Tyack Health Pty Ltd and its associated Companies and businesses recognise the importance of protecting an individual's privacy. We appreciate that individuals are concerned about the security of their personal information and we respect and stand committed to protecting your personal information we collect.

Personal information is information or an opinion about an individual who is identified or reasonably identifiable from that information.

Web Site Privacy

The information you provide to us via this website will not be used or shared with any other person or entity outside of the Tyack Health group. We will take all reasonable steps to protect your information and use it to provide the information or service you have requested from our website. This may include contacting us, signing up for our newsletter, applying for a position with us or booking an appointment online via our book appointment links.

You should understand that we may provide links on our website to other third party web sites or similar, that are not under our control or covered by our privacy policy.

Tyack Health may amend this Privacy document at any time. The updated version will be available by following the "Privacy Policy" link on Tyack Health’s website homepage, at www.tyackhealth.com.au. Tyack Health may highlight changes to this Privacy Policy on its homepage, but you should review the Privacy Policy regularly for these changes.

Collecting personal information about Tyack Health Employee’s and Practitioners

Tyack Health will be fair and open about the way we collect your information and what we intend to do with the information.

If you are applying for a position at Tyack Health, Tyack Health may collect and hold other personal information about you such as your employment record and other personal information you provide or choose to share. We will hold this information to assess your application and suitability for the position you have applied to fill. We will continue to hold this information as a record of you application or during your engagement if you are successful.

We may use personal information we collect about you for a number of purposes including:

• to tell you about other products and services that may be of benefit or interest to you;
• to learn more about your experience with us;
• to run a competition or promotion you may choose to enter;
• to consider you for a position at Tyack Health;
• for other purposes to which you have consented; and
• as required or authorised by relevant laws and regulations.

Generally, we may use your personal information for the purposes for which we collected it and for related purposes which would be reasonably expected by you.

If you do not provide your personal information, Tyack Health may be unable to perform the above functions and/or provide you with the services or support you request.

Consent

We may require your consent to use and/or disclose your personal information if we need to use your information for a purpose that is not related to the purpose for which it was collected.

Tyack Health patient privacy policy

Tyack Health patient privacy policy is developed in compliance with the Privacy Act 1988 and the Privacy Amendment Act 2012, encompassing the Australian Privacy Principles.

Collection and Use of Patient Information

• To provide a quality on-going health care service, Tyack Health collects information about its patients. Sensitive information such as current and previous medical conditions and family health history are necessary to provide an accurate diagnosis, appropriate treatment and ongoing health care. Other personal information is required in order to contact patients regarding health issues as well as for billing purposes.
• All patients must consent to the collection and use of their personal information for the purposes of providing on-going health care.

Disclosure of Patient Information

• Tyack Health is a network of independent healthcare practitioners and their businesses. The Centre is designed to provide multi-disciplinary total health care. In order to help achieve our total health care aims, patients’ clinical records are held and utilized through one central facility and these records are accessible to all staff and health practitioners who operate their business at Tyack Health.
• With the exception of psychology and Occupational Therapy records, which are recorded and stored securely as paper files, all clinical records are maintained electronically.
• All patients have a right to confidentiality of their patient records. Patient records will not be released to any third party not affiliated to Tyack Health unless the patient gives his or her prior written consent.
• To provide continuity of care, patient information, which is collected, may be shared with other health care providers (doctors, hospitals, pathologists, specialists etc.). Upon provision of signed consent by the patient, relevant information will be made available to other health service providers.
• Patient health information will not be used for any other purpose without patient consent. However, there are some circumstances when information has to be disclosed without patient consent, such as emergency situations, reporting communicable diseases, and fulfilling medical indemnity insurance requirements. Where applicable, patient information may also be provided to Medicare and private health funds.
• Practitioners may be legally bound to disclose patient information in certain situations, for example, medical defence purposes and reporting communicable diseases. Records must also be disclosed under court orders, subpoenas, search warrants and Coroner's Court cases.
• Children and other dependant relatives also have the right to privacy of their health information. Access by other individuals (eg. parents, guardians, carers etc.) will be determined by medical and legal privacy requirements and each request for access will be addressed on an individual basis.
• For research programs patients will be requested to provide informed consent for his/her personal health information to be released for use as research data.
• Patients who now reside in overseas locations are also able to access their personal patient information electronically in line with the other requirements of this policy.

Data Quality and Security of Patient Information

• It is the policy of Tyack Health to maintain accurate, up-to-date and complete records.
• Patient information may be stored on paper and/or in electronic formats. Electronic patient information is stored and secured in line with our internal procedure, IT006 Computer Backup Procedure.
• It is the policy of Tyack Health to protect patient information from loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
• Patient information will be kept at Tyack Health as long as is legally necessary or required for administrative purposes. If information is no longer needed after this time, it will be destroyed in a secure manner.

Access and Correction of Patient Information

• Under the Australian Privacy Principles, all patients have the right to access their personal records. The only exception is if the practitioner is authorized to refuse access under any Act of the Commonwealth or if the entity is authorized to refuse access under any Act of the Commonwealth or if:
  1. the organisation reasonably believes that giving access would pose a serious threat to the life, health or safety of any individual, or to public health or public safety; or
  2. giving access would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of other individuals; or
  3. the request for access is frivolous or vexatious; or
  4. the information relates to existing or anticipated legal proceedings between the organisation and the individual, and would not be accessible by the process of discovery in those proceedings; or
  5. giving access would reveal the intentions of the organisation in relation to negotiations with the individual in such a way as to prejudice those negotiations; or
  6. giving access would be unlawful; or
  7. denying access is required or authorised by or under an Australian law or a court/tribunal order; or
  8. the organisation has reason to suspect that unlawful activity, or misconduct of a serious nature, that relates to the organisation’s functions or activities has been, is being or may be engaged in and giving access would be likely to prejudice the taking of appropriate action in relation to the matter; or
  9. giving access would be likely to prejudice one or more enforcement related activities conducted by, or on behalf of, an enforcement body; or
  10. giving access would reveal evaluative information generated within the organisation in connection with a commercially sensitive decision-making process.
• Requests for access to personal records must be in writing.
• Patients can ask to view information or have a copy of all, or part, of their patient record. A consultation with a practitioner may be required for this access, (this cannot be claimed under Medicare for a GP appointment).
• All patients are able to have incomplete or inaccurate information amended.
• There are some circumstances, such as for legal reasons, where access to patient information will be denied. The treating practitioner may also choose not to release a patient file if the health or wellbeing of the patient is at jeopardy by doing so. If this is the case, the patient will be advised of the reason, and a summary of the file may be provided instead.
• There is no charge for lodging a request for access, however, a charge may be made if Tyack Health incurs costs in providing access to records.

Direct Marketing

• Provided personal details are collected from the patient, and the patient has not elected to not receive direct marketing communications on the New Patient form, Tyack health may use these details to communicate information regarding the services at Tyack Health.
• Sensitive information will not be used in direct marketing.

Anonymity

• Under privacy legislation, patients may choose to remain anonymous if it is lawful and practicable to do so. In a medical context it may be dangerous for patients to remain anonymous. It is not possible to claim Medicare and health insurance rebates without providing some identifying information.

Computerised Practice

• As Tyack Health is computerized, all patient records (except for Psychology and Occupational Therapy) are stored in a secure electronic form. From time to time computer administrators are authorised to provide maintenance support on this system and may be granted access at this time.

Complaints

• All patient complaints regarding the handling of records should be discussed with the patients’ practitioner or the Business Manager.
• Further concerns may be forwarded to:
  Federal Privacy Commissioner:
  GPO Box 5218
  Sydney NSW 1042

• Privacy Hotline: 1300 363 992
  
  
• Website: www.privacy.gov.au