MANAGEMENT OF YOUR PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION

PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY

 

  • No information shall be collected at the East Brunswick Medical Centre without patient written or implied consent.
  • All patient information collected shall be used to provide a comprehensive approach to patient care.
  • Information will be collected in a manner that ensures protection of privacy and confidentiality.
  • Please advise us if your details alter so that our information is accurate and up to date.
  • No information that identifies the patient will be released to third parties without consent.
  • There may be circumstances where the doctor will be obliged to release details of a patient’s personal health information without their express consent- this may be the case if the situation was an extreme emergency, or if legally compelled  to do so.
  • The East Brunswick Medical Centre operates a fully computerised medical records system. All doctors and employees have individual passwords to allow access. Information is backed up daily and passwords changed regularly.
  • Administrative staff with access to your personal health information have signed confidentiality agreements.
  • Some medical information is downloaded directly into your medical record eg pathology results. These are encrypted to ensure confidentiality.

When patients move to another medical practice, we will support continuity of care by preparing a relevant summary of your medical records. When we receive a form signed by you authorising transfer of medical information, we will mail this summary to your new GP. There is no charge for this service.

Patients may wish to directly access the full details in their medical records:

  • Advise the staff of your request.
  • The practice manager will contact you to outline the procedure.
  • A written request for access to your medical record will be needed before we can proceed.
  • We will advise you of times that the doctor will be available to go through your medical records with you. This will be as soon as reasonably convenient within 30 days.
  • We would encourage you to arrange a time to consult with the doctor to review your records. A fee will be charged for this service that will reflect the time taken. There is no medicare rebate or discount fee available for this service.
  • A fee will also be charged if a printout of your medical records is required – this will reflect the time taken to prepare such a document - no medicare rebate or discount fee is available for this service.
  • It will not be possible to provide an electronic version of your records.
  • Rarely patient access to details in the medical record will not be available. If this happens, a full explanation will be offered.
  • It is the policy of the East Brunswick Medical Centre at this time to retain all medical records – no records are destroyed.
  • If there are concerns regarding information collected at the East Brunswick Medical Centre and how it is used please discuss the issues with the practice manager or one of the doctors.