Patient health information collected is only used to assist or manage our patients’ with quality health care. Due to Privacy Legislation, we require your consent to collect personal information. This means that we could use the information you provide in the following ways:
- Administrative purposes in running a specialist medical practice: including pre and post consultation calls/emails using contact details and names you provide us
- Billing purposes, including compliance with Medicare and Health Insurance Commission requirements.
- Disclosure to others involved in your medical care, including general practitioners, treating doctors, specialists. This may occur through referral to other doctors, for medical tests and in the reports or results returned to us following the referrals.
- Disclosure to other doctors in the practice, locums and trainee doctors attached to the practice for the purpose of patient care and teaching.
Please let us know if you do not want your records accessed for the above purposes. This will be noted accordingly.
Each parent/guardian are required to read and note the following when presenting as a new patient to our practice:
- I have read the information above and understand the reasons why my information must be collected.
- I am also aware that this practice has a privacy policy on handling patient information.
- I understand that I am not obliged to provide any information requested but failure to do so might compromise the quality of health and treatment provided to me.
- I am aware of my right to access the information collected about me, except in circumstances where access might legitimately be withheld.
- I understand I will be given an explanation in these circumstances.
- I understand that if my information is to be used for any other purpose other than that set out above, my further consent will be obtained.
- I consent to the handling of my information by this practice for the purpose set out above, subject to any limitations on access or disclosure that I notify this practice of.
- I understand that my personal information may go offshore, if I select email as a preferred mode of contact.
Please Note:
Due to the privacy laws, patient test results cannot be given to a third party unless written authorization is obtained or under special circumstances.
Concerns
If you have concerns about the way staff or doctors are handling your privacy please speak to your doctor as appropriate. Patients may also contact the Health Services Commissioner on 1300 582 113 or at www.hcc.vic.gov.au