PROGENICS – PRIVACY POLICY - Last update: 22 February 2022
Introduction
Progenics is committed to protecting the privacy of patient information and to handling your personal information in a responsible manner in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Act 2012, the Australian Privacy Principles (APP) and relevant State and Territory privacy legislation (referred to as privacy legislation).
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use and disclose your personal information, how you may access that information and how you may seek the correction of any information. It also explains how you may make a complaint about a breach of privacy legislation.
This Privacy Policy is current from 1st February 2022. From time to time we may make changes to our policy, processes and systems in relation to how we handle your personal information. We will update this Privacy Policy to reflect any changes. Those changes and the most up-to-date version of the policy will be available on our website (www.progenics.com.au); we can also provide a copy via email or hardcopy at our practice.
Collection
We collect information that is necessary and relevant to provide you with medical care and treatment. This information may include your name, address, date of birth, gender, health information, family history and contact details. As a practice specialising in clinical genetics, detailed personal and family history information is often necessary to provide accurate assessments. This information is stored on our secure cloud-based practice software.
We will collect this information from you and, with your written consent, other sources such as treating specialists, radiologists, pathologists, hospitals and other health care providers.
We collect information in various ways, such as:
This information may be collected by medical and non-medical staff.
In emergency situations we may also need to collect information from your relatives, other health services provider or friends.
We may be required by law to retain medical records for certain periods of time depending on your age at the time we provide services.
Use and Disclosure
We will treat your personal information as strictly private and confidential. We will only use or disclose it for:
During your care you may be referred to alternative medical services and providers (pathology, radiology, other specialists) when determining your diagnosis or treatment. All referrals to, and liaison with, other health practitioners regarding your healthcare will be conducted whilst maintaining the confidentiality and privacy of your personal information.
If another health practitioner or healthcare provider wishes to access records we hold on you, and we haven't already corresponded with them as part of your ongoing care, we will only share these with after receiving written consent signed by you.
We are required to write back to your referring provider with our assessment and recommendations. Beyond this, will only share your records with your other health practitioners/healthcare providers and your family members after receiving consent from you to share this information (see below). Additionally, you may at any time wish to disclose that no third parties as stated above are to access or be informed about your personal information or circumstances.
We may disclose information about you to outside contractors to carry out activities on our behalf, such as an IT service provider. We impose security and confidentiality requirements on how they handle your personal information. Outside contractors are required not to use information about you for any purpose except for those activities we have asked them to perform.
There are circumstances where we may be permitted or required by law to disclose your personal information to additional third parties. For example, to Medicare, Police, insurers, solicitors, government regulatory bodies, tribunals, courts of law, hospitals, or debt collection agents. We do not share patient personal data with third parties abroad.
Data Quality and Security
We will take reasonable steps to ensure that your personal information is accurate, complete, up to date and relevant. We will also protect your privacy by verifying your identify when communicating with you. For these purposes, our staff may ask you to confirm that your personal details when you attend a consultation or communicate with us via telephone, email or other methods. We request that you let us know if any of the information we hold about you is incorrect or out of date.
Personal information that we hold is securely stored in our cloud-based practice software. We minimise paper records, but where required they are protected by physically securing our premises.
Corrections
If you believe that the information we have about you is not accurate, complete or up-to-date, we ask that you contact us in writing, see contact details below.
Access
You are entitled to request access to your medical records. We request that you put your request in writing and we will respond to it within a reasonable time (see contact details below). If a patient requests access to his/her personal information we will not charge a fee. If a third party, such as a solicitor, requests patient information in writing there may be a fee for the administration costs of retrieving and providing them with copies of the requested medical records.
We may deny access to your medical records in certain circumstances permitted by law, for example if disclosure may cause a serious threat to your health or safety. We will always tell you why access is denied and the options you have to respond to our decision.
Complaints
If you have a complaint about the privacy of your personal information, we request that you contact us in writing (see contact details below). Upon receipt of a complaint we will consider the details and attempt to resolve it in accordance with our complaints handling procedures. If you are dissatisfied with our handling of a complaint or the outcome you may make an application to the Australian Information Commissioner or the Privacy Commissioner in your State or Territory.
Overseas Transfer of Data
We will not transfer your personal information to an overseas recipient unless we have your written consent. If you choose to proceed with genetic testing through an overseas laboratory, we will direct a local pathology service to transfer your personal information and tissue samples/genetic material overseas after you have provided us written consent for genetic/genomic testing.
Contact
Please direct any queries, complaints, requests for access to medical records to:
Business Manager
Progenics Pty Ltd
PO Box 1194
OAKLEIGH SOUTH VIC 3167
Email: reception@progenics.com.au
