At Toowoon Bay Osteopathy, we are committed to protecting the privacy of our patients' personal information. As a healthcare provider, we are bound by the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and other relevant legislation and guidelines. This policy sets out how we collect, use, disclose and store personal information in accordance with these requirements.
Collection of Personal Information We collect personal information from our patients for the primary purpose of providing healthcare services. The types of personal information we collect may include:
Name, address and contact details
Date of birth, gender and occupation
Health information, including medical history and current health status
Medicare and health insurance details
Other information necessary for the provision of healthcare services
We may collect this information in person, by phone, by email or through our website.
Use and Disclosure of Personal Information We will only use and disclose personal information for the primary purpose for which it was collected, or for a related secondary purpose where the patient would reasonably expect us to use or disclose the information for that purpose.
Examples of the primary purposes for which we collect personal information include:
Providing healthcare services, including diagnosis, treatment and management of health conditions
Communicating with patients about their health and treatment options
Billing and processing Medicare and health insurance claims
Complying with our legal obligations
We may also use and disclose personal information for secondary purposes, such as:
Quality assurance and improvement activities
Research and education activities, provided patient consent has been obtained
Marketing and promotion of our healthcare services, provided patient consent has been obtained
We will only disclose personal information to third parties where it is necessary for the provision of healthcare services, or where we are required or authorised to do so by law.
Data Security and Storage We take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information is protected from unauthorised access, use, disclosure or modification. This includes physical, electronic and procedural safeguards.
Personal information is stored securely and may be held in paper-based files or electronic databases. We will only retain personal information for as long as necessary for the provision of healthcare services, or as required by law.
Access and Correction Patients have the right to access and correct their personal information held by us. We will respond to requests for access or correction within a reasonable timeframe, and may charge a fee for providing access.
Complaints If a patient has a complaint about our handling of their personal information, they should contact us in writing. We will investigate the complaint and respond in writing within a reasonable timeframe.
Contact Us If you have any questions or concerns about our privacy policy or the way in which we handle personal information, please contact us:
Toowoon Bay Osteopathy
info@toowoonbayosteopathy.com
02 43030540