This practice takes great care to ensure that our information records are accurate and treated with full regard to the privacy of our clients. We are pleased to discuss our procedures with you, and to amend any inaccuracies in your records.
We only collect information from our clients that is necessary for good health care; and aim to ensure that any information we hold is accurate, complete and up to date.
The health information we hold helps us provide our clients with the best possible health care, and is normally disclosed only to others – such as your doctor or rehabilitation provider – involved in your treatment. If we need to disclose information about you to people other than those associated with your treatment, we will seek your permission first. For Worker’s Compensation, Motor Vehicle or Veterans Affairs clients we may be required to discuss your claim and physiotherapy treatment with the insurer.
Occasionally we may be involved in research on health issues. If any data from this practice is used in research, it will not include information, which identifies our clients, unless special circumstances apply. In such cases the patient’s approval would be sought before identification occurred.
Health information from this practice is also sometimes used for quality assurance or clinical audit activities, which help improve the treatment and service we provide. Data used for these purposes is normally de-identified to protect the privacy of our clients. Occasionally, information about patient consultations is provided to our insurance underwriters, in relation to current or potential insurance claims.
This practice has systems in place to protect the security of our health records. Nobody other than our staff has access to these records – they are kept in a non-public access location. Records of clients who no longer attend this practice are destroyed or permanently de-identified when no longer needed.
In line with normal business procedures, this practice maintains contact details on our database of our clients should we wish to contact them from time to time. We will not convey your email address or other details to a third party for the purpose of advertising. If we send you any general health related information such as newsletters you have the opportunity to advise us at any time if you wish to not receive any further information.
This practice is bound by the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000, and operates in accordance with the Code of Conduct of the Australian Physiotherapy Association.
If you would like to discuss any aspect of our privacy policy, or review you health records, please advise your treating physiotherapist.
If a client wishes to have access to their records they must notify the Physiotherapist or Reception in writing. We will provide access within 30 days of such a request. The records remain the property of the practice and shall not be permitted to be removed from the premises by the client. An administrative fee shall apply where copies of patient records are requested. A fee shall also apply if a report summarizing the notes is requested by a client.
A client may give written authorization for their spouse or other designated individual to gain access to the client’s records.
