Your Privacy and the Law

13CURE is 100% committed to ensuring that all personal information regarding our clients is respected and maintained as we are bound by the Australian Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and any relevant Health Privacy Principles under State legislation.

13CURE follows the guidelines of the RACCP’s Handbook for the management of health information in general practice, 4th edition. This Handboook incorporates the Australian Privacy Principles and federal and state privacy legislation which requires that all personal information is to be kept private and secure.

All information that is collected by 13CURE is considered private and is therefore treated with strict confidentiality.

This Privacy Policy outlines how our client’s personal information is recorded and managed by 13CURE.

What Information is Collected

The information collected by 13CURE may include:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Address/es
• Contact details, i.e. phone and/or mobile number
• Medicare number
• Health identifiers
• Health fund details
• Medical history

Why 13CURE collects / uses / holds and shares this Information

13CURE is dedicated to the health and well-being of their clients. As such, the information collected will be used to assist our doctors to provide the very best health care possible.

13CURE may collect information for the purpose of informing patients about services and products that could assist them in their healthcare and/or lifestyle requirements or to offer opportunities which may be of interest to them.

13CURE will only share their patient’s personal information to:

• Ensure the health and well-being of their patients
• Direct business activities such as:
  • Financial claims and payments
  • Practice audits and accreditation
  • Business processes such as staff training

When and why a patient’s consent is necessary

Upon registration or on the patients first initial booking, they provide consent for 13CURE to access and use their personal information.

Patients personal information will only be accessed and used by staff that needs to access it.

If 13CURE requires the use of a patient’s information for anything else, the patient will be contacted for consent.

How personal information is collected

• When a patient register’s with 13CURE
• When a patient makes their first booking with 13CURE
• Personal information may be collected during medical visit
• When a patient enters Home Cure Doctor’s website
• Emails 13CURE
• Sends an SMS to 13CURE
• Phones 13CURE
• Books an appointment with 13CURE
• Communicate with 13CURE via social media

A patient’s personal information may also be collected via a third party. This will only be done should it not be practicable to obtain the relevant information from the patient.

A third party individual may be the patient’s

• Health care provider such as
  • Specialists
  • Allied health professionals
  • Hospitals
  • Community health services
  • Pathology or diagnostic services
• The patient’s guardian or responsible person
• The patient’s health fund such as
  • Medicare
  • Department of Veteran’s Affairs

Patients Medical Records

13CURE ensures that all personal information collected is:

• Accurate and complete
• Legible, well-organised and up-to-date
• Contains enough information for another GP’s to care for the patient

If any person is uncertain as to why their personal information is being collected, please call 13CURE and ask for their Privacy Officer.

Should any person wish to remain anonymous while accessing healthcare from 13CURE, please advise the staff of 13CURE.

Disclosing of Patient Personal Information

13CURE will sometimes have to disclose a patient’s personal information. When this occurs only the information necessary to meet the requirements will be disclosed. A patient’s personal information may be disclosed to:

• Any person the patient requests to have or consents to receive the information
• The patient’s treating doctor or regular GP (general practitioner)
• Any person 13CURE is required to by law to provide information to
• Medicare or other health insurance company where it is:
  • Needed for a patient to obtain Medicare payments
  • Other health insurance rebates
• 13CURE’s contractors who are assisting in the facilitation of healthcare or other services to the patient
• Any person included in a transfer of all or part of 13CURE’s assets or business
• An overriding public health and safety interest occurs

Sometimes a patient’s health information may be sent overseas. This will only occur if:

• The patient is informed and provides consent for information to be sent
• The receiving country has very similar privacy laws to the Australian Privacy Principles

Sensitive Information

Sensitive information, unless agreed otherwise by patient, will only be used if:

• The purpose for which it was provided
• A purpose directly related to the purpose for which it was provided
• Information is required or authorised by law

Providing information to GP’s and others

13CURE respects all patient’s personal information and will only share information to the patient’s GP’s or general practice.

Unless due to exceptional circumstances, all information will only be shared to people with the patient’s consent.

13CURE will routinely send a patient’s report to their GP or General Practice to ensure the continued healthcare of the patient.

Information used for quality improvement and research

A patient’s information may be used by 13CURE to assist in the improvement of the quality of healthcare they provide.

Patient information held by 13CURE may be used in research projects that assist the community. However, if this occurs the information provided will not include information that can identify the patient.

All research, as well as the publication of research will not include information that can identify the patient unless such research will serve an important public interest. Should this occur, under the guidelines issued by the Australian Government, 13CURE may share patient identifiable records without patient consent. However, 13CURE will discuss with the patient about the information that is to be disclosed.

How a patient can access their health information

A patient can request access to their medical record and other information that has been recorded by 13CURE. However, 13CURE may refuse to allow access to such information if there is a risk of physical or mental harm to the patient or any other person.

13CURE may need to remove any information that will affect the privacy of other individuals.

Patient’s may also ask the staff of 13CURE about any aspect about their healthcare, including information in their medical record.

Depending on what is involved, a fee may be included for a request for information.

How 13CURE protects patient's information

Australian privacy legislation applies to all personal health information recorded in electronic and paper records. All records must be kept secure to protect against unauthorised access. 13CURE complies with these requirements to protect patient information.

Unauthorised use of confidential information is grounds for litigation in Australia.

The misuse of confidential information is not tolerated by 13CURE.

Use of cookies on 13CURE website

13CURE measures traffic on its website and cookies are used to monitor return visits.

A ‘cookie’ is a small file that is sent to a user’s computer when they access a website.

These cookies may store user preferences and information.

The cookies used by 13CURE do not store any personal data or otherwise collect personally-identifiable information.

A user can set their browser to refuse cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent.

Changes to 13CURE’s Privacy Policy

13CURE reserves the right to change this privacy policy at any time.

Resolving concerns regarding the privacy of a patient’s health information

If a patient has any concerns regarding the privacy of their health information or the accuracy of the information that 13CURE holds, they can discuss these concerns with 13CURE’s Privacy Officer.

Inaccurate information can be corrected or the patient’s concerns noted in their record. However, for legal reasons, the original notes will be retained.

Information

By providing their personal information, a patient is consenting to the provisions outlined above for the collection, use and disclosure of personal, sensitive, health and confidential information.

It is a requirement from 13CURE that any organisation that 13CURE discloses information to have in place reasonable safeguards for protecting personal information.

These organisations are only permitted to use the information disclosed for services and functions for which they have been engaged.

Contact Us

If a patient wishes to contact 13CURE about their personal information or they wish to make a complaint about possible breaches of privacy, they can send their enquiries to:

• Privacy Officer: Aamer Shahzad
• 13CURE
• Suite 15/178 Queen Street, St Marys, NSW, 2760
• Email: admin@13cure.com.au

Our Privacy Officer will endeavour to resolve any enquiries or issues as soon as reasonably possible.