Practice Policies
Privacy Policies
Your Personal Health Information and your Medical Record may be collected, used and disclosed for the following reasons:
- For communicating relevant information with other treating doctors, specialists or allied health professionals
- For follow-up reminder/recall notices
- For National/State or territory registers (e.g. Immunisation data)
- For State/Territory reminder systems (e.g. cervical screening – pap smear reminders or familiar cancer registries).
- Accounting/debt collection
- Medicare claiming
- Quality Assurance activities such as accreditation
- For disease notification as required by law (e.g. infectious diseases)
- For legal-related disclosure as required by a court of law (e.g. subpoena, court order,
- suspected child abuse)
- For research purposes (de-identified, meaning you are not able to be identified from the information given)
If you have any concerns or wish to restrict access to your personal health information please discuss these with your doctor or receptionist. This practice adheres to principles of the RACGP Handbook for the Management of Health Information in Private Medical Practice and has a written policy, which is available to all patients for inspection.
When designing our surgery, the need for privacy both audible and visible, were major considerations. We have achieved this by having a separate reception area, although to ensure your safety the waiting room is visible from reception. The patient flow is designed to reduce contact with other patients, which is particularly important when you are unwell or upset.
Patient Health Information Privacy Policy
All patient health information is considered private and confidential, and therefore any information regarding individual patients, including staff members who may be patients, must not be disclosed in any form (verbally, in writing, or electronic forms inside/outside our practice) except for strictly authorised use within the patient care context at our practice or as legally directed. "Health information" includes medical details, family information, patient demographics, billing history and financial records. Health information must not be accessible to the public. Any information given to unauthorised personnel will result in disciplinary action, possible dismissal and other legal consequences. Our practice complies with Federal and State legislation.
Practice Communication Policy
Our practice is mindful that even if patients have provided electronic contact details, they may not be proficient in communicating via electronic means and patient consent needs to be obtained before engaging in electronic communication. Electronic communication includes email, facsimile and SMS. Communication with patients via electronic means is conducted with appropriate regard to privacy.
The Office of the Health Complaints Commissioner.
GPO Box 960, Hobart TAS 7001
Toll-Free: 1300 766 725 Fax: 6233 8966
Feedback & Complaints
Our practice welcomes your feedback and suggestions. You will find a suggestion box located in our waiting room. Alternatively, you can speak to a member of our staff. If you have a complaint, please feel free to discuss it with our Practice Manager or your doctor. If you feel you are not satisfied with the response from this practice, you can contact the Health Complaints Commissioner at:
Latrobe Family Medical Practice privacy policy
Current as of: 25th February 2025 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.
Personal Health Information
Personal health information is defined as information concerning a patient’s health, medical history, or past or present medical care; and which is in a form that enables or could enable the patient to be identified. It includes information about an individual’s express wishes concerning current and future health services.
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.
How are Artificial Intelligence (AI) Scribes used?
Some Doctors within the practice use an AI scribe tool to support GPs 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.
Heidi
- Does not share information outside of Australia
- Destroys the audio file once the transcription is complete.
- Removes sensitive, personal identifying information as part of the transcription.
The practice will only use data from our digital scribe service to provide healthcare to you.
Telehealth
Doctors within the practice may consult via telehealth. Informed consent and identification verification will be obtained from the Doctor prior to the commencement of these consultations.
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. 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).
While providing medical services, further personal information may be collected via:
Electronic prescribing My Health Record Online appointments. Various types of images may be collected and used, including:
CCTV footage: Collected from our premises for security and safety purpose
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 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.
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.
How do we store and protect your personal information?
Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms. Our practice is fully electronic, although we do archive and store all old paper based files onsite.
Our practice stores all personal information securely.
All staff have their own secure passwords and have signed confidentiality agreements. Contractors and visitors to the practice also sign confidentiality agreements.
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. If you would like your files sent to another practice, you must sign a release form at the practice you are intending to transfer to. That practice will fax or post the request to us. Your file is then copied to a disc and sent via registered mail to the practice requesting your file. Our practice will respond within a reasonable time.
You may view you file with your GP in attendance.
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, Latrobe Family Medical Practice, PO Box 42, Latrobe Tas 7307.
How are document automation technologies used?
Document automation is where systems use existing data to generate electronic documents relating to medical conditions and healthcare.
The practice uses document automation technologies to create documents such as referrals,which are sent to other healthcare providers. These documents contain only your relevant medical information.
These document automation technologies are used through secure medical software Best Practice.
All users of the medical software have their own unique user credentials and password and can only access information that is relevant to their role in the practice team.
The practice complies with the Australian privacy legislation and APPs to protect your information.
All data, both electronic and paper are stored and managed in accordance with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Privacy and managing health information guidance. 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. Contact details are PO Box 42, Latrobe Tas 7307. Your request will be attended to within 2 working weeks.
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.
Or contact:
The Office of the Health Complaints Commissioner, GPO Box 960, Hobart Tas 7001 Toll Free 1300 766 725
Fax: 62338966
Email: health.complaints@justice.tas.gov.au
Policy review statement
This policy is reviewed annually, or when privacy laws are updated. Patients will be notified by notices and posters in the surgery reception or waiting room or on the practice website.
Disclaimer
The Privacy policy template for general practices is intended for use as a guide of a general nature only and may or may not be relevant to particular practices or circumstances. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has used its best endeavours to ensure the
template is adapted for general practice to address current and anticipated future privacy requirements. Persons adopting or implementing its procedures or recommendations should exercise their own independent skill or judgement, or seek appropriate professional advice. While the template is directed to general practice, it does not ensure compliance with any privacy laws, and cannot of itself guarantee discharge of the duty of care owed to patients.
Accordingly, the RACGP disclaims all liability (including negligence) to any users of the information contained in this template for any loss or damage (consequential or otherwise), cost or expense incurred or arising by reason of reliance on the template in any manner