Hunter Valley Orthodontics privacy policy
Current as of: September 2024
Introduction
This privacy policy provides information to you, our patient, on how your personal information (which includes your health information) is collected and used within our practice, and the circumstances in which we may share it with third parties.
Why and when your consent is necessary
When you register as a patient of our practice, you provide consent for our dental practitioners and practice staff to access and use your personal information so they can provide you with the best possible dental care. Only staff who need to see your personal information will have access to it. If we need to use your information for anything else, we will generally seek additional consent from you to do this, unless obtaining your consent is not practical or reasonable, and an exception under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) applies.
Why do we collect, use, hold and share your personal information?
Our practice will need to collect your personal information to provide dental services to you. Our main purpose for collecting, using, holding and sharing your personal information is to manage your dental health. We also use it for directly related business activities, such as financial claims and payments, practice audits and accreditation, and business processes (e.g. staff training).
What personal information do we collect?
The information we will collect about you includes your:
• name/s, date of birth, address/es, contact details (e.g. telephone, email), family contact information
• details of your oral health condition and the treatment/s and service/s you have received
• details of your general health (e.g. medications, allergies, medical conditions) and medical history that may impact the dental treatment you receive
• Medicare number (where available) for identification and claiming purposes
• information regarding other funding sources, where relevant (e.g. Child Dental Benefits Schedule, Department of Veterans’ Affairs)
• information on workers’ compensation, motor vehicle and other accident claims, where relevant
• healthcare identifiers, where relevant.
Dealing with us anonymously
You have the right to deal with us anonymously or under a pseudonym unless it is impracticable for us to do so or unless we are required or authorised by law to only deal with identified individuals.
How do we collect your personal information?
Our practice may collect your personal information in several different ways. All informed consent documentation used by the practitioners at Hunter Valley Orthodontics is reviewed at regular intervals and any updates to these documents are designed to improve patient understanding and the quality of care provided.
1. When you make your first appointment our practice staff will collect your personal information via your registration.
2. During the course of providing dental services, we may collect further personal information.
3. We may also collect your personal information when you visit our website, send us an email or SMS, telephone us, make an online appointment or communicate with us using social media.
4. In some circumstances personal information may also be collected from other sources. Often this is because it is not practical or reasonable to collect it from you directly. This may include information from:
• your guardian or responsible person
• other involved healthcare providers, such as specialists and diagnostic imaging services
• your health fund, Medicare, or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (as necessary).
When, why and with whom do we share your personal information?
We sometimes share your personal information:
• with third parties who work with our practice for business purposes, such as information technology providers – these third parties are required to comply with APPs
• with other healthcare providers
• when it is required or authorised by law (e.g. court subpoenas)
• when it is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to a patient’s life, health or safety or public health or safety, or it is impractical to obtain the patient’s consent
• to assist in locating a missing person
• to establish, exercise or defend an equitable claim
• for the purpose of confidential dispute resolution process
• when there is a statutory requirement to share certain personal information (e.g. some diseases require mandatory notification)
Only people who need to access your information will be able to do so. Other than in the course of providing dental services or as otherwise described in this policy, our practice will not share personal information with any third party without your consent.
We will not share your personal information with anyone outside Australia (unless under exceptional circumstances that are permitted by law) without your consent.
Our practice will not use your personal information for marketing any of our goods or services directly to you without your express consent. If you do consent, you may opt out of direct marketing at any time by notifying our practice in writing.
How do we store and protect your personal information?
Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms.
• Electronic records
• Visual records (x-rays, photos)
Our practice stores all personal information securely.
• Electronic Format:
• Data Encryption: We use strong encryption for personal data both at rest and in transit.
• Access Controls: Implement robust access controls to ensure only authorized personnel can access sensitive information.
• Regular Updates: Keep all systems updated with the latest security patches.
• Firewalls and Antivirus Software: Use firewalls to protect network boundaries and antivirus software to protect from malware.
• Secure Backups: Maintain regular, encrypted backups of personal information in separate locations.
• Employee Training: Train employees on data security best practices and phishing awareness.
• Hard Copy Format:
• Locked Storage: Keep hard copies in locked filing cabinets or secure storage rooms.
• Access Logs: Maintain logs of who accesses the physical documents.
• Secure Disposal: Shred documents before disposal to prevent data from being reconstructed.
• Environmental Controls: Protect against environmental risks such as fire or water damage with appropriate safety measures.
• General Best Practices:
• Data Minimization: Collect only what is necessary and store for the minimum time required.
• Privacy Policies: Have clear policies outlining how personal information is handled and protected.
• Incident Response Plan: Prepare a plan to respond to data breaches or security incidents promptly.
How can you access and correct your personal information at our practice?
You have the right to request access to, and correction of, your personal information.
Our practice acknowledges patients may request access to their dental records. We ask that you put this request in writing to Hunter Valley Orthodontics via email – info@hvortho.com.au at which point the “release of records form” will be required to be filled in and our practice will respond within a reasonable time.
Our practice will take reasonable steps to correct your personal information where the information is not accurate or up to date. From time to time, we will ask you to verify that your personal information held by our practice is correct and current. You may also request that we correct or update your information, and to assist us with attending to your request we would prefer you to make such requests in writing to Reception Team –
info@hvortho.com.au or phoning the practice 40471878
How can you lodge a privacy-related complaint, and how will the complaint be handled at our practice?
We take complaints and concerns regarding privacy seriously. You should express any privacy concerns you may have in writing. We will then attempt to resolve your issue/s in accordance with our resolution procedure.
Reception Team
Hunter Valley Orthodontics – Ph: 40471878 email info@hvortho.com.au
1st Floor, 464 The Esplanade Warners Bay NSW 2282
and our practice will respond within a reasonable time.
You may also contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). The OAIC may decide not to investigate your complaint if you have not raised it with the practice first. If you have lodged a complaint with us, and we have not responded within 30 days or you are dissatisfied with our response, you may then take your complaint to the OAIC. For further information visit www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC on 1300 363 992.
Privacy and our website
Information We Collect
When you visit our website, we may collect certain information about you. This includes:
• Personal Information: Such as your name, email address, phone number, and any other details you provide through forms on our website.
• Usage Data: Information about how you interact with our website, including your IP address, browser type, pages visited, and the time and date of your visit.
• Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to monitor activity on our website and hold certain information.
How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
• Provide and maintain our services
• Improve and personalize your experience on our website
• Communicate with you, including responding to your inquiries and sending updates
• Analyse website usage and trends to enhance our services
Your Choices
You can choose to disable cookies through your browser settings. However, this may affect your ability to use certain features of our website.
Policy review statement
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, and other factors. When we make changes, we will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this Privacy Policy. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.
If we make significant changes, we will notify you by email (if we have your email address) or by posting a notice on our website prior to the change becoming effective.