details or pension number (where available) for identification and claiming purposes
• healthcare identifiers
• the name of any health service provider or medical specialist to whom you are referred, copies of any letters of referrals and copies of any reports back

We may also collect some information that is not personal information because it does not identify you or anyone else. For example, we may collect anonymous answers to surveys or aggregated information about how users use our services.

How do we collect your personal information?

The AMS will collect your personal information:

1. When you first attend or make your first appointment at the AMS, staff will collect your personal and demographic information via your registration.
2. During the course of providing medical services, the AMS’s healthcare practitioners will collect further personal information.

Information can also be collected electronically through the Electronic Transfer of Prescriptions (eTP) and MyHealth Record system.

We may also collect your personal information when you send us an email or SMS, telephone us or communicate with us using social media.

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 legal guardian or a responsible person nominated by you
• 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).

What happens if we can’t collect your personal information?

If you do not provide us with the personal information described above, some or all of the following may happen:

• we may not be able to provide the requested services to you, either to the same standard or at all; or
• your diagnosis and treatment may be inaccurate or incomplete.

For what purposes do we collect, hold, use and disclose your personal information?

We collect personal information about you so that we can provide the best holistic medical care to you and to ensure we can perform our business activities.

We collect, hold, use and disclose your personal information for the following purposes:

• to provide medical services and treatment to you, and to enable you to be attended by medical practitioners or other allied health professionals.
• for administrative and billing purposes;
• to update our records and keep your contact details up to date;
• to process and respond to any complaint made by you;
• to comply with any law, rule, regulation, lawful and binding determination, decision or direction of a regulator, or in co-operation with any governmental authority of any country;
• for the purposes of data research and analysis
• for inclusion in a recall register to be advised of follow up visits and medical updates;
• for the purpose of reporting back to your employer or prospective employer, their authorised representatives and their insurer in the case of a work-related consultation or service;
• to answer enquiries and provide information or advice about existing and new products or services and all matters relevant to the services we provide to you;
• to conduct business processing functions including providing de-identified information to our related bodies corporate, contractors, service providers or other third parties;
• to meet obligations of notification to our medical defence organisations or insurers.

Your personal information will not be shared, sold, rented or disclosed other than as described in this Privacy Policy or as permitted under the Act.

Who do we share your personal information with?

Personal information will only be used for the purpose of providing medical services and for claims and payments, unless otherwise consented to. Some disclosure may occur to third parties engaged by the AMS for business purposes such as accreditation or for the provision of information technology. These third parties are required to comply with this policy.

We may disclose your personal information to:

• our employees, our medical professionals and allied health practitioners who provide medical services to you, contractors or service providers for the purposes of operation of our business,
• your employer or prospective employer, their authorised representatives and their insurer in the case of a work-related consultation (with your consent) and
• any organisation or person for any authorised purpose with your express consent.
• during the course of providing medical services, through Electronic Transfer of Prescriptions (eTP), MyHealth Record.

We will not share your personal information with anyone outside Australia (unless under exceptional circumstances that is permitted by law) without your consent.

The AMS may send you direct marketing communications and information about our products and services (eg PAP and Pamper days, Youth Surfing Program events). If you do not consent, you may opt-out of direct marketing at any time by notifying the AMS in writing.

How do we store and protect your personal information?

Your personal information may be stored in various forms including:

• Paper records
• Electronic records including visual recordings (photos, x-rays, CT scans)

We take reasonable steps to ensure your personal information is stored securely and is protected from misuse, loss, from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Confidentiality agreements are in place for all staff and subcontractors.

How can you access and correct your personal information at the AMS?

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

The AMS acknowledges patients may request access to their medical records. Patients are encouraged to make this request in writing and the AMS will respond within 20 days.  A copy of the patient Health Summary is normally provided.

The AMS 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 the AMS 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 AMS Practice Manager, ksilva@amsredfern.org.au.

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

The AMS take complaints and concerns regarding privacy seriously. You should express any privacy concerns you may have in writing or by completing complaints form which is available from reception or on our website. We will then attempt to resolve it in accordance with our complaint resolution procedure. All complaints should be sent to: ksilva@amsredfern.org.au or addressed to the AMS Practice Manager, PO Box 1174, Strawberry Hills, NSW 2012. Telephone: (02) 9319 5823. The turnaround timeframe for responding to complaints is 2 working days.

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

A copy of this privacy policy is available for download on our website. The document can be found at www.amsredfern.org.au.

Policy review statement

We regularly review our privacy policy to ensure it reflects any changes that may occur. Any updated versions of this privacy policy will be posted on our website. The privacy policy was last updated on 31 January 2017.

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