Personal information

The ‘personal information’ we collect includes your name, date of birth, address/es, contact details, Medicare number, healthcare identifiers and health fund details. Medical information will include medical history, examination findings, results of investigations and treatment advised.  Your GP also needs information about your past and present health to provide you with high-quality care.

We also use it for directly related business activities, such as Medicare claims and payments, practice audits and accreditation, and business processes (eg. staff training)

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.

Our practice follows the guidelines of the RACGP’s Privacy and managing health information in general practice resource. The resource incorporates federal and state privacy legislation, and the Australian Privacy Principles, which requires that your personal information is kept private and secure.

 

Your medical records

This practice takes steps to ensure that your medical records:

• are accurate, complete, well-organised and legible.
• are up-to-date.
• contain enough information to allow another GP to care for you
• contain a summary of your care
• can be used to remind you, with your permission, to return for follow up, check-ups and reviews.

If you are uncertain why information is being requested, please ask your GP.

 

Providing your medical records to you – Health Summary

Gasworks Medical Practice are happy to provide a patient ‘health summary’ to you at no cost. To ensure your medical records are safely secured these requests can only be made of clinical staff (nurses) or your regular GP.

 

Providing your medical records to you – Full Medical Record

A full medical record includes all doctors consultation notes, referral letters, medical certificates, specialist letters and investigations. If you are wishing to obtain your full medical records, the practice can provide this, a fee of $40 is charged for the administration time required to collate these records.

It is possible to access your health information directly via your MyGov account, My Health Record or through use of the new ‘My Health QLD’ app.

Our practice typically refers to Sullivan Nicolaides for pathology and can be accessed via https://www.snp.com.au/patients/patient-resources/patient-results/

We encourage all patients to book appointments to discuss their medical information in an appointment setting and our doctors are not able to respond to requests for information by email.

 

Dealing with us anonymously

You have the right to deal with us anonymously or under a pseudonym unless it is impracticable for us to do so, or we are required by law to deal only with identified individuals.

 

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. During the course of providing medical services, we may collect further personal information.
3. We may also collect your personal information when you visit our website, send us an email or SMS, telephone us, make an online appointment or communicate with us using social media.
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, or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (as necessary).

 

Providing your information to other GPs

In this practice, it is normal for all GPs to have access to your medical records. If you have any concerns about this please discuss them with your GP.

If you are transferring to another medical practice we will provide a medical summary to that practice when requested, if more detailed information is required your new treating doctor can request a copy of your file to be transferred for an administrative cost as detailed above.

It is important that other medical practitioners involved in your care, have access to your medical information, to prevent duplication of investigations, and to provide the best care for you. Your doctor will provide this information in the form of referral letters or on direct request from your treating professionals.

 

Providing your information to others

Our practice will not share your personal health information with anyone else or another organisation unless:

• you have consented to this sharing, or
• they are legally obliged to disclose the information, in which case your GP will first discuss with you the information that she or he is legally obliged to disclose, or
• the information is necessary for you to obtain Medicare payments or other health insurance rebates, or
• there is an overriding public health and safety interest in the release of the information.

In the above cases, only information necessary to meet the requirements will be provided. Your health information will not ordinarily be sent overseas unless:

• you are informed and provide consent for this to occur, and
• the overseas country receiving the information has privacy laws that are very similar to the Australian Privacy Principles.

 

Using health information for quality improvement and research

This practice may use patient health information to assist in improving the quality of care we give to all our patients, by reviewing the treatments used in the practice.

Your information held by the practice may be used in research projects to improve healthcare in the community; however, this information will not include data that can identify you. In very rare instances where the medical practice is directed by the department of Health to provide identifying information, your GP will discuss this with you before disclosing the information.

 

Security of information in the practice

Australian privacy legislation applies to all personal health information recorded. Our practice stores all personal information securely. We use password protected computer systems, and utilise secure shredding bins for any printed confidential information to be destroyed once imported into our electronic records.

 

Access to your health information

You can request access to your medical record and any other information the practice records about you. If you request access to your medical record, your GP will need to consider if there may be a risk of physical or mental harm to you or any other person that may result from disclosure of your health information. Your GP may need to remove any information that will affect the privacy of other individuals.

We require you to put this request in writing, in a signed consent form from your new practice.

Our practice will respond within a reasonable time frame. Records transfers are usually completed within a fortnight. For a full medical records transfer, there is an administrative fee of $40.

Sharing information is important for good communication between you and practice staff. Your GP can provide a full explanation of the health summary or medical record you are provided access to.

Depending on what is involved, you may be asked to contribute to the cost of providing the information.

 

How can you correct or update your personal information at our practice?

Our practice will take reasonable steps to correct your personal information where the information is not accurate or up to date. From time to time, we will ask you to verify that your personal information held by our practice is correct and current. You may also request that we correct or update your information, and you should make such requests in writing to admin@gasworksmedical.com.au

 

Direct marketing

This practice does not engage in direct marketing.

 

Resolving concerns regarding the privacy of your health information

If you have any concerns regarding the privacy of your personal health information or the accuracy of the information held by the practice, you can discuss these with practice staff. Inaccurate information can be corrected, or your concerns noted in your record. For legal reasons, the original notes will be retained.

 

Why do we ask for an emergency contact and next of kin?

In case of emergency and/or incapacity we may need to contact your next of kin for information regarding your medical care.

 

Can I refuse to provide emergency contact and next of kin?

You are not required to provide a NOK or emergency contact, however this may impair our ability to care for you in an urgent situation where you are unable to be contacted.

What access and information is shared with your NOK (Next of kin)?

In the case of an emergency, we may need to provide some medical information to your NOK, however this we would only provide information that is necessary to manage the urgent situation.
In In an urgent situation if we cannot contact, we may contact your NOK to ask for their assistance in contacting you.

 

What access and information is shared with your emergency contact?

The same level of access and information as your NOK.

What if we have a parental agreement, custody disputes or DVO?

To ensure the safety and privacy of all patients we require any parental custody court orders to be provided to the practice. It is important to provide your doctor up to date details of any custody disputes or court orders. The safety and security of our patients is something we take seriously.

Our process is to ensure the court orders form part of the child’s medical record.
We recommend a discussion with your doctor to determine the level of information that is included in the medical record. 

Our practice operates in accordance with AGPAL guidelines ensuring three points of verification are met before disclosing any information: Full name, D.O.B, and address/mobile number.

Should you have any questions please contact the practice.