Illari Health values your privacy and is committed to upholding the Australian Privacy Principles as stated in the Privacy Act 1988. This privacy policy provides information to you, our patient, on how your personal and 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 health practitioners and practice staff to access and use your personal information so they can provide you with the best possible treatment and healthcare. 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 additional consent from you to do this.

Why do we collect and use your personal information?

Our practice will need to collect your personal information to provide healthcare services to you. Our main purpose for collecting, using, holding and sharing your personal information is to manage your health. We also use it for directly related business activities, such as financial claims and payments, practice audits and accreditation. We may also use your unidentified data for business processes (e.g., staff training).

What personal information do we collect?

The information we will collect about you includes your:

• Contact details including names, date of birth, sex, gender identity, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, occupation, emergency contacts

• Medical information including full medical history, past surgeries and injuries, medications, allergies, adverse events, immunisations, social history, family history, lifestyle history and risk factors

• General practitioner, specialist, other health care providers contact details

• Medicare number (where available) for identification and claiming purposes

• Healthcare identifiers

• Health fund details

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:

• Over the phone

• Through email or fax

• Through SMS

• Through social media

• Entering information when you make an online booking via our website

• Answering online forms

• Through conventional post

• Verbal communication during the consultation

During the treatment and throughout the course of providing medical services, we may collect further personal and health information.
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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, 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 sometimes share your personal information:

• with third parties who work with our practice for business purposes, such as accreditation agencies or information technology providers – these third parties are required to comply with Australian Policy Principles and this policy

• with other healthcare providers

• with your workplace (with your consent)

• 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 medical 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.

You may opt out of direct marketing at any time by notifying our practice in writing or by clicking the unsubscribe button in any marketing email received.

Our practice may use your de-identified personal information to improve the quality of the services we offer to our patients through research, staff training and analysis of our patient data.

How do we store and protect your personal information?

Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms. These include:

• paper records

• electronic records

• visual records (X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, ultrasound images, videos, and photos)

• audio records

Our practice stores all personal information securely. All paper files and hard copy documents are kept in a secure location within the clinic. All digital files and electronic records are stored on Cliniko, a secure, password protected, online practice management software.

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 medical records. We require you to put this request through email, and our practice will respond within a 30-day period. If extensive information is required, a fee may be charged.

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 up date your information, and you should make such requests through email to illarihealth@gmail.com.

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 it in accordance with our resolution procedure. Letters of complaint can be addressed to:

Esther Rijk
Practice Owner, Dietitian and Naturopath
Illari Health
38 Don Road, Healesville VIC 3777
illarihealth@gmail.com
M: 0430526039

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 investigate. For further information visit www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC on 1300 363 992.

Privacy and our website

Our website uses a standard technology called “cookies” and web server log files to collect information about how our website is used. Information gathered through cookies and web server logs may include the date and time of visits, the pages viewed, time spent at our website, and the websites visited just before and just after our website.

This information is used for the purposes of administering our business activities, providing the products and services you requested and to process your payments. It is also used to monitor the use of the service, for marketing and promotional efforts, for the improvement of our website content, layout, and services, and for other lawful purposes. Cookies do not allow us to gather any personal information about you. If you would prefer not to receive cookies, you may alter the configuration of your browser to refuse cookies.

Policy review statement

This privacy policy will be reviewed regularly and may be changed periodically, to ensure compliance with the principles of the national and state privacy laws. All patients will be notified of any policy updates and amendments via email.