The doctors of Independent Specialists Management care about you. As a specialist administration team, we care about how we treat your personal information. This means we have implemented systems and procedures to comply with the Australian Privacy Principles (APP) to protect patients’ personal and sensitive information from misuse and loss, and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
The objective of this privacy notice is to provide you, our patient, with clear information on how your personal information is collected and used within the practice. Occasionally we also need to share your personal information to involve others in your healthcare and this policy outlines when, how, and why we share your information.
1. Who can I contact about this policy?
For enquiries concerning this policy, you can contact the Practice Manager on 07 3847 4477 or privacy@gasbris.com.au
2. When and why is your consent necessary?
You register as a patient of this practice either when you contact us directly by phone or other means, or when your surgeon or proceduralist provides us with your information for an upcoming procedure with an anaesthetist managed by Greenslopes Anaesthesia Services or Independent Specialists Management. As we may not have in-person contact with you prior to the day of your procedures, we may rely on the consent you provided to your surgeon/proceduralist at the time of registering with them. Your consent will be used for the anaesthetists and practice staff to access and use your personal information to facilitate the delivery of healthcare. Access to your personal information is restricted to practice team members who require it for your care. If we ever use your personal information for purposes other than healthcare provision, we will obtain additional consent from you.
It is important to us that as our patient, you understand why we collect and use your personal information.
3. Why do we collect, use, store, and share your personal information?
The practice collects, uses, stores, and shares your personal information primarily to manage your health safely and effectively. This includes providing healthcare services, managing medical records, and ensuring accurate billing and payments. Additionally, we may utilise your information for internal quality and safety improvement processes such as practice audits, accreditation purposes, and staff training to maintain high-quality service standards.
4. What personal information is collected?
The information we will collect about you may include your:
- names, date of birth, addresses, contact details
- medical information including medical history, medicines, allergies, and adverse reactions, immunisations, social history, family history and risk factors
- Medicare number (where available) for identification and claiming purposes
- healthcare identifier numbers
- health fund details.
5. Can you deal with us anonymously?
You can deal with us anonymously or under a pseudonym unless it is impracticable for us to do so or unless we are required or authorised by law to only deal with identified individuals. In most circumstances, we will only be able to deal with you anonymously or by pseudonym where you make a general enquiry and do not require specific information and advice. If you choose not to identify yourself, there may be consequences for your ongoing healthcare and/or ability to claim rebates through Medicare or your health fund.
6. How is personal information collected?
The practice may collect your personal information in several different ways:
Generally, we will collect your information from information provided by your referring surgeon/proceduralist.
We may also collect your personal information when you visit our website, send us an email or SMS, telephone us, or communicate with us using social media.
Our practice staff do not use My Health Record to collect personal information.
Managed doctors have access to and may use My Health Record for the purpose of electronic prescribing
In some circumstances, personal information may also be collected from other sources, including:
- 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, or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Workcover or third-party provider (if relevant).
While providing medical services, further personal information may be collected via:
- electronic prescribing ; or
- My Health Record.
Various types of images may be collected and used, including:
- CCTV footage: Collected from our premises for security and safety purpose
- Photos and medical images: These can be taken using personal devices for medical purposes, following the guidelines outlined in our guide on using personal devices for medical images.
We will always comply with privacy obligations when collecting personal information from third-party sources. This includes ensuring transparency with patients, obtaining necessary consents, maintaining data accuracy, securing the information, and using it only for specified purposes.
7. When, why and with whom do we share your personal information?
We sometimes share your personal information:
- with third parties for business purposes, such as accreditation agencies or information technology providers – these third parties are required to comply with APPs and this policy
- with other healthcare providers (e.g. hospital patient chart or medical letters relevant to your continuing care)
- when it is required or authorised by law (e.g. 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 assist in locating a missing person
- to establish, exercise or defend an equitable claim
- for the purpose of confidential dispute resolution process
- When it is a statutory requirement to share certain personal information (e.g. some diseases require mandatory notification)
- When it is provision of medical services, through electronic prescribing
Only people who need to access your personal information will be able to do so. Other than providing medical services or as otherwise described in this policy, the practice will not share personal information with any third party without your consent.
We will only share your personal information with anyone outside Australia:
- for billing purposes, with Greenslopes Anaesthesia Services employees who are required to comply with APP’s and this policy – information is accessed via secure Australian based connections
- under exceptional circumstances that are permitted by law
- with your expressed consent.
8. Will your information be used for marketing purposes?
The practice will not use your personal information for marketing any goods or services directly to you without your expressed consent. If you do consent, you may opt out of direct marketing at any time by notifying the practice in writing.
9. How is your information used to improve services?
The practice may use your personal information to improve the quality of the services offered to patients through research, analysis of patient data for quality improvement and for training activities with the practice team.
10. How are document automation technologies used?
Document automation is where systems use existing data to generate electronic documents relating to medical conditions and healthcare.
The practice uses document automation technologies to create documents such as referrals, which are sent to other healthcare providers. These documents contain only your relevant medical information.
These document automation technologies are used through secure medical software (MediTrust).
All users of the medical software have their own unique user credentials and password and can only access information that is relevant to their role in the practice team.
The practice complies with the Australian privacy legislation and APPs to protect your information.
11. How is your personal information stored and protected?
The practice stores all personal information securely. Greenslopes Anaesthesia Services does not keep the primary record for medical procedures. These records are generally stored as part of the surgeon’s operating hospital’s records.
The records we maintain of your personal information are primarily stored electronically. Access to the information is restricted through use of secure computer networks, accessed only via individual passwords and multifactor authentications.
The actions of all Greenslopes Anaesthesia Services staff and managed doctors are governed by confidentiality provisions of their relevant contracts with Greenslopes Anaesthesia Services.
Regular back-ups of information are maintained and appropriately secured.
12. How can you access and correct your personal information at the practice?
You have the right to request access to, and correction of, your personal information.
The practice acknowledges patients may request access to their medical records, either in person, or through contacting the office by phone or email.
The practice will respond to any requests to access or correct your personal information within 2-5 business days from the date received
The practice will take reasonable steps to correct your personal information where the information is not accurate or up to date. Sometimes, we will ask you to verify your personal information held by the practice is correct and current. You may request we correct or update your information.To do this please contact Greenslopes Anaesthesia Services viaprivacy@gasbris.com.au
13. How is a data breach managed?
The practice must under the terms of the Privacy Act comply with the ‘notifiable data breach’ scheme if an ‘eligible data breach’ of personal information occurs. We will take all reasonable steps to minimize the likelihood of serious harm occurring after a data breach has occurred. If we believe an “eligible data breach” has occurred and we are not able to apply suitable remedial actions, we will follow the requirements of the NDB scheme including notifying affected people and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner about the breach.
14. How can you lodge a privacy-related complaint, and how will the complaint be handled?
Greenslopes Anaesthesia Services has a Complaints Management Policy to ensure your concerns regarding your anaesthetist or the administration team are managed in a transparent, timely manner. The team will work with you to understand and resolve your concerns.
In the first instance, please send an email to the General Manager of Greenslopes Anaesthesia Services with your contact details and details of your concern. If your concern relates to a clinical matter, the details will be forwarded to the relevant anaesthetist. For all administration matters, the Greenslopes Anaesthesia Services team will attempt to resolve your concern within 2 days. If this is not possible, you will be provided with an update within two days and the steps being taken to resolve your concern. You can remain anonymous if you wish
If you do not feel we have resolved your issue, you may also contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner will require you to give them time to respond before they investigate. For further information visit www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC (Office of the Australian Information Commissioner) on 1300 363 992.
15. How is privacy on the website maintained?
At Greenslopes Anaesthesia Services, any personal information you share with us through website, email, and social media, is handled securely and confidentially. You can generally interact anonymously on our website. We will not collect personal information about you without your consent and any information you provide us with will be treated in accordance with this policy.
We may collect the following non-personal information:
- when you visited our site
- the pages you visited;
- your browser
- your computer address; and
- your domain name.
16. Policy review statement
Our privacy policy is regularly reviewed to ensure compliance with current obligations.
If any changes are made:
- They will be reflected on the website.
- Significant changes may be communicated directly to patients via email or other means.
Please check the policy periodically for updates. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.