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TERMS & PRIVACY POLICY
Terms
* Chinese Herbal Medicine is an additional cost and ranges from $15 to $50 per week depending on the severity of your condition. Please consult your practitioner prior to consultation for specific details.
* Concession rates available to health care card holders, seniors and students. Applicable to consultations and treatment only.
Please Note:
There has been a change to our payment system & fees due to the adjustment from our bank & HICAPS provider fees.
* Credit card payments incur a 2% surcharge (subject to change)
* Eftpos payments incur a 1% surcharge
* Pay ID, bank transfer and cash payments accepted.
* A Cancellation Fee of $50 may apply for appointments cancelled within 24hrs
* Prices are subject to change depending on length of treatment
* All needles are of the highest quality to ensure safety and comfort for all our clients
* Gift Vouchers Available
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.
Privacy Act Australia
In compliance with the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000, we have developed a Practice Privacy Policy that governs the handling of your personal information. Personal Information means information or an opinion (including information or an opinion forming part of a database), whether true or not, and whether recorded in a material form or not, about an individual whose identity is apparent or can reasonably be ascertained, from the information or opinion (P57 Guidelines on Privacy in the Private Health Sector, Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner – October 2001). The Federal Privacy Act incorporates the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) that set out the rules for the handling of personal information in the private health sector. In the interests of providing quality health care this practice has implemented a privacy policy that complies with the Privacy Act (1988) and the APPs (2014).
Why and when your consent is necessary
When you register as a patient of our practice, you provide consent for the 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
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.
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.
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).
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 will be stored on our practice management software Cliniko. To view their privacy policy, please visit https://www.cliniko.com/policies/privacy/
The storage, use, and where necessary, transfer of personal health information will be undertaken in a secure manner that protects client/patient privacy. It is necessary for the practice to keep client/patient information after a client’s/patient’s last attendance for as long as is required by law (7 years or until a minor turns 25 years) or is prudent having regard to administrative requirements. Data will only be accessible to authorised personnel involved in client/patient care or administration of that care. Any data to go to a third party will be discussed with the client/patient involved and the client’s/patient’s consent will be obtained and documented.
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 our practice will respond within a reasonable time.
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 us.
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.