As you will be a patient of our practice, we require you to provide us with your personal details. We may also need to collect and store information about you, so that we may properly assess, diagnose and treat your health care needs. Information may be collected and stored in paper, electronically or both. We aim to protect the privacy of your health information. We require your consent to collect your personal information, and for its use in the following ways:
- Administrative purposes.
- Billing purposes (including compliance with Medicare and Health Insurance Commission requirements).
- Disclosure to others involved in your healthcare. This includes your treating doctor and specialists outside this practice. This may occur through referral to other doctors, or for medical tests and in the reports or results returned to us following referrals.
- Disclosure to other doctors in this practice for the purpose of patient care and teaching.
- Disclosure to your solicitor, insurance company and other health professionals in matters concerning your health.
- For research and quality assurance activities to improve individual and community health care and practice management. Only information that does not identify you is used in these circumstances.
- To comply with any legislative or regulatory requirements, such as notifiable diseases, and where we are compelled by law.
- For reminders and recalls which may be sent to you regarding your health care and management.
You can decline to have your health information used in all or some of the ways outlined above but it may influence our ability to manage your health care to provide the best outcome for you.