Current as of: 7 January 2022
Review Date: 7 January 2023
Introduction
This privacy policy is to provide information to you, our client, 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.
Why and when your consent is necessary
When you register as a client of our practice, you provide consent for our clinical 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.
Consent for case conferencing
Our priority is to provide the best possible care for our clients. To do so, multidisciplinary members of the Low Carb Keto Health team need to share information in a timely and confidential manner. We also meet from time to time to discuss the care needs of clients in case conferences. This is essential to ensure everyone is working together to achieve the best outcomes for our clients.
As per this Privacy Policy the personal health information of our clients remains completely confidential. Relevant information is only disclosed to those invited to participate in the case conference.
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 (e.g. 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.
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.
How do we collect your personal information?
Our practice may collect your personal information in several different ways.
When you make your first appointment our practice staff will collect your personal and demographic information via your registration.
During the course of providing medical services, we may collect further personal information. Information may also be collected through electronic transfer of prescriptions (eTP) and My Health Record.
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.
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).
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 – 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 client’s life, health or safety or public health or safety, or it is impractical to obtain the client’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 and My Health Record.
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.
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.
Our practice may use your personal information to improve the quality of the services we offer to our clients through research and analysis of our client data.
We will use de-identified data for the purposes of monitoring overall practice client outcomes. This data will be evaluated and used to improve our clinical guidelines and protocols. This data may also be collated and evaluated with the aim of publishing it in peer reviewed scientific journals for the purposes of informing other clinicians of our outcomes. We may also provide de-identified data to other organisations to improve population health outcomes. The information is secure, clients cannot be identified and the information is stored within Australia. You can let our reception staff know if you do not want your information included.
How do we store and protect your personal information?
Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms. These include electronic records and paper files.
Our practice stores all personal information securely.
Our Practice has a system in place to protect the privacy, security, quality and integrity of the data held electronically. Our practice ensures that our practice computers and server comply with the Royal Australian College of General Practice security standards,
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 clients may request access to their medical records. We require you to put this request in writing and our practice will respond within thirty days
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 support@lowcarbketohealth,com.au
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.
Our contact details are:
Managing Director, Low Carb Keto Health
Specialist Clinics at Blackwood Hospital
Level 1 13, Laffers Road,
Belair SA 5052
(08) 8463 0608
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
Our website https://lowcarbketohealth.com.au contains Terms and Conditions of use. Please read them carefully
Policy review statement
Our Privacy Policy will be reviewed annually. Should any changes be made to this policy, a notice will appear on our website. Copies of the new Privacy Policy will also be made available in our waiting rooms.