Privacy

PRIVACY POLICY – Managing patient Health information

1. POLICY

The management of Brisbane City Doctors are committed to protecting the privacy of our patients within our practice. Information collected is kept strictly confidential in compliance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

2. PURPOSE

This policy informs patients how their personal information is collected, used and disclosed by the practice. We hope that patients who receive care from the practice are comfortable in entrusting their health information to the practice.

3. SCOPE

This policy applies to all the independent medical professionals, employees and patients of the Drs at Brisbane City Doctors

4. PRACTICE PROCEDURE

The Practice will:

• Provide a copy of this policy upon request
• Ensure staff comply with the APPs and deal appropriately with inquiries or concerns
• Take such steps as are reasonable in the circumstances to implement practices, procedures and systems to ensure compliance with the APPs and deal with inquiries or complaints
• Collect personal information for the primary purpose of managing a patient’s healthcare and for financial claims and payments

Staff Responsibility

The practice staff will take reasonable steps to ensure patients understand

• What information has been and is being collected
• Why the information is being collected and whether this is due to a legal requirement
• How the information will be used or disclosed
• Why and when their consent is necessary
• The Practice’s procedures for access and correction of information, and responding to complaints of information breaches, including by providing this policy

Patient Consent

Information collected from patients is for medical care, making appts, sending appt reminders, sending recalls and health reminders and useful health information from the practice, quality audits, managing complaints, complying with any legal requirement.

5. COLLECTION,

Brisbane City Doctors recognises that the information we collect is often of a highly sensitive nature and as an organisation we have adopted the privacy compliance standards relevant to Brisbane City Doctors to ensure personal information is protected. We use Hotdoc app and Automed for online appts and Pencat (de-identified info only) for analysis of data for quality improvement and providing many services to you and Cubiko as a management program. Please ensure you read their policies. If you wish to opt out please advise the receptionist.

Collected personal information will include patient’s

• Names, addresses, email addresses phone numbers and all contacts details
• Medicare number, DVA number for identification and claiming purposes
• Healthcare identifiers
• Medical information including medical history, medications, allergies, adverse events, immunisations, social history, family history and risk factors, complaints.

A patient’s personal information may be held at the practice in various forms

• As paper records
• As electronic records
• As visuals ie xrays, ct scans, videos & photos

The practice’s procedures for collecting personal information is set out below:

• Practice staff collect patient’s personal and demographic information via registration when patients present to the clinic for the first time, via online registration. Patients are encouraged to pay attention to the collection statement that they complete as a new patient.
• During the course of providing medical services the healthcare practitioners will consequently collect further personal information.
• Personal information may also be collected from the patient’s guardian or responsible person (where practicable and necessary) or from other involved healthcare specialists.

• from third parties where the Privacy Act or other law allows it - this may include, but is not limited to:  other members of your treating team, diagnostic centres, specialists, hospitals, the My Health Record system[1], electronic prescription services, Medicare, your health insurer, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme

• SECURITY

The practice holds all personal information securely, whether in electronic format, in protected information systems held on servers on the premises which are secured by multilayered security and backup information held offsite in the cloud in secure servers by third parties

All employees of Brisbane City Doctors are required to observe the obligations of confidentiality in the course of their employment and are required to sign Confidentiality Agreements.

7. USE AND DISCLOSURE

Personal information collected by the doctors at Brisbane City Doctors is primarily used to provide healthcare services.:

For administrative and billing purposes and to ensure quality and continuity of patient care a patient’s health information is shared between the medical practitioners of Brisbane City Doctors.

Personal information may also be used or disclosed:

• For accounts and practice administrative purposes
• For medical defence purposes;
• As required by law in instances of mandatory reporting of communicable diseases;
• Necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to a patient’s life, health or safety or public health or safety, or it is impracticable to obtain patient’s consent
• To assist in locating a missing person
• For the purpose the patient was advised during consult or email or other communications with the treating Doctor and practice;
• As required during the normal operation of services provided. i.e. for referral to a medical specialist or other health service provider;
• To send electronic referrals to other health providers ,scripts, pathology and radiology referrals
• For the purpose of a confidential dispute resolution process
• For quality assurance and quality improvement processes
• For complaint investigation
• For quality assurance and audit purposes
• Some disclosure may occur to third parties engaged by or for the practice for the Practice for business purposes such as accreditation, management or for the provision of information technology. These third parties are required to comply with this policy.

The practice will not disclose personal information to any third party other than as listed above or in the course of providing medical services, without full disclosure to the patient or the recipient, the reason for the information transfer and full consent from the patient.

The Practice will not disclose personal information to anyone outside Australia without need and without patient consent. Be aware Gmail or other email clients may keep information overseas

The practice evaluates all unsolicited information it receives to decide if it should be kept, acted upon or destroyed.

6. DATA QUALITY

We endeavour to keep all patient information complete, accurate, and up to date at the time of collection.

8. ACCESS TO PATIENT INFORMATION AND CORRECTION

The following will apply with regard to accessing personal and private medical information by an individual:

• An individual has the right to request access to their own personal information and request a copy or part of the whole record;
• Individuals have the right to obtain their personal information in accordance with the Federal Privacy Act from 20 December 2001 onwards. Requests must be made in writing and an acknowledgement letter will be sent to the patient within 14 days confirming the request and detailing whether the request can be complied with and an indication of any costs associated with providing the information. Time spent and photocopying costs when processing a request can be passed on to the requesting patient. Information can be expected to be provided within 30 days.
• Requests for information prior to 20 December 2001 will be considered by the practice
• Whilst the individual is not required to give a reason for obtaining the information, a patient may be asked to clarify the scope of the request;
• In some instances the request to obtain information may be denied, in these instances the patient will be advised;
• The practice will take reasonable steps to correct personal information where it is satisfied they are not accurate or up to date. From time to time the practice will ask patients to verify the personal information held by the practice is correct and up to date. Patients may also request the Practice corrects or updates their information and patients should must such requests in writing
• Upon request by the patient, the information held by this clinic will be made available, as law permits, to another health provider or other third party.

10. COMPLAINTS

The management of Brisbane City Doctors understands the importance of confidentiality and discretion with the way we manage and maintain the personal information of our patients. The Practice takes complaints and concerns about the privacy of patient’s personal information seriously. If you are concerned about the privacy of your information, please discuss it with your doctor or the Practice Manager, or put your concerns in writing. The Practice will then attempt to resolve it in accordance with its complaint resolution process.

If the complaint has not been resolved to your level of satisfaction all complaints should be directed to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner:

Phone: 1300 363 992

Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au

Fax: +61 2 9284 9666

Post: GPO Box 5218 
Sydney NSW 2001

11. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Australian Privacy Principles - https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/australian-privacy-principles

12. REVIEW DATE 15.10.22

Reviewed  MM V2 , 12.2.22

[1] See: https://myhealthrecord.gov.au/internet/mhr/publishing.nsf/content/home