The provision of quality health care is our principal concern. It requires a doctor-patient relationship of trust and confidentiality. Dr Phillips regards patient health information as confidential and will only collect this information with patient consent.
A patient’s personal information is handled in accordance with this practice’s privacy policy and consistent with the privacy legislation. Patients are entitled to know what personal information is held about them; how and under what circumstances they may have access to it; why it is held; its use; to whom and under what circumstance it may be disclosed; when consent is required for these purposes; and how it is stored.
Every effort will be made to discuss these matters with patients at the time personal health information is collected from patients attending this practice. Because there will be occasions when it is not practicable to make patients aware of these matters at the time of consultation, this information is designed to outline how this practice endeavours to protect the privacy of patients’ personal health information. You should raise any concerns you have regarding your medical files with Dr Phillips at the time of consultation.
Further information about an individual’s privacy rights cane be obtained from:
Federal Privacy Commissioner’s Office:
Phone 1300 363 92
website: www.privacy.gov.au
WEBSITE PRIVACY POLICY
Hernia Clinic of Brisbane has developed a policy to protect patient privacy in compliance with privacy legislation. Our policy is to inform you:
1. What personal information is being collected;
2. Who is collecting your personal information;
3. How your personal information is being used;
4. To whom your personal information is being disclosed; and
5. How your personal information is being stored.
Information Collected
When you look at our website, our Internet Service Provider ECN Internet makes a record of your visit and logs the following information for statistical purposes:
- Your server address
- Your domain or top level domain name (for example practice.com, .gov, .au, etc)
- The date and time of your visit to our site
- The pages you accessed and documents downloaded
- The previous site you visited
- The type of browser you are using
Our Internet Service Provider, ECN Internet provides to us a statistical count of visitors to our website via the Chameleon system. This non-identified information is used to monitor usage patterns on our site in order to improve navigation and design features helping you to get information more easily.
Access to information collected
We will not make an attempt to identify users or their browsing activities. However, in the unlikely event of an investigation, a law enforcement agency or other government agency may exercise its legal authority to inspect our Internet Service Provider's logs, and thus gain information about users and their activities.
Use of information collected
We will only collect your e-mail address if you send us a message. Your e-mail address will only be used for the purpose for which you have provided it, and it will not be added to a mailing list or used for any other purpose without your consent.
Personal health Information
In the interests of your privacy, and given the inherent insecurity of information passed over the internet, we do not currently support the transmission of personal health information to or from our patients over the internet. If you send any personal health information to us via the Internet, we cannot guarantee its security.
Cookies
Our website will use session cookies in certain areas of the site to improve your experience with us whilst using the website. The website statistics for our site are generated from the web logs as outlined above.
GENERAL PRIVACY POLICY
Collection, use and disclosure of your information
Information about a patient’s medical and family health history is needed to provide accurate medical diagnoses and appropriate treatment. We will be fair in the way we collect information about our patients. This information is generally collected from the patient, and otherwise with the patients’ consent. However, from time to time we may receive patient information from others. When this occurs we will, where possible, make sure the patient knows we have received this information. One should expect information may be received about your medical condition from other doctors treating you such as your general practitioner, other specialists, public hospitals, pathologists and radiologists. You should advise Dr Phillips and the other treating doctor if you do not want this information received or recorded.
Medical care requires full knowledge of patient health information by all members of a medical team. To ensure quality and continuity of patient care a patient’s health information has to be shared with other health care providers from time to time. Some information about patients is also provided to Medicare and private health funds if relevant, for billing and medical rebate purposes.
Dr Phillips is a member of various medical and professional bodies including medical defence organisations. There may be occasions when disclosure of patient information is required for medial defence purposes.
There are also circumstances where a medical practitioner is legally bound to disclose personal information. An example of this is the mandatory reporting of communicable diseases.
It is necessary for us to keep patients’ information after their last attendance at this practice for as long as it required by law or is prudent having regard to administrative requirements.
Access
A patient has the right to access their information collected after the commencement of the privacy legislation, 21st December, 2001. They may ask to view the information or ask for a copy of a part or the whole record. While not required to give reasons for their request, a patient may be asked to clarify the scope of the request.
There are some circumstances in which access may be denied but in such an event, the patient will be advised of the reason.
A charge may be payable where the practice incurs costs This will depend on the nature of the access. Dr Phillips’ preferred option is that patient’s raise any concerns they may have with him during consultation. If treatment has ceased, Dr Phillips feels the most appropriate action is to seek a further consultation advising the privacy officer that the appointment is in relation to the accessing personal files. This will allow all information to be collated in a readable form. By viewing the information in the presence of Dr Phillips he will assist you with matters of a medical nature which may be misinterpreted by a non-medical person. It will allow you to correct any misinformation found in your file. The normal cost of a follow-up consultation will be charged. Information regarding access and costs may be made from the Privacy Officer: Phone (07) 3839 6627.
The material over which the doctor has copyright might be subject to conditions that prevent further copying or publication without the doctor’s permission.
If a patient finds that the information held on them is not accurate or complete, the patient may have that information amended accordingly.
Upon request a patent’s health information held by this practice will be made available to another health service provider.
Parents/guardians and children
The right of children to privacy of their health information, based on the professional judgment of the doctor and consistent with the law, might at times restrict access to this information by parents or guardians.
Complaints
It is important to us that your expectations about the way in which we handle your information are the same as ours.
Please do not hesitate to discuss any concerns, questions or complaints about any issues related to the privacy of your personal information with your doctor.
The address and contact details are:
David J Phillips Medical Pty Ltd
225 Wickham Terrace, Brisbane, 4000.
For further information you may:
- Discuss your concerns with Dr Phillips during your next consultation.
- Contact the Privacy Officer: Phone 3839 6627
- Visit our website: www.herniaclinicbrisbane.com.au
If you are still dissatisfied you can complain to the:
Federal Privacy Commissioner
Level 8 Piccadilly Tower PO Box 5218
Sydney, NSW 2000 Sydney, NSW 1042
Privacy Hotline: 1300 363 992 www.privacy.gov.au