Your Privacy

The Melbourne Shoulder Institute takes your privacy and collection of personal and health information seriously.

As a health service provider, we are required by law to comply with private provisions outlined in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the National Privacy Principles.

For more information on how we protect your privacy, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

Melbourne Shoulder Institute 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.

What personal information do we collect and record?

The information we will collect about you includes:

• Name, date of birth, address, contact details
• Medical information including medical history, medications, allergies, immunisations, social history, family history and risk factors
• Medicare number (where available) for identification and claiming purposes
• Healthcare identifiers and health fund details
• Emergency contact information

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, and practice audits.

Why and when your consent is necessary.

When you register as a patient of our practice, you provide consent for our doctors and 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.

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. We may also collect your personal information when you send us an email, an SMS, or phone us.
3. During the course of providing medical services, we may collect further personal information regarding your medical history.
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, WorkCover, TAC, DVA or any other relevant insurer

When, why and with whom do we share your personal information?

We may be required to share your personal information:

• with third parties who work with our practice for business purposes, such as information technology
• providers – these third parties are required to comply with APPs and this policy
• with other healthcare and health fund 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 establish, exercise or defend an equitable claim

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.

How do we store and protect your personal information?

Your personal information may be stored at our practice electronically. All personal information is stored securely. Electronic records are stored on protected information systems with passwords on all computers and medical programs.

Policy review statement

This privacy policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure it is in accordance with any changes that may occur.