Privacy Policy and Consent
We are committed to protecting the privacy of patient information and to handling your personal information in a responsible manner.
In this policy, "personal information" means any information that may identify you, or by which your identity might reasonably be determined. The information you provide us may include, amongst other things, your name, address and contact details.
The information we store includes your GP referral, your registration details, the doctor's clinical notes, and copies of any pathology ordered and correspondence back to your referring doctor.
When you register as a patient of our practice, you provide consent for our doctors, nurses and practice staff to access and use your personal information so they can provide you with the best possible healthcare. Only staff or doctors who need to see your personal information will have access to it.
Access to this information ensures we can attend to any questions you may have after the consultation, provide you with pathology test results, and conduct telehealth follow-up consultations if required.
Collecting information from other sources
In some circumstances, personal information may 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 parent, guardian or responsible person
- other healthcare providers, such as GPs, specialists, hospitals, pathology or diagnostic services (commonly in referrals)
- Medicare, or the Department of Veterans' Affairs
Disclosure of your information
Your information may be disclosed to others involved in your health care, including treating doctors and specialists outside this medical practice. This may occur through referral to other doctors, or for medical tests and in the reports or results returned to us following those referrals. We will also send a report to your referring doctor.
Malvern Dermatology & Medical Laser Clinic adheres to the standards of the National Privacy Principles in state and federal legislation.
The information you have provided will only be used for the purpose of providing quality and comprehensive health care, and for administrative purposes such as compliance with Medicare rules, patient recalls and billing.
Storage and security
Personal and medical patient information received in paper form is scanned into electronic patient files and then shredded. The information is captured and stored electronically on a secure network. It is protected from misuse, loss, interference and unauthorised access.
We are legally required to retain medical records for a period of seven years, or, in the case of children, until the child reaches the age of twenty-five.