PATIENT PRIVACY POLICY

Pain Specialists Australia ('PSA') views privacy and confidentiality of patient information in the highest regard. This privacy policy is available to all employees and patients upon request.

We work within and uphold the National Privacy Principles. You may find further details of the NPP via the website for the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

STORAGE OF MEDICAL RECORDS

Pain Specialists Australia use an electronic medical record system, where all patient notes, information and correspondence is held. Information held within our electronic medical record system is only accessible by Pain Specialists Australia staff members, and is backed up securely offsite in Australia.

DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION TO THIRD PARTIES

We request your consent, in writing, to release any information regarding your care with Pain Specialists Australia to a third party. This includes your GP, other Specialists involved in your care, and facilities where you have undergone treatment previously or concurrently.

Upon registration as a patient, we ask that you complete a consent form which will then allow us to liaise with other healthcare practitioners as required to offer the best service and care to you, and to transfer information between parties with this common goal in mind. Furthermore, this also involves liaison, where necessary, with insurers such as WorkSafe and TAC as required. You may also provide limited consent and advise specific parties we may not liaise with.

We cannot and will not release or discuss your medical record or personal information without your written consent, or verbal consent at each point of contact (i.e per each telephone call), third parties such as spouses, parents, friends or other parties.

Should you wish to revoke your consent for us to liaise with third parties (i.e other health care professionals involved in your care or insurers involved in your compensable claim) we will require this revocation in writing. Consent can be reinstated, again by providing it once again in writing.

ACCESSING YOUR INFORMATION

You may request access to the information held within your medical record at Pain Specialists Australia at any time, except under circumstances whereby access may be denied as per the ‘Privacy Act’ or other applicable laws.

For example, access may be denied when allowing a patient access to their medical record would be detrimental or pose a threat to the life/health of the patient or the life/health of another person (this can include relatives, health care professionals, Pain Specialists Australia staff or other patients). The risk or threat would need to be very significant though not necessarily imminent for this clause to be invoked, and access denied. Requests to access your medical record should be made in writing attention to the Practice Manager.

CAN I HAVE COPIES OF MY FILE FORWARDED TO A NEW PRACTITIONER?

On request, we are happy to provide a complete copy of your medical record to any new practitioner in the event that you transfer your care from our service to another. We are also happy to assist in providing relevant information from your record to your GP, or in the event that you attend hospital.

HOW LONG ARE RECORDS HELD BY PAIN SPECIALISTS AUSTRALIA?

Medical records are required to be maintained and held for a minimum period of 7 years from the last point of contact with the patient, or in the case of a minor retained until the patient is 25 years of age and 7 years since last contact. Records may be destroyed after this timeframe has passed.

OBTAINING FURTHER INFORMATION

Should you require further information regarding Pain Specialists Australia, our services, facilities or policies, please:

• Ask a member of our staff
• View our website
• Request a copy of our Practice Information Sheet

If you would like further information regarding our privacy policy, please contact us via:

• Post at Level 4, 600 Victoria Street Richmond VIC 3121
• Email at reception@painspecialistsaustralia.com.au 
• Telephone: 1300 798 682

We welcome your enquiries, feedback, compliments and constructive feedback as we constantly strive to improve our service as we aim to offer excellence in personalised pain management, service and care to our patients in all that we do.

DISCLAIMER

While we make every effort to protect your privacy, we may need to disclose personal information when required by law where we have a good-faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with a current judicial proceeding, a court order or legal process served on our company or site.