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© 2006 Queensland Vocational Health Services Pty Ltd ABN 41 062 054 406 |
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Contact QVHS
Tel: 1300 722 679 Fax: 07 3847 9833
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Last updated: 15-Feb-2006 |
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Privacy and QVHS
QVHS supports the principles of Australian privacy legislation. We have introduced procedures which ensure that we comply with all relevant privacy requirements. In addition to this, we support the ethical principles of the Australian Medical Association and Australasian Faculty of Occupational Medicine. The following statement explains what you can expect from QVHS.
Introduction
The Privacy Act 1988 and The Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000 gives you certain rights in relation to information that you give to this practice. We need your consent to collect personal information about you.
Collection
This means we will only collect information that is necessary to properly assess, advise and treat you.
Such necessary information may include a full medical history; family medical history; ethnicity; contact details; Medicare/private health fund details; genetic information; and billing/account details.
The information will normally be collected directly from you. There may be occasions when we will need to obtain information from other sources, such as other doctors or health professionals; where this is the case, your written permission will be obtained in advance.
QVHS staff, therapists and medical practitioners may participate in the collection of this information.
Use and disclosure
We will use and disclose your information for purposes such as:
1. Providing a report about your health status and work capacity to the person or organisation who referred you to us (this may be a doctor, your employer, WorkCover or other body).
2. Account keeping and billing purposes.
3. Referral to another medical practitioner or health care provider; sending of specimens for analysis; referral to a hospital for treatment and/or advice; advice on treatment options.
4. The management of our practice including quality assurance, practice accreditation and compliance handling.
5. To meet our obligations of notification to our medical defence organisations or insurers; to prevent or lessen a serious threat to an individual's life, health or safety; and where legally required to do so, such as producing records to court and the mandatory notification of certain communicable diseases.
6. Disclosure to other other doctors, therapists or health professionals within this practice for the purposes of patient care or teaching.
Access
You are entitled to access the information we have collected about you, except in circumstances where access might legitimately be withheld.
The Privacy Act states that access can be denied where: to provide access would create a serious threat to life or health; there is a legal impediment to access; the access would unreasonably impact on the privacy of another; your request is frivolous; the information relates to anticipated or actual legal proceedings and you would not be entitled to access the information in those proceedings; and in the interests of national security. You will be provided with an explanation in these circumstances.
We ask that your request be in writing. We may impose a charge for photocopying and staff time involved in processing your request. You can request an amendment to your health record should you believe that it contains inaccurate information.
We WELCOME your comments about our Privacy Policy. |