The Practitioner, Dr Matt Alfredson, respects your rights to privacy and takes your privacy obligations seriously. The Practitioner complies with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), found under the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act).
By contacting The Practitioner directly or via OCGC, scheduling an appointment, and/or having a consultation with The Practitioner (whether completed by you or not), you consent to The Practitioner collecting, holding, using, disclosing and sharing your Personal Information in accordance with The Practitioner’s Privacy Policy.
The Practitioner’s Privacy Policy may be updated periodically. By continuing to contact The Practitioner’s practice (or via Orthopaedic Clinics Gold Coast), scheduling an appointment, or having a consultation, you consent to any amendments to The Practitioner’s Privacy Policy.
The Practitioner has engaged Orthopaedic Clinics Gold Coast (OCGC) to provide various services and facilities to assist The Practitioner to carry out its practice. As part of this arrangement, OCGC may collect data including Personal Information for and on The Practitioner’s behalf.
Please ensure you regularly check The Practitioner’s website for updates of this Practitioner Privacy Policy.
If you have any questions about the use of your Personal Interest or have any concerns about this Practitioner Privacy Policy, please contact;
Name: Privacy Officer
Phone: 07 2101 2650
Email: manager@ocgc.com.au
Post: Suite 5A, Level 6, Pacific Private Clinics, 123 Nerang Street, SOUTHPORT QLD 4215
2. COLLECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
2.1 THIS PRACTITIONER PRIVACY POLICY RELATES TO ALL INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY YOU (OR OCGC ON YOUR BEHALF) TO THE PRACTITIONER INCLUDING:
- Contact Information: your name, position, role, company or organisation, telephone number, email, postal address, and next of kin details;
- Communications: information provided in communications with The Practitioner or OCGC, including when you book (or enquire about booking) an appointment with an The Practitioner;
- Information from Public Sources: for example, from Social Media, Regulatory Bodies, Professional networks, directories and internet publications;
- Financial Information: The Practitioner or OCGC (on the Practitioner’s behalf) may obtain your bank account details (or third-party payer details) for example when taking payment for an appointment with The Practitioner (whether that appointment has occurred or not and including a deposit, or late or cancellation fees);
- Medical Information: The Practitioner or OCGC (on the Practitioner’s behalf) may collect information about your health and medical record history for the purpose of your consultation and to process payment and rebates;
- Social Media: interactions with The Practitioner or OCGC’s social media presence including posts, likes, tweets;
- Technical Information: when you access The Practitioner’s website (including OCGC’s website) and some of the third-party service providers we use (such as Google Analytics) may engage in collection of data as follows:
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- Logs: when you visit our website or use the Services, our server and analytics service may log details about your visit such as your IP address, the time and duration of visit, the link from you which you visited, and information about your browser and operating system; and
- Cookies: we will likely place a cookie on your device when you visit our website.
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- Medicare Number, Health Fund and Membership Number: your Medicare number and Health Fund membership number (in certain circumstances where it is necessary for us to liaise with Services Australia or your Health Fund); and
- Individual Healthcare Identifier (IHI): your IHI number (in certain circumstances for the purposes of communicating and managing health information including through the My Health Record in accordance with the Healthcare Identifiers Act 2010(Cth)).
- Sensitive Health Information or opinions recorded by the The Practitioner (or via OCGC) about individuals’ health, health services, or wishes regarding health care and information collected and stored to provide a health service of any kind, including:
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- Identity Information: such as signature, location, date of birth, nationality, bank account details, family details, employment details, Medicare and health fund details;
- Contact Information: email address, telephone & fax number, residential, business and postal addresses.
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Under the Privacy Act, you have the option of not identifying yourself or using a pseudonym unless identification is required or authorised by or under law or it would be impracticable to deal with individuals who have not identified themselves. If you do not wish to identify yourself and provide your Personal Information, then you do not have to do so, however it may affect The Practitioner’s ability to treat you or see you for a consultation.
2.2 HOW WE COLLECT PERSONAL INFORMATION
Personal Information may be received directly from you or third parties who assist with The Practitioner’s (and or OCGC’s) legal obligations. This information may be exchanged;
- directly from you when you provide information by phone;
- from our own records of your transactions and interaction;
- from publicly available sources of information;
- in forms filled out either online or in hard copy;
- face to face or when you speak with us directly;
- via other Health providers such as Hospitals, Radiology Services, Pathology Services and Allied Health providers;
- via HICAPS, Medicare, DVA, WorkCover and third-party insurers;
- via email;
- via online surveys; and
- in voice or image recordings.
If you send The Practitioner an email containing Personal Information, The Practitioner will use all reasonable endeavours to ensure the confidentiality of that information. The Practitioner’s internet host and OCGC (on the Practitioner’s behalf) may monitor emails sent to The Practitioner for maintenance, service provision, and fault detection purposes. The Practitioner may also monitor emails to ensure compliance with its legal obligations.
The Practitioner may forward emails to OCGC or other third parties where the email contains feedback or complaints, or to assist The Practitioner with the management of its practice.
Email is not a secure method of communication. If you are concerned about sending your Personal Information by email, you should consider contacting The Practitioner in person, by alternative written means or by telephone.
The information you provide to The Practitioner (or OCGC on the Practitioner’s behalf), will not be made available to other Practitioners or interested parties either:
(a) without firstly obtaining your written consent (unless required or permitted by law); or
(b) in accordance with this Practitioner Privacy Policy.
3. HOW WE USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
Your Personal Information is used by The Practitioner (or OCGC on The Practitioner’s behalf) for the following purposes;
- to enable The Practitioner to provide health care services to you;
- to communicate with you which can include sending appointment reminders and other relevant information related to your treatment with The Practitioner;
- receiving or responding to feedback, enquiries or concerns you may have;
- compliance with law, including circumstances where disclosure is required without your consent for example where a serious threat to life, health or safety exists. We may obtain further information from you to comply with the law if required;
- for quality assurance and improvement of processes purposes for example risk management.
4. DISCLOSING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
4.1 WHY YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION IS USED AND DISCLOSED
The Practitioner (or OCGC on The Practitioner’s behalf) may disclose your Personal Information to OCGC’s administrative staff, third parties/other service providers in order to provide healthcare services to you and to allow us to manage The Practitioner’s practice.
Your Personal Information may be collected, held, used or disclosed for a number of reasons including;
- with your consent for example you share details for purposes including relating to receiving services;
- to contact you, for example, to respond to your queries, or to tell you something important;
- to comply with legal, regulatory and licencing requirements;
- to look after your health and wellbeing when providing services to you.
4.2 WHO YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION IS SHARED WITH
Your Personal Information may be disclosed to healthcare professionals directly involved in your treatment. Where your medical records are required in the case of a medical emergency, we will provide these to the relevant medical professional without waiting for your consent, where we believe this is in your interests.
Your Personal Information may also be provided to other third parties if we are legally obliged to do so by a court subpoena, statutory authority, search warrant, coronial summons or to defend a legal action.
There are instances where The Practitioner will disclose your Personal Information including where it is permitted or required by law, or as follows;
- TO OCGC: to allow OCGC to assist The Practitioner to manage its files, records, and bookings, process payments and otherwise conduct its business;
- LAW ENFORCEMENT BODIES AND OUR REGULATORS: or authorities in accordance with law or good practice for example by order of a court or otherwise required by law;
- HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS: including hospitals, your treating GP or other specialists for example in connection with your referrals and health treatment plan;
- GOVERNMENT RELATED THIRD PARTIES: including Services Australia in connection with the services including for payment and claim processing;
- FAMILY OR REPRESENTATIVE: any person, family member, representatives or other organisations that you have consented or where we are required, permitted, authorised or otherwise directed to by law;
- APPROPRIATE PARTIES IN THE EVENT OF EMERGENCIES: in particular to protect health and safety of you and others including where it is required to prevent serious risk to the health, safety or life of you or another; and
- YOU CONSENT: in instances where you consent for example to provide a report to another medical professional, lawyer, insurer or advisor, to discuss with another person connected with your treatment (including a spouse, parent or employer).
5. STORING PERSONAL INFORMATION
5.1 HOW & WHERE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION IS STORED
The Practitioner (and OCGC on The Practitioner’s behalf) is committed to ensure the security and accuracy of your Personal Information.
The Practitioner will keep your patient records including any notes taken during your consultation private and in accordance with the Privacy Act (subject to legal obligations). Any reasonable request from you to be provided with your Personal Information cannot be withheld.
OCGC may be asked by the Practitioner to store your Personal Information in physical and electronic form (or a combination) on their behalf. All of your Personal Information, whether stored by the Practitioner or OCGC, will be stored securely using good practice physical, technical and administrative security measures.
Where your Personal Information is also kept by OCGC, how your information is dealt with by OCGC is provided for under its own privacy policy. We encourage you to read OCGC’s Privacy Policy which can be found on its website.
Exchanging information, including Personal Information, by the internet is not completely secure. Although we will take reasonable measures to protect your Personal Information, we cannot guarantee the security of information you transmit, so any transmission is at your own risk
Your Personal Information is stored on secure servers within controlled facilities within Australia. The Practitioner and OCGC employees and data processors are obligated to uphold confidentiality and adhere to both The Practitioner and OCGC’s privacy policies and procedures.
We strive to maintain the reliability, accuracy, completeness and currency of the Personal Information we hold and to protect its privacy and security. All Personal Information is protected from unauthorised access, misuse, interference, loss, modification or disclosure.
5.2 HOW LONG YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION IS STORED FOR
Data collected can be stored for different periods of time depending on what it is and how it is used. Generally, your information is kept for as long as needed to provide medical services, comply with legal, accounting or regulatory requirements or to deal with claims.
The Practitioner and OCGC have a legal requirement to store your information for at least seven years from the time you had last contact with The Practitioner, or if you are a minor, until you turn 25 years of age. Once your Personal Information is no longer needed, or for example you no longer see The Practitioner at OCGC’s premises, the data will be exported by professional information technicians and imported into The Practitioner’s practice management system.
6. ACCESSING & AMENDING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
6.1 ACCESSING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
You have the right to access your Personal Information, with any exceptions as allowed by law. All individuals have a right to request access to their Personal Information. Please contact The Practitioner (or OCGC on their behalf), if you would like to access your Personal Information. The Practitioner generally provide you with access to your Personal Information within a reasonable period (but being no more than 30 days after your request). Depending on the amount of information requested, we may charge an administration fee to cover the cost of retrieving the information and supplying it to you.
Access to Personal Information may be refused in a number of circumstances, such as where the information relates to anticipated legal proceedings or the request for access is frivolous or vexatious. If we deny or restrict your access, you will be provided with a written explanation.
If you have any concerns about the way your Personal Information is stored, disclosed or otherwise managed, or believe that a breach of your privacy has occurred, please contact The Practitioner (or OCGC on their behalf) in writing. We will respond to your concerns as soon as reasonably practicable (and no more than 30 days after your request).
If you are for whatever reason not satisfied with the response or resolution of your concerns or complaint, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner on 1300 363 992 or by visiting www.oaic.gov.au.
6.2 AMENDING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
If you believe that any Personal Information that we hold is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading, please contact us in writing.
To make such requests, kindly submit a written request to The Practitioner (or OCGC on their behalf) by emailing manager@ocgc.com.au.
It is your responsibility to advise of any changes to your Personal Information (for example change of residential address, email address or phone number). We will respond within a reasonable time (but being no more than 30 days after your request) and will endeavour to correct any Personal Information. You may request that you be provided with your Personal Information or it be deleted. Any written request by you cannot be unreasonably withheld. However, in some limited circumstances the requested corrections to Personal Information may be refused, in which case you will be provided with written reasons for this decision.
We are committed to maintaining the accuracy, relevance, and completeness of your personal data. If any information is found to be inaccurate, out-of-date, or incomplete, we will take reasonable steps to correct it. If access or correction is refused, we will provide written reasons in compliance with the APPs.
7. COMPLAINTS
If you have a complaint relating to an alleged breach of the APPs, you should contact The Practitioner (or OCGC on their behalf) using the details listed in this Privacy Policy.
When you notify The Practitioner (or OCGC on their behalf) of a complaint about our handling of your Personal Information, we will deal with the complaint by responding to it in writing within a reasonable period (usually 10 business days from the day we receive your written notification).
We will endeavour to work with you to resolve the complaint entirely within 30 days, although that period may be longer if it is reasonable to take longer given the nature of your complaint.
If you are unsatisfied with our response, you may make refer the complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) https://www.oaic.gov.au/ or The Office of the Privacy Commissioner on 1300 363 992 or visit https://www.privacy.gov.au/complaints.
8. DEFINITIONS
In this Practitioner Privacy Policy, the following terms have the meaning given to them below unless the context requires otherwise:
(a) APPs: means the Australian Privacy Principles;
(b) Personal Information: has the meaning given to it in the Privacy Act, which includes information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable whether the information or opinion is true or not or in a material form or not;
(c) The Practitioner: the independent practitioner named in this privacy policy (Dr Matt Alfredson) that operates its practice out of Orthopaedic Clinics Gold Coast premises, that you are treated by (or intend to be treated by) whether or not you engage the services of that Practitioner or not;
(d) Practitioner Privacy Policy: means this privacy policy as amended from time to time made available on the Practitioner’s webpage on www.drmattalfredson.com.au website and available in physical copy upon request;
(e) Privacy Act: means the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) as amended from time to time;
(f) Sensitive Information: has the meaning given to it in the Privacy Act, which includes information or an opinion about an individual’s racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or criminal record;
(g) Orthopaedic Clinics Gold Coast (OCGC): Orthopaedic Clinics Gold Coast; and
(h) You/Your: means the individual who we collect the Personal Information from and about.
9. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
The Practitioner reserves the right to make amendments to this Privacy Policy at any time. If you have objections to the Privacy Policy, you should not access or use our service.
The Practitioner welcomes your comments regarding this Privacy Policy. If you have any questions or complaints about this Privacy Policy, the way we hold or disclose Personal Information or would like to see the current version, it is available on The Practitioners website (www.drmattalfredson.com.au), alternatively please contact us by any of the following means;
Contact: Manager or Privacy Officer
Ph: 07 2101 2650
Email: manager@ocgc.com.au
Post: Suite 5A, Level 6, Pacific Private Clinics, 123 Nerang Street, Southport, QLD, 4215