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Privacy Policy

Holistic Midwifery Australia Privacy Policy

Current as of: 05/02/2024

ABN:80149280533 www.holisticmidwiferyaustralia.com.au - 0414 346 595

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Introduction

This privacy policy is to provide to you with information on how your personal information (which includes your health information) is collected and used within Holistic Midwifery Australia, and the circumstances in which we may share it with others.

 

Why and when your consent is necessary

When you become a patient of this practice, you provide consent for me and the practice staff to access and use your personal information so we can provide you with the best possible health 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 seek consent from you to do this. If you do not provide this information; we may be unable to treat you.

Why do we collect, use, hold and share your personal information?

This practice will need to collect your personal information to provide quality health care services to you. The main purpose for collecting, using, holding, and sharing your personal information is to thoroughly assess and manage your health needs. We also use it for administrative purposes of the practice, billing, for directly related business activities, such as payments, practice audits, and business processes.

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What personal information do we collect?

The information collected about you includes your:

  • names, date of birth, addresses, contact details, occupation

  • medical information including presenting complaint, medical history, current and previous medications, known allergic reactions, adverse events, immunisations, past and family history, relevant lifestyle history, risk factors, findings from pathology tests or other investigations.

 

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?

This practice may collect your personal information in several different ways.

  1. When you make your first appointment we will collect your personal and demographic information via your registration.

  2. During the course of providing health care 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 health care providers, such as specialists, allied health professionals, hospitals, community health services and pathology 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 will only disclose your personal information for the purpose or purposes of consultation with another practitioner or as otherwise permitted by law and only with your consent. This may include disclosure of information to your doctors or other health professionals. In the case of insurance or compensation claim it may be necessary to disclose and or collect information that concerns your return to work to an insurer or your employer.

Only people who need to access your information will be able to do so. Other than in the course of providing health care services or as otherwise described in this policy, this 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.

This practice will not use your personal information for marketing any goods or services to you without your express consent. If you do consent, you may opt out of direct marketing at any time by notifying this practice in writing.

This practice may use your personal information to improve the quality of the services offered to patients through research and analysis of patient data.

 

Cookies

While we do not use browsing information to identify you personally, we may use cookies, web beacons, and other tracking technologies to collect certain information about your use of the Website such as the pages you visit, the date and time of your visit, your IP address, and your interaction with the Website. A cookie is a small file containing a string of characters that is sent to your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. When you visit the website again, the cookie allows that site to recognise your browser. Cookies may store unique identifiers, user preferences and other information. You can reset your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, some website features or services may not function properly without cookies.

 

Communication and Marketing

We may from time to time use your personal information in order to communicate and market our products and services to you via newsletters, email invitations and updates about our products and/or services, upcoming workshops and events. These communications may be sent in various forms, including without limitation mail, SMS, fax and email, in accordance with applicable marketing laws, such as the Spam Act 2003 (Cth). If you indicate a preference for a method of communication, we will endeavour to use that method whenever practical to do so. You may opt out of direct marketing at any time by notifying us in writing or by using the opt-out facilities provided in the communication.

We do not provide your personal information to other organisations for the purposes of direct marketing.

 

How do we store and protect your personal information?

Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms including paper records, electronic records, X-rays, CT scans, videos, photos and audio recordings.

We are committed to ensuring the safety and security of your personal information. We will take reasonable technical and organisational precautions to protect your information from misuse interference, loss, unauthorized access, modification, or disclosure. For example:

  • we limit access to personal information to a “need-to-know” basis

  • we keep all hard copies of personal information in secure premises, accessible by authorised personnel only;

  • we store data securely on cloud servers or other types of networked or electronic storage, with providers who are subject to encryption and data protection policies;

  • our devices are protected by password and are stored in secure premises;

  • the devices we use to collect, hold, use and disclose personal information contain anti-virus software;

  • all conversations involving the discussion of personal information take place in private, where they are unable to be overheard by unauthorised personnel;

  • Despite our best efforts to securely store your information, due to the nature of email and the internet, we cannot guarantee the privacy or confidentiality of your personal information.

If you communicate with us via electronic means such as email, Zoom, Skype, Teams, contact forms or social media platforms, we do not have full control over the transmission or storage of any personal information disclosed. By participating in such forms of communication you understand and accept that there is an inherent risk of disclosure or loss of your personal information for which we cannot be held responsible.

We will destroy or de-identify your personal information when it is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was obtained, except where we have a legal obligation to retain such information, such as your health information. We will never permanently store complete credit card details.

When you provide us with personal information, that information may be collected, stored, and processed on servers located outside of Australia. As electronic or networked storage can be accessed from various countries via an internet connection it is not always practicable to know in which country your information may be accessed or held.

 

How can you access and correct your personal information?

You have the right to request access to, and correction of, your personal information.

This practice acknowledges patients may request access to their medical records. We require you to put this request in writing via email and we will respond within a reasonable time.

You may contact us using the details set out below to seek any of the following:

  • Access: You can ask to be provided full information about your personal information that we hold.

  • Change or correct information: You can also ask us to change or correct any information we hold about you.

  • Delete your personal information: You can ask us to delete or destroy your personal information. Please note that certain conditions may apply to the exercise of this right. Please note that if we agree to delete your information, due to backups and records of deletions, it may be impossible to completely delete your information, however, we will functionally delete the information and not sell, transfer, or use your personal information moving forward.

We will not charge any fee for your access request but may charge an administrative fee for providing a copy of your Personal Information.

To protect your Personal Information, we may require identification from you before releasing the requested information.

We 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 is correct and current. You may also request that we correct or update your information, and you should make such requests in writing to owner Emma Lewis at Holistic Midwifery Australia, emma@holisticmidwiferyaustralia.com.au.

 

How can you lodge a privacy-related complaint, and how will the complaint be handled at this 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 it within 30 days.

You may also contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). Generally, the OAIC will require you to give them time to respond before they will investigate. For further information visit www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC on 1300 363 992.

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Policy review statement

Any changes to this Privacy Policy will be posted on the Website. Unless stated otherwise, changes will be effective immediately upon being placed on the Website. Your continued use of the Website means you agree to be bound by the amended Privacy Policy.  Last updated: 05/02/2024

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