South Wangaratta Medical Center Privacy Policy 

Introduction 

This privacy policy is to provide information to you, our patient, on how your personal information (which includes your health information) is collected and used within our practice, and the circumstances in which we may share it with third parties. 

Definition of patient record: A patient record is a record of a patient’s medical information. It contains information regarding the patient’s case history at a particular provider, including medical history, care or treatments received, test results, diagnoses, and medications taken.

Why and when your consent is necessary 

When you register as a patient of our practice, you provide consent for our GPs and practice staff to access and use your personal information so they can provide you with the best possible healthcare. Only staff who need to see your personal information will have access to it. If we need to use your information for anything else, we will seek additional consent from you to do this. 

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

Our practice 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, practice audits and accreditation, and business processes (eg. staff training). 

What personal information do we collect? 

The information we will collect about you includes your: 

• names, date of birth, addresses, contact details
  • medical information including medical history, medications, allergies, adverse events, immunisations, social history, family history and risk factors 
• Medicare number (where available) for identification and claiming purposes 
• healthcare identifiers 
• health fund details. 

All of these elements define what a patient health record is. 

Dealing with us anonymously 

You have the right to deal with us anonymously or under a pseudonym unless it is impracticable for us to do so or unless we are required or authorised by law to only deal with identified individuals. This can be done via anonymous phone call or letter.

How do we collect your personal information? 

Our practice may collect your personal information in several different ways. 

1. When you make your first appointment our practice staff will collect your personal and demographic information via your registration. 
2. During the course of providing medical services, we may collect further personal information. Our practice participates in eHealth services; electronic transfer of prescriptions (eTP), My Health Record. Your clinical information may also be collected through these services. For example via Shared Health Summary and Event Summaries. 
3. We may also collect your personal information when you visit our website, send us an email or SMS, telephone us, make an online appointment or communicate with us using social media. 
4. 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 guardian or responsible person 
• 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 Veterans’ Affairs (as necessary). 

Furthermore, various types of images may be collected and used, including: 

• CCTV footage: Collected from our premises for security and safety purpose 
• Photos and medical images: These can be taken using personal devices for medical purposes.

When, why and with whom do we share your personal information?

We sometimes share your personal information: 

• with third parties who work with our practice for business purposes, such as accreditation agencies or information technology providers, bookeepers – these third parties are required to comply with APPs and this policy 
• with other healthcare providers 
• when it is required or authorised by law (eg court subpoenas) 
• when it is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to a patient’s life, health or safety or public health or safety, or it is impractical to obtain the patient’s consent 
• to assist in locating a missing person 
• to establish, exercise or defend an equitable claim 
• for the purpose of confidential dispute resolution process
  • when there is a statutory requirement to share certain personal information (eg some diseases require mandatory notification) 
  • during the course of providing medical services, through eTP, My Health Record (eg via Shared Health Summary, Event Summary). 

Only people who need to access your information will be able to do so. Other than in the course of providing medical services or as otherwise described in this policy, our practice will not share personal information with any third party without your consent. 

We will not share your personal information with anyone outside Australia (unless under exceptional circumstances that are permitted by law) without your consent. Your consent would be obtained verbally and information provided electronically.

Any company contracted to assist the practice for bookkeeping purposes or other collect and store any personal information according to the Privacy Act 1988. 

Our practice will not use your personal information for marketing any of our goods or services directly to you without your express consent. If you do consent, you may opt out of direct marketing at any time by notifying our practice in writing. 

Referrals 

Our practice utilises Medical Director as the system for managing electronic patient health records. Document automation technologies within this software allow us to ensure that only relevant medical information is included in referral letters to health providers such as specialists, allied health and the hospital. 

How do we store and protect your personal information? 

Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms. This practice stores information and records electronically. An exception is made for large paper records transferred to us from other clinics. 

Our practice stores all personal information securely. Electronic records are stored in protected information systems. Only required personnel have access to files. The use of passwords and screensavers are implemented. Paper records are stored in a secured environment (in a secure cabinet and room). All staff, GPs and contractors sign a confidentiality agreement before working at the premises. 

How can you access and correct your personal information at our practice? You have the right to request access to, and correction of, your personal information. 

Our practice acknowledges patients may request access to their medical records. We require you to put this request in writing and provide this in person to the practice manager and our practice will respond within a reasonable time of 30 days. A fee may be applicable when complying with the request. 

Our practice 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 that your personal information held by our practice is correct and current. You may also request that we correct or update your information, and you should make such requests in writing to the Practice Manager, Teresa McMahon – 03 5713 9299 southwangarattamc@gmail.com, 47-51 Joyce Way Wangaratta Vic 3677. 

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

We take complaints and concerns regarding privacy seriously. You should express any privacy concerns you may have in writing. We will then attempt to resolve it in accordance with our resolution procedure. To lodge a complaint contact the Practice Manager Teresa McMahon – 03 5713 9299 southwangarattamc@gmail.com, 47-51 Joyce Way Wangaratta Vic 3677. The practice will consider carefully the matter presented and action things as required. The Practice Manager will make contact to clarify the complaint/concern as required and confirm any actions taken. This process 30 days.

You may also contact the 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 363 992. 

Privacy and our website & telehealth 

The practice has a website, my google business page and facebook page for the sole purpose of conveying up to date information about the practice and its services and health promotion activities. 

The practice does not use these platforms to collect personal information however may use analytics (information that is not personally identifiable) to assess business trends. For example how many people have made an appointment after viewing our website within a given timeframe. 

Phone and Telehealth appointments are available at the practice. GPs at the practice will obtain informed consent at the commencement of each telephone and telehealth consultation. It is our policy that no real time audio/visual recording of the consultation occurs. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Scribes

Some GPs at South Wangaratta Medical Centre use an AI scribe tool to support them to take notes during their consultations with you. The AI scribe uses an audio recording of your consultation to generate a clinical note for your health record. The practice AI scribe service is Heidi Health which:

• Does not share information outside of Australia 
• Destroys the audio file once the transcription is complete. 
• Consultations are recorded and stored locally during interactions and securely transmitted for transcription and processing, with robust encryption ensuring privacy throughout. Heidi processes the recordings to create temporary draft records that doctors can use to generate medical notes. The draft records are accessed by doctors within Heidi to review and edit. Once finalized and saved into the patient’s official medical record, the temporary records can be deleted from Heidi. These temporary records are akin to shorthand notes and are not intended to form part of the official medical record. Importantly, only the doctor has access to these temporary records, and once deleted, they cannot be recovered by Heidi Health or any other party.

The practice will only use data from our digital scribe service to provide healthcare to you. 

Who can I contact about this policy? 

For enquiries concerning this policy, you can contact Teresa McMahon (Practice Manager) 03 5713 9299

Policy review statement 

This privacy policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure it is in accordance with any changes that may occur. A notice in the practice waiting room will notify patients if and when the policy is amended. The patient health information brochure is always available on request at reception.