Privacy

Policy

Cardiology Associates Pty Ltd is continually committed to protecting the privacy information and handling of your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988, The Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Act 2012, The Australian Privacy Principles and State and Territory Privacy Legislation.

The Privacy Policy explains how Cardiology Associates Pty Ltd collects, uses, imparts and stores your personal information, how you may access this information and how you may seek the correction of any information. The policy also contains information on how to make a formal complaint about a breach of the privacy legislation.

At times the information contained herein may be changed to reflect changes to the policy, procedures and systems, with regard to how Cardiology Associates Pty Ltd handles your personal information. We will update the Privacy Policy to reflect the changes. The changes will be available on our website cardiologyassociates.com.au and in the practice. This Privacy Policy is current as at 12 March 2014.

Collection of information

Cardiology Associates Pty Ltd collects information required to provide your medical requirements and treatment. This information may include your name, address, date of birth, contact details, gender, health information and family history. This information is stored on our computer medical practice software.

Wherever feasible, Cardiology Associates Pty Ltd will only collect information from you personally. At times we may need to collect your personal information from other medical parties such as treating specialists, radiologists, pathologists, hospitals and any other relevant health care providers.

The information collected may be obtained over the phone, in writing, in person, over the internet if you choose to email relevant information. This information may be collected by medical and non-medical staff.

In case of an emergency Cardiology Associates Pty Ltd may need to contact your relatives or family.

Use and Disclosure of information

Cardiology Associates Pty Ltd is committed to treating your personal information as strictly private and confidential. Your information will only be used and disclosed for purposes directly related to your care and treatment, or in ways that you would reasonably expect that Cardiology Associates would use the information for your ongoing care and treatment.

Circumstances may arise where we may be permitted or required by law to disclose your personal information to third parties. These may include Medicare, Police, Insurers, Solicitors, Tribunals, Courts of Law, Hospitals. From time to time third parties may ask Cardiology Associates Pty Ltd to provide statistical data for the purpose of research.

Data Quality and Security

Cardiology Associates Pty Ltd will take reasonable steps to ensure that your personal information is accurate, complete, up to date and relevant. The staff may ask you to confirm your details when you attend the practice for consultation. We request that you let the staff know if your information we have on file is incorrect or out of date.

Personal information that we hold on site is protected by:

• Securing the premises with back to base alarm
• Locking the room containing physical records held on site
• Password controlled computers as well as varying levels of access to the databases, to protect all electronic information stored

Corrections

If you feel that the information that Cardiology Associates Pty Ltd has about you is not accurate, complete or up to date, we ask that you tell the staff, write a letter or email admin@cardiologyassociates.com.au to update your information.

Access to your information

You are entitled to request access to your medical information/records.  We ask that you put your request in writing. The staff will need to liaise with the doctors about the release of requested information.

There may be a fee of administrative costs of retrieving and providing copies of your medical file.

Cardiology Associates Pty Ltd may deny you access to your medical information/records in certain circumstances permitted by law, an example of these are disclosure may cause a serious threat to your health and safety. You will be informed in a reasonable time why you have been denied access.

Complaints

If you have a complaint about the privacy of your personal information, we request that you contact the practice manager in writing. Upon receipt of your complaint Cardiology Associates directors will consider the details and attempt to resolve it in accordance with our complaints handling procedure.

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your complaint or the outcome you may make an application to the Australian Information Commissioner or the Privacy Commissioner.

Transferring your personal information/file overseas

Cardiology Associates Pty Ltd will not transfer your personal information/medical file overseas unless we have your consent or we are required by law to do so.