Patient Confidentiality
Confidentiality
Dr Pope values patient confidentiality. Therefore, his practice is run in accordance with obligations under the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW), the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988, along with the National Privacy Principles. Dr Pope and staff take all reasonable steps in order to comply with these obligations, and protect the privacy of the personal information that we hold.
Collection of information
Dr Pope collects information from you so that we may properly assess, diagnose, treat and be proactive in your health care needs.
All members of the professional team involved in your care will have access to your personal information.
This means we may use and disclose the information you provide in the following ways:
Disclosure to others involved in your health care, including treating doctors, pathology services, radiology services and other specialists outside this medical practice. This may occur through referral to other doctors, or for medical tests and in the reports or results returned to us following the referrals.
Disclosure to enable recording on medical registers (example the diabetes register or pap smear register).
Administrative purposes in running our medical practice, including our insurer or medical indemnity provider, and quality assurance and accreditation bodies.
Billing purposes, including providing information to your health insurance fund, the Health Insurance Commission (Medicare) and other organization responsible for the financial aspects of your care.
Conducting research.
Assisting with training and education of other health professionals.
In most cases we will obtain the information directly from you or your treating Doctors.
Information Quality
Our goal is to ensure that your information is accurate, complete and up-to-date. To assist us with this, please contact us if any of the details you have provided change. Further, if you believe that the information we have about you is not accurate, complete or up-to date, contact us and we will use all reasonable efforts to correct the information.
Storage
We will take all reasonable steps to protect the security of the personal information that we hold. This includes appropriate measures to protect electronic materials and materials stored and generated in hard copy.
Access to your personal information
Access will be provided in accordance with our Access Policy. If you require access to your personal information please contact Practice Management.
Legal reasons why we collect the personal information
Some information we collect is in order to comply with our legal obligations as a surgical practice.
What happens if you choose not to provide the information?
You are not obliged to give us your personal information. However, if you choose not to provide us with the required personal details we may not be able to provide you optimal healthcare.
Treatment of Children
The rights of children to the privacy of their health information, based on the professional judgment of the doctor and consistent with law, might restrict access to the child's information by parents or guardians.