SchoolCare Clinics: Privacy Policy
1. Our Commitment to Your Privacy
SchoolCare Clinics is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your personal and health information. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, store, and disclose your information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Standards for general practices.
We understand the importance of privacy and are dedicated to maintaining the trust and confidence of our patients.
2. Why We Collect Your Information
We collect your personal and health information primarily for the purpose of providing you with comprehensive, high-quality, and continuous healthcare. This information is essential for:
- Accurate diagnosis and treatment
- Managing your health and medical care
- Communicating with you about your health and appointments
- Billing and processing Medicare claims
- Referring you to other healthcare providers or specialists
- Complying with legal and regulatory requirements (e.g., mandatory reporting)
- Practice management activities, such as quality improvement and accreditation.
3. What Information We Collect
The types of personal and health information we may collect include, but are not limited to:
- Personal Details: Name, date of birth, gender, address, contact numbers (phone, email), emergency contact details.
- Medical History: Past medical conditions, family medical history, current medications, allergies, immunisation history, social history (e.g., smoking, alcohol use), and risk factors.
- Consultation Records: Details of consultations, diagnoses, treatment plans, referrals, and reports from other healthcare providers.
- Identification: Medicare number (for identification and claiming purposes), healthcare identifiers (e.g., IHI).
- Financial Information: Billing details, health fund details, and payment records.
4. How We Collect Your Information
We collect your personal and health information in several ways, including:
- Directly from you: When you register as a patient, complete forms, attend appointments, communicate with us via phone, email, or our website.
- From your guardian or responsible person: Where applicable and necessary.
- From other healthcare providers: With your consent, we may collect information from specialists, hospitals, pathology and diagnostic imaging services, or other health professionals involved in your care.
- From government agencies: Such as Medicare or the Australian Immunisation Register.
- Through our website: When you make online bookings or send us non-urgent enquiries.
5. How We Use and Disclose Your Information
Your personal and health information will only be used or disclosed for the primary purpose for which it was collected, or for a directly related secondary purpose that you would reasonably expect, or with your consent, or where required or permitted by law.
Examples of how your information may be used or disclosed include:
- To other healthcare providers: For continuity of care (e.g., referrals to specialists, hospitals, allied health professionals).
- For Medicare and health insurance claims: To process payments and rebates.
- For mandatory reporting: To comply with public health obligations (e.g., notification of certain communicable diseases).
- For practice accreditation and quality improvement: De-identified data may be used for auditing and improving our services.
- To third parties engaged by the practice: For business purposes such as IT support, secure messaging services, or accreditation bodies. These third parties are bound by strict confidentiality agreements.
- In a medical emergency: Where disclosure is necessary to prevent a serious threat to life, health, or safety.
- For legal requirements: Where required by a court order, subpoena, or other legal process.
We will always seek your explicit consent before disclosing your information for purposes other than direct patient care, billing, or where legally mandated.
6. Storage and Security of Your Information
SchoolCare Clinics takes all reasonable steps to protect your personal and health information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure.
- Electronic Records: Your medical records are stored securely in our electronic medical record system, which is protected by robust security measures, including password protection, encryption, and regular backups. Access is restricted to authorised personnel only.
- Paper Records: Any paper records are stored in secure, locked cabinets within the clinic premises.
- Staff Training: All staff members are trained in privacy and confidentiality obligations and sign confidentiality agreements.
- Data Breach Response: We have procedures in place to manage and respond to any suspected data breaches in accordance with the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.
7. Accessing and Correcting Your Information
You have the right to request access to your personal and health information held by SchoolCare Clinics. You also have the right to request that any inaccurate or incomplete information be corrected.
- Access Request: To request access to your records, please make a written request to the Practice Manager. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe (usually within 30 days) and may charge a reasonable fee for the administrative costs of providing access (e.g., photocopying).
- Correction Request: If you believe any information we hold about you is inaccurate, out-of-date, incomplete, irrelevant, or misleading, please notify us in writing. We will take reasonable steps to correct the information. If we do not agree to correct the information, you may request that we associate a statement with the information noting that you believe it to be inaccurate.
8. Dealing with Us Anonymously or Using a Pseudonym
You have the right to deal with SchoolCare Clinics anonymously or by using a pseudonym where it is lawful and practicable. However, in most cases, it will not be practicable to provide medical care anonymously or pseudonymously, as accurate identification is crucial for patient safety, proper diagnosis, treatment, and Medicare billing. We will inform you if it is not possible to provide a service without identifying yourself.
9. How to Make a Privacy Complaint
If you have a concern about how your personal or health information has been handled by SchoolCare Clinics, we encourage you to speak directly with your doctor or our Practice Manager in the first instance. We will take your complaint seriously and work to resolve it promptly and respectfully.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):
- Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)
- Phone: 1300 363 992
- Website: www.oaic.gov.au
10. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how SchoolCare Clinics manages your personal and health information, please contact our Practice Manager:
- Practice Manager: Jimmy Tseng
- Email: admin@schoolcare.au
- Phone: 1300 889 885
- Address: PO Box 240, Glen Iris, VIC 3146