The information we will collect about you includes your:

• names, date of birth, addresses, contact details
• medical information including medical history, medications, allergies, adverse events, immunisations, social history, family history and risk factors
• Medicare number (where available) for identification and claiming purposes
• healthcare identifiers
• health fund details.

Our practice may collect your personal information in several different ways.

1. When you make your first appointment, our practice staff will collect your personal and demographic information via your registration.
2. During the course of providing medical services, we may collect further personal information. If you have a My Health Record, information can be collected via Shared Health Summaries and Event Summaries.
3. We may also collect your personal information when youemail , SMS, fax or telephone us.
4. 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).

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 APPs and this policy
• with other healthcare providers
• 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)
• during the course of providing medical services, through eTP (electronic prescriptions), My Health Record (e.g. via Shared Health Summary, Event Summary).

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.

Our practice will not use your personal information for marketing any of our goods or services directly to you without your express consent.

All forms of written communication involve an element of risk that information could be read by someone other than the intended recipient. The risks of using unsecured or unencrypted email include:

• emails can easily be sent to the wrong recipient
• email is often accessed on portable devices, such as smart phones, tablets and laptops, which are easily lost or stolen
• emails can be forwarded or changed without the knowledge or consent of the original sender
• email is vulnerable to interception.

The practice has the following measures in place regarding email communication.

• Patient consent is obtained for communication of patient information by email or SMS on the patient registration form.
• Patients are made aware of the risks in sending emails to them containing their personal medical information.
• Computer security measures including email encryption with PIN are used for all emails with attachments containing patient information
• Our patient registration form has information about email security
• Notification to OAIC of any significant data breach
• Any electronic communication received from patients is also used as a method to verify the contact details we have recorded on file are correct and up-to-date.
• The practice uses an email/fax disclaimer notice on outgoing emails/faxes that are affiliated with the practice stating

Text messaging is an effective, convenient, and cost-effective form of communication that is often a preferred and requested way of communication with patients regarding appointments. There has been an increase in communication via SMS with patients and pharmacies with the implementation of e scripts and electronic reminder systems such as Hot Doc. Despite these benefits, there are some risks to patient information and Eatons Hill Medical Centre has implemented the following to reduce this risk.

• Consent is obtained from patients on the registration form to receive communication via SMS – a copy of which is kept in the patient’s chart.
• A practice phone is used for all communication via SMS with patients.
• Mobile phone numbers are confirmed with patients at appointments and used as one of the patient identifiers. This allows for updates to be made on a regular basis to patient details.
• SMS are primarily used for the purpose of reminding patients of an appointment that has been made and reminding patients of a clinical matter that requires follow up.
• When the patient is unable to be contacted via phone, a simple SMS requesting that the person call Eatons Hill Medical Centre is sent without any clinical or personal information. 
• SMS is also used to notify patients of the arrival of Flu Vaccines.