Why do we collect personal information?
We collect personal and health related information for the primary purpose of providing comprehensive, ongoing, holistic medical care to individuals and families in accordance with accepted, high quality General Medical Practice.
What kinds of personal information do we collect? |
How do we collect and hold personal information? |
The information we collect is normally restricted to demographics (name, address, Medicare and social service numbers, health insurance status and contact phone numbers), current and past medical problems, medication taken, allergies, family history of illness, health risk factors, a record of each attendance and correspondence sent and received (e.g. specialist and hospital correspondence).
How do we ensure data is current and high quality?We seek to ensure that the information we collect is accurate, current and complete. We encourage you to make sure that we have your most recent information - this is summarized in our Front Page printout which lists medical problems, current medication and doses and other key points - a copy of your Front Page Summary is easily provided during a consultation and is very useful to carry, particularly if you are on long term treatment.
How do I get more information about your Privacy Policy?Questions about privacy and our Privacy Policy may be discussed with your doctor or our Practice Manager. This is a new system and we welcome your feedback and hope that we can meet your privacy expectations.
A copy of our complete Privacy Policy is available for your perusal if required. |
Our patient records are maintained in a secure on-site computer system. The information recorded is protected by an individual password system and is accessible only to authorized personnel.
All staff have signed a confidentiality agreement. There is no access to our patient database from any organisation outside our St Agnes Surgery team. How do I access my records?You may have access to your records on request. Information that you can access will include all information collected from 21st December 2001 and all information from before that date which is stored in our Medtech medical record system, including specialist and hospital correspondence and test results.
Individuals can only have access to their own records. Only the custodial parent will have access to the records of children, and then only until the children reach an age at which the Doctor is of the opinion that they can provide their own consent - this may vary from individual to individual. How do I transfer my records?A copy of your medical record will be provided to another General Practice on receipt of a request signed by yourself.
You may request a Medical Health Summary which will be provided at no charge to the patient. If you require your additional information to be sent, a complete record for the past 2 years of attendance can be transferred. A fee of $30 will be charged for an individual or $40 for a family. The form to obtain your notes from your previous Doctor can be found here. |