The Doctor, [name], takes your privacy seriously and is committed to protecting your privacy. The Doctor is bound by the Privacy Act and the APPs. This Doctor Privacy Policy describes how the Doctor treats your Personal Information.
By contacting Akoya Health, scheduling an appointment for, and/or having a consultation with, the Doctor (the ‘services’) (whether the consult is completed by you or not), you consent to the Doctor collecting, holding, using and disclosing your Personal Information in accordance with this Doctor Privacy Policy.
This Doctor Privacy Policy may be amended from time to time. You will be notified of important changes and provided with a prominent link to those changes for a reasonable length of time following the changes. You consent to any amendments to this Doctor Privacy Policy by continuing to use the services. Please ensure you regularly check Akoya Health’s website for updates of this Doctor Privacy Policy.
If you have any questions about our use of your Personal Information or have any concerns about this Doctor Privacy Policy, please contact the Doctor:
Name: Akoya Practice Manager
Email: reception@akoyahealth.com.au
Tel: 07 3015 3180
Personal Information collection and usage
This Doctor Privacy Policy relates to all information supplied by you (or Akoya Health on your behalf) to the Doctor including:
- Contact information: your name, position, role, company or organisation, telephone number email, postal address emergency contact details;
- Communications: information provided in communications with Akoya Health including when you book (or enquire about booking) an appointment with the Doctor;
- Information from public sources: for example, from LinkedIn and similar professional networks, directories or internet publications;
- Financial information: the Doctor or Akoya Health (on the Doctor’s behalf) may obtain your bank account details (or third party payer details) for example when taking payment for an appointment with a Doctor (whether that appointment has occurred or not and including a deposit, or late or cancellation fees);
- Medical information: the Doctor or Akoya Health (on the Doctor’s behalf) may collect information about your health and medical history for the purpose of your consultation and to process payment and rebates, for example through HICAPS and Medicare;
- Social media: interactions with Akoya Health’s or the Doctor’s social media presence including posts, likes, tweets;
- Technical information: when you access Akoya Health’s website and technology services being IP address, time zone setting, browser plugin types and versions, operating system you are using, device type, hardware model, MAC address, unique identifiers and mobile network information;
- Online data: when you access Akoya Health’s website, app and technology services, information about your visit including URL clickstream to, through and from Akoya Health’s website (including date and time), information about your network as such as information about devices, nodes, configurations, connection speeds and network application performance; pages viewed or searched for, page response times, download errors, length of visits and interaction information (such as scrolling, clicks, mouse-overs) and other similar information and whether you click on particular links or open emails from the Doctor or Akoya Health;
- Medicare number: your Medicare number (in certain circumstances where it is necessary for us to liaise with Services Australia).
Personal Information may be received directly from you or third parties who assist us with the Doctor’s (and or Akoya Health’s) legal obligations. This information may be exchanged over the phone, by email, SMS, in person, in any other form of written communication. Personal Information may also be obtained about you from a healthcare professional such as your treating GP or specialist doctor.
If you send the Doctor an email containing Personal Information, the Doctor will use all reasonable endeavours to ensure the confidentiality of that information. The Doctor’s internet host and Akoya Health may monitor emails sent to the Doctor for maintenance, service provision, and fault detection purposes. The Doctor may also monitor emails to ensure compliance with its legal obligations. The Doctor may forward emails to Akoya Health or other third parties where the email contains feedback or complaints, or to assist the Doctor with the management of its practice. Email is not a secure method of communication. If you are concerned about sending your Personal Information to the Doctor by email, you should consider contacting the Doctor in person, by alternative written means or by telephone.
Personal Information is not collected about your online activities across third party websites or online services.
The information you provide to the Doctor (or Akoya Health on the Doctor’s behalf), will not be made available to other doctors, staff of Akoya Health or interested parties either: (a) without firstly obtaining your written consent (unless required or permitted by law); or (b) in accordance with this Doctor Privacy Policy.
If you do not wish to provide your Personal Information, then you do not have to do so, however it may affect the Doctor’s ability to treat you or see you for a consultation.
How your Personal Information is used
Your Personal Information is used by the Doctor for the following purposes:
- to enable the Doctor to provide medical services to you;
- to communicate with you including for example sending appointment reminders and confirmations or sending you useful resources related to your consultation including clinical outcomes;
- receiving or responding to feedback, enquiries or concerns you may have; and
- compliance with law, including circumstances where disclosure is required without your consent for example where a serious threat to life, health or safety exists. The Doctor may obtain further information from you to comply with the law if required.
Why your Personal Information is used
Your Personal Information may be collected, held, used or disclosed for a number of reasons including:
- with your consent for example you share details for particular purposes including relating to receiving medical services;
- to contact you, for example, to respond to your queries, or to tell you something important;
- to comply with legal, regulatory and licencing requirements;
- to look after your health and wellbeing when providing medical services to you.
Why Sensitive Information may be used
Sensitive Information is only used if:
- it is not otherwise permitted under this Doctor Privacy Policy, but you have provided express and informed consent for the particular processing;
- it is necessary to protect your vital interests or those of another person for example, in medical emergencies;
- you have manifestly made the data public for example, where you have published it on social media;
- it is necessary to deal with legal claims for example, involving court proceedings;
- it is necessary for substantial public interest for example, to prevent or detect unlawful acts; or
- it is permitted by applicable law.
Who your Personal Information is shared with
There are instances where we will disclose your Personal Information including where it is permitted or required by law, or as follows:
- To Akoya Health: to allow Akoya Health to assist the Doctor to manage its files, records, and bookings, process payments and otherwise conduct its business including providing you with supplements, prescription medicine and other therapeutic goods;
- Governing bodies: including RANZCOG and ANZARD for the purposes of clinical compliance;
- Law enforcement bodies and our regulators: or authorities in accordance with law or good practice for example by order of a court or otherwise required by law;
- Third parties: including, for example, private health providers;
- Healthcare professionals: including hospitals and your treating GP for example in connection with your doctor referral and scripts, or Allied health professionals involved in your care;
- Family or representative: any person, family member, representatives or other organisations that you have consented or where we are required, permitted, authorised or otherwise directed to by law;
- Appropriate parties in the event of emergencies: in particular to protect health and safety of you and others including where it is required to prevent serious risk to the health, safety or life of you or another; or
- You consent: in instances where you consent for example to provide a report to a GP or other medical professional, lawyer or advisor, to discuss with another person connected with your treatment (including a spouse, parent or employer);
- Relevant third parties: including, for example, private health providers or indemnity providers.
How your Personal Information is stored
The Doctor will keep your patient records including any notes taken during your consultation private and in accordance with the Privacy Act (subject to legal obligations). Any reasonable request from you to be provided with your Personal Information cannot be withheld.
Akoya Health may be asked by the Doctor to store your Personal Information in physical and electronic form (or a combination) on their behalf. All of your Personal Information, whether stored by the Doctor or Akoya Health, will be stored securely using good practice physical, technical and administrative security measures.
Where your Personal Information is also kept by Akoya Health, how your information is dealt with is provided for under its own privacy policy. We encourage you to read Akoya Health’s privacy policy.
How long your Personal Information is stored for
Data collected can be stored for different periods of time depending on what it is and how it is used. Generally, your information is kept for as long as needed to provide medical services, comply with legal, accounting or regulatory requirements or to deal with claims (including, for example legal action). The Doctor and Akoya Health have a legal requirement to store your information for at least seven years from the time you had last contact with a Doctor, or if you are a minor, until you turn 25 years of age.
Once your Personal Information is no longer needed (for example you no longer see the Doctor at Akoya Health), it will be destroyed (either by shredding physical documents or deleting electronic information from all servers, subject to any back-up records).
How you can correct your Personal Information
If you believe that any Personal Information that the Doctor or Akoya Health holds is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading, please contact the Doctor or Akoya Health in writing. It is your responsibility to advise of any changes to your Personal Information (for example change of residential address, email address or phone number). Either the Doctor or Akoya Health will respond within a reasonable time (but being no more than 30 days after your request) and will endeavour to correct any Personal Information. You may request that you be provided with your Personal Information or it be deleted. Any written request by you cannot be unreasonably withheld. However, in some limited circumstances the requested corrections to Personal Information may be refused, in which case you will be provided with written reasons for this decision.
Access to your Personal Information
All individuals have a right to request access to their Personal Information. Please contact the Doctor if you would like to access your Personal Information. The Doctor will generally provide you with access to your Personal Information within a reasonable period (but being no more than 30 days after your request). Depending on the amount of information requested, the Doctor (or Akoya Health on the Doctor’s behalf) may charge an access fee to cover the cost of retrieving the information and supplying it to you.
Access to Personal Information may be refused in a number of circumstances, such as where the information relates to anticipated legal proceedings or the request for access is frivolous or vexatious. If the Doctor denies or restricts your access, you will be provided with a written explanation.
If you have any concerns about the way your Personal Information is stored, disclosed or otherwise managed, or believe that a breach of your privacy has occurred, please contact the Doctor in writing. The Doctor will respond to your concerns as soon as reasonably practicable (and no more than 30 days after your request). If you are for whatever reason not satisfied with the response or resolution of your concerns or complaint, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.
Use of Commonwealth government identifiers
The Doctor will not use Commonwealth government identifiers (Identifiers) (for example, Medicare numbers) as an identifier of individuals. Identifiers will only be used or disclosed in the circumstances permitted by the Privacy Act, and in the case of Medicare numbers: (a) for billing purposes; and (b) to comply with obligations under legislation such as the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 (Cth).
Where your information will be held
Your data may be stored in different parts of the world, and your information may be transferred out of Australia. Data protection laws vary by country. All reasonable steps will be taken to protect your information in line with locally applicable data protection requirements.
Definitions
In this Doctor Privacy Policy, the following terms have the meaning given to them below unless the context requires otherwise:
- APPs: means the Australian Privacy Principles;
- Doctor Privacy Policy: means this privacy policy as amended from time to time made available on Akoya Health’s website via the link under the Doctor’s personal bio and available in physical copy upon request;
- Doctor: the doctor named in this privacy policy that operates its practice out of Akoya Health, that you are treated by (or intend to be treated by) whether or not you engage the services of that doctor or not;
- Personal Information: has the meaning given to it in the Privacy Act, which includes information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable whether the information or opinion is true or not or in a material form or not;
- Akoya Health: means Brisobgynfert Pty Ltd ACN 686 372 663;
- Privacy Act: means the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) as amended from time to time;
- Sensitive Information: has the meaning given to it in the Privacy Act, which includes information or an opinion about an individual’s racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or criminal record; and
- You/Your: means the individual who we collect the Personal Information from and about.