CAROLINE ACTON ORAL SURGERY - Privacy Policy
 
Collection, Use and Disclosure of Your Information

Information about your medical and family's health history is required to provide accurate medical diagnosis and appropriate treatment.  We therefore collect only information necessary for the provision of your health care.

To ensure quality and continuity of your health care, information often needs to be shared with other health care providers.  These can include; pathology, radiology, hospital admissions and other doctors (e.g. your anaesthetist).  Your confidentiality will be maintained during this process.  Your referring doctor will be kept informed of your progress in letters.  If you do not wish this to happen, please let us know.  There are certain situations when information has to be disclosed without patient consent.  These include:

• Emergencies
• Mandatory communicable disease reporting
• Medical indemnity insurance fulfillment
• Provision of information to Medicare or private health funds for billing and medical rebate purposes

In general, your information will not be used for any other purposes without your consent.

There are some necessary purposes of collection for which information will be used beyond providing health care, such as; professional accreditation, quality assessments, clinical auditing, billing and the education of health workers.  With your consent, we may use your clinical information to conduct such education of health care workers and sometimes patients.  If you do not wish this to occur, please let us know.

Data Security

The storage, use and where necessary, transfer of personal health information will be undertaken in a secure manner that protects your privacy.  It is necessary for this practice to keep your information after your last attendance for as long as is required by law or is prudent having regard to administrative requirements.

Access to Your Information

You may request access to your personal health information held by this practice.

• Where necessary, you will be given the opportunity to amend any personal information held that is incorrect.
• There are some circumstances in which access is restricted, in these cases, the reason for denying access will be explained.
• A charge may be payable where the practice incurs costs in providing access.

This practice acknowledges the right of children to privacy of their health information.  Based on the professional judgment of Dr Acton and consistent with the law, it might be at times necessary to restrict access to personal health information by parents and guardians.

Complaints
 
It is important that your expectations about the way in which we handle your information are the same as ours.  Please do not hesitate to discuss any concerns, questions or complaints about any issues related to the privacy of your personal information with the staff of this practice or Dr Acton.  The staff of this practice will deal with any concern, question or complaint fairly and efficiently.  

If you are still dissatisfied with the result of such discussion,  complaints can be directed to the Federal Privacy Commissioner.

[Back to Top]