Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy sets out our commitment to protecting the privacy of your personal information provided to us or collected by us either online or in person as part of providing healthcare services to you. Our policy explains:

• What information is collected
• How this information is used and disclosed
• Your rights and control over the information you provide
• Storage and security of your personal information
• Website cookies and third party sites

Our commitment to your privacy

Wakefield Sports and Exercise Medicine Clinic is committed to protecting your privacy. We understand that the information provided to us is private and confidential. Wakefield Sports and Exercise Medicine Clinic is required by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) to comply with the Australian Privacy Principles (APP).

What is Personal Information?

The Privacy Act defines personal information as:

.. information or an opinion, whether true or not, and whether recorded in a material form or not, an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable.

Wakefield Sports and Exercise Medicine Clinic may collect and hold the following information about you:

• Name, address, phone numbers
• Date of Birth
• Sex
• Marital status
• Email address
• Occupation
• Bank account details
• Medicare Number
• Health fund details
• Health information and medical records
• General Practitioner/Surgeon or any other health providers name and details
• Return to Work or Third Party details – i.e. insurer, case manager details
• Department of Veterans’ Affairs details

Your personal information may be collected verbally or in writing and may be stored as a hard copy or electronic format, visual records (x-rays, MRI, photos, videos and audio recordings etc).

Wakefield Sports and Exercise Medicine Clinic will destroy personal information after our legal obligations to retain the information has expired.

Sensitive information

Health information is “sensitive information” for the purposes of the Australian Privacy Principles (APP’s). This means health information that is necessary to facilitate an accurate diagnosis, to provide appropriate treatment and to be proactive in patient health care will be collected with patient permission.

Use and Disclosure

Personal information is used or disclosed for purposes directly related to our patient’s health care and in ways that are consistent with their expectations. In the interests of the highest quality and continuity of health care services, this may include sharing information with other health care providers who comprise a patient’s or relevant health care team from time to time.

If a patient has come from overseas to Australia for treatment these health care providers may be located anywhere around the globe.

Examples of when Wakefield Sports and Exercise Clinic will use and disclose health information are as follows:

• Administrative purposes for running our medical clinic
• Communication with:
  • Referring doctor/surgeon/general practitioner
  • Other specialists or service providers, i.e. allied health professionals, pharmacists
• Clinical research
• Hospital Committees - quality assurance and audit data
• Statutory and Public Health reporting requirements
• Disclosure of adverse outcomes to medical defence organisations, insurers, medical experts or lawyers for medical indemnity purposes
• Conducting patient surveys for the purpose of improving services provided to patients.
• Billing and debt recovery
• Conferences and Seminars - Non- identifiable patient information may be presented as case studies and/ or research findings nationally and overseas

We will not share your personal information with anyone outside Australia (unless under exceptional circumstances that are permitted by law) without your consent. We will not use your personal information for marketing any of our goods or services directly to you without your consent.

If you do consent, you may opt-out of direct marketing at any time by notifying our Clinic in writing.

Data Security and Quality

The storage, use and where necessary, transfer of personal health information will be undertaken in a secure manner that protects the privacy of patients.

We have policies and procedures in place to manage our privacy obligations and we take all reasonable steps to keep personal Information you provide to us secure and protected from misuse, interference and loss, as well as unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

Our security measures include, but are not limited to:

• System passwords
• Firewalls and virus scanning tools to protect against unauthorised persons and viruses entering our systems
• Using dedicated secure networks and encryption of backup drives
• Providing secure storage for physical onsite records

Confidentiality agreements are in place for all employees and contractors of Wakefield Sports and Exercise Medicine Clinic.

It is necessary for the medical staff of the Wakefield Sports and Exercise Medicine Clinic to keep information on a patient for as long as is required by law or is prudent having regard to administrative requirements.

Access and Correction

Patients may request access to their personal information held by Wakefield Sports and Exercise Medicine Clinic.

• Where necessary, they will be given the opportunity to amend any personal information held that is incorrect
• There are some circumstances in which access is restricted and, in these cases, reasons for denying access will be provided
• We request that patients wanting access to their medical records apply in writing and be able to provide proof of identity
• A moderate charge will be payable to cover administration and photocopying costs in providing this information. There will be no charge for an individual who makes a request to correct their personal information.
• Wakefield Sports and Exercise Medicine Clinic acknowledge the right of children to privacy of their health based on the professional judgement of the treating medical professional and consistent with the law. It might at times be necessary to restrict access to personal health information by parents or guardians
• Upon your request, your health information held by Wakefield Sports and Exercise Medicine Clinic will be made available to another health service

Identifiers

These are the numbers, letter or symbols that are used to identify patients with or without the use of a name (eg Medicare and Health Insurance numbers). Wakefield Sports and Exercise Medicine Clinic will limit the use of identifiers assigned to patients by agencies to activities necessary to fulfil the medical obligations to these agencies.

Anonymity

Our patients have the right to be dealt with anonymously, provided this is lawful and practicable. However in the medical context, this is not likely to be practicable or possible for Medicare and insurance rebate purposes. It could also be dangerous to the patient’s or client’s health.

Website

Wakefield Sports and Exercise Medicine Clinic are interested in the privacy and safety of our visitors. Our website contains forms through which users may request information or provide feedback to us. In some cases, telephone numbers or return addresses are required so that we can provide requested information to you. We may also track where you go or what you read in our website so that we can provide you with effective follow up information, but only if you have given us permission to do so by filling out a form that asks you if we may do so.

Google Analytics - Cookies

This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. ("Google"). Google Analytics uses "cookies", which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyse how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators, and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google's behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however, please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above.

Complaints

Wakefield Sports and Exercise Medicine Clinic takes complaints and concerns about the privacy of patient’s personal information seriously. Any complaints that a patient may have in regards to the handling of personal information by the Clinic should be in writing and directed to:

Business Manager (please state either Medical or Physio)
Wakefield Sports and Exercise Medicine Clinic
Ground Floor, 120 Angas Street
ADELAIDE SA 5000
Ph: (08) 8232 5566

The Business Manager will attempt to resolve your concern in accordance with our obligations under the Act and within a reasonable timeframe of no later within 30 days after the complaint is made to Wakefield Sports and Exercise Medicine Clinic.

Future Developments – My Health Record

My Health Record program (operated by the Commonwealth Department of Heath) is an online summary of your health information. For patients who participate in the My Health Record program, Wakefield Sports and Exercise Medicine Clinic may, in the future, upload personal information electronically to this program unless you have opted out.

Details on My Health Record can be obtained from www.myhealthrecord.gov.au

Changes to the Privacy Statement

Wakefield Sports and Exercise Medicine Clinic reserves the right to change its Privacy Policy at any time, and it may notify patients about changes to its Privacy Policy by posting an updated version of the policy document on our website.

How to contact us

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have a concern or issue in relation to how we collect, store, use or disclose your personal information.

Wakefield Sports and Exercise Medicine Clinic
Ground Floor, 120 Angas Street
ADELAIDE SA 5000
Ph: (08) 8232 5566

Wakefield Sports and Exercise Medicine Clinic
War Memorial Drive
Level 1, Next Generation
NORTH ADELAIDE SA 5006
Ph: (08) 8221 7000