Privacy policy

Introduction to privacy

The Federal Privacy act incorporates 10 National Privacy Principle (the NPPs) that set out the rules for the handling of personal information in the private sector. In the interest of providing quality health care PATHLAB has developed a privacy policy that complies with the privacy legislation and the NPPs.

About PATHLAB privacy policy

This privacy policy outlines how we manage personal information. It also describes the sorts of information we hold and why, as well as how that information is collected, held, used and disclosed.

Collection

It is necessary for us to collect personal information from patients and sometimes others associated with their health care in order to attend to their health needs and for associated administrative purposes.

Whose personal information do we collect?

Individuals from whom we collect personal information include:

Our customers
Our patients
Health professionals
Business contacts
Employees and
Contractors

Collecting personal information

If an individual is acquiring or has acquired a product or service from PATHLAB, we will collect and hold their personal information to:

Provide the required services.
Administer and manage those services but not limited to billing and collecting debts.
Inform the individual of the ways the services provided could be improved.
Research and develop our services
Maintain and develop our business systems and infrastructure, including testing and upgrading these systems

What personal information do we collect?

The information collected may include an individual's:

Name
Date of birth (DOB)
Occupation
Current and previous address (postal and email)
Telephone number
Tax File Number (TFN)
Health information and
Other information that we consider necessary

How do we collect personal information?

We will, if reasonable and practicable to do so, collect personal information directly from the individual concerned. This may take place when the individual fills out documents such as an application form or an administrative form or when the individual gives us personal information in person, or over the telephone and or through electronic medium.

In certain circumstances, we will collect personal information from third parties. For example, we may need to collect personal information from:

An individual's health service provider e.g. General Practitioner.
An individual's treating health professional
An individual's representatives (e.g. authorised representatives or legal advisers)
An individual's employer
Publicly available sources of information or
Any other organisation.

Use & Disclosure

A patient's personal information is used or disclosed for the purposes directly related to their health care and in ways that are consistent with a patient's expectations.

A patient's personal information is used or disclosed for the interest of quality and continuity of health care, to providers who may comprise of a patients' specialist practitioner and other related health care providers.

In addition there are circumstances when information has to be disclosed without patient consent such as:

Emergency situations.
By law, doctors are sometimes required to disclose information for public interest reasons, e.g. mandatory reporting of some communicable diseases.
It may be necessary to disclose information about a patient to fulfill a medical indemnity Insurance obligation.
Provision of information to Medicare or other bodies, if relevant, for billing and medical rebate purposes.

Other relevant organisations may include:

Outsourced service providers who manage the services we provide (e.g. referred pathology practices, debt recovery functions).
Credit reporting agencies.
Our advisers (including our accountants, auditors and lawyers).
Government and regulatory authorities and other organisations, as required or authorised by law.
Organisations involved in marketing our products and services.
Organisations involved in a transfer or sale or our assets or business.
Organisations involved in managing our corporate risk, and
Our related companies.

Also, we may need to disclose an individual's personal information to their representatives (e.g. their authorised personal representatives or their legal advisers).

In general, a patient's health information will not be used for any other purposes without their consent.

Data Quality

PATHLAB takes reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information it collects, uses or discloses is accurate, complete and up-to-date.

Data Security

We store personal information in different ways, including in paper and electronic form. The security of personal information is important to us, and we take reasonable steps to protect it from misuse or loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Some of the ways we do this include:

All staff employed or contractors engaged by PATHLAB are bound by a strict code of confidentiality.
Implementing document storage security policies.
Imposing security measures for access to our computer systems.
Providing a discrete environment for confidential discussions.
Only allowing access to personal information where the individual seeking access has satisfied our identification requirements, and
Ensuring there is access control into our buildings.

Openness

PATHLAB has a culture of openness and has available this document clearly expressing our policies on the management of personal information. This document is available on our web site at www.pathlab.com.au or in printed format from any of our Laboratories or Accredited Collection Centers. Alternatively you may call our head office number on 03 88313000 and request a copy be mailed to you.

Access & Correction

Patients may request access to their personnel health information held by this practice.

Where necessary, patients will be given the opportunity to amend any personal information held that is incorrect.
There are some circumstances in which access is restricted, and in these cases reasons for denying access will be explained.
A charge may be payable where the practice incurs costs providing access.
This practice acknowledges the right of children to privacy of their health information. Based on the professional judgment of the doctor and consistent with the law, it might at times be necessary to restrict access to personal health information by parents or guardians. Upon request a patient's health information held by this practice will be made available to another health service provider.

Identifiers

These are the numbers, letters or symbol that are used to identifiers patients with or without the use of a name (e.g. Medicare numbers). We limit the use of identifiers assigned to patients by Commonwealth Government agencies to those users necessary to fulfill our obligations to those agencies.

Anonymity

A patient has a right to be dealt with anonymously, provided this is lawful and practical. However, in the medical context this is not likely to be practicable or possible for Medicare and insurance rebate purposes. It could also be dangerous to the patient's health.

Transborder Data Flow

Individual's privacy is protected Australia-wide by privacy laws. We will take steps to protect patient privacy if information is sent interstate or outside Australia.

Sensitive information

Health information is "sensitive information" for the purposes of privacy legislation. This means that generally patients' consent will be sought to collect health information that is necessary to make an accurate medical diagnosis. This is in most cases provided by the referring practitioner.

Complaints & Further Information

Individuals who believe that we have breached their privacy rights in any way or wish to discuss any issues about our privacy policy should contact our Supervising Pathologist.

We will try to satisfy any questions and correct any errors on our part.

If the individual is dissatisfied the Federal Privacy Commissioner, whose details are below, handles complaints.

Further information about an individual's privacy rights can be obtained from the Federal Privacy Commissioner's Office at:

Federal Privacy Commissioner's Office
Level 8 Piccadilly Tower
133 Castlereagh Street,
Sydney NSW 2000

GPO Box 5218
Sydney NSW 1042

If you would like more information about privacy in general, please refer to the Privacy Commissioner's website: www.privacy.gov.au

Contacting us

Individuals may ask any questions about privacy and the way we manage personal information or write to us requesting access to personal information by:

Writing to:
The Supervising Pathologist
PATHLAB
68 Burwood Hwy,
Burwood Victoria 3025

or by Emailing:
privacy@pathlab.com.au