Aberfoyle Park Family Practice uses an electronic system to notify patients of non-urgent recalls. 

We encourage our patients to speak with the Doctor about what is the appropriate follow up appointment is for the type of test our patient's are undertaking. Patients should not assume that results are normal if they do not hear from us.

This information aims to explain clearly how personal information about you and your health is recorded and managed in this practice. Your doctor will be happy to discuss this with you.

YOUR PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION

Your doctor needs information about your past and present health in order to provide you with high quality care. This practice will make sure that you are able to discuss your health with your doctor in private.

Information is called “personal health information” if it concerns your health, medical history or past/future medical care and if someone reading it would be able to identify you.

This practice follows the “Code of Practice for the Management of Health Information in Medical Practices” developed by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. This means that your personal health information is kept private and secure.

 The approach used in this Code is consistent with the provisions of Federal and State Privacy Legislation. The practice has a written policy on personal health information – this policy is available to all patients for inspection.

YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS

Your doctor will do his/her best to make sure that your medical records:

Are accurate, comprehensive, well organised and legible:

Are up to date;

Have enough information to allow another doctor to care for you;

Do not contain offensive or irrelevant comments about you;

Contain a summary of your care; and

Can be used to remind you, with your permission, to return for follow up, checkups and reviews.

 Your doctor will only collect information that is relevant to your medical care. If you are uncertain as to why information is being requested, please ask your doctor.

PROVIDING YOUR INFORMATION TO OTHER DOCTORS

The doctors in this practice respect your right to decide how your personal health information is used or disclosed (e.g. to other doctors and specialists).

In all but exceptional circumstances, personal information that identifies you will be sent to other people only with your consent. Gaining your consent is the guiding principle.

It is important that other people involved in your care, such as other doctors and specialists, are informed of relevant parts of your medical history so that they can best care for you. After discussion with you, your doctor will write a letter to the other doctor, which will either be posted or given to you to take to them. If you have any concerns about this, please discuss them with your doctor.

In most group practices it is customary for all doctors in the practice to have access to all the medical records. If you have any concerns about other doctors at this practice being able to see your records, discuss your concerns with your doctor.

PROVIDING YOUR INFORMATION TO OTHERS

Your doctor will not disclose your personal health information to a third party unless:

You have consented to the disclosure: or

This disclosure is necessary because you are at risk of harm without treatment and you are unable to give consent – for example you might be unconscious after an accident; or

Your doctor is legally obliged to disclose the information (e.g. notification of certain infectious diseases or suspected child abuse, or a subpoena or court order) ; or

The information is necessary to obtain Medicare payments or other health insurance rebates; or

This disclosure is necessary for the doctors in the practice to carry out a review of their practice for the purpose of improving the quality of care provided and the activity has been approved under Commonwealth or State legislation or by a Medical College. This provides safeguards to protect the confidentiality of the information provided; or

There is an overriding public interest in the release of the information.

In any of the above cases only information that is necessary to achieve the objective will be provided. 

USING HEALTH INFORMATION FOR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT AND RESEARCH

We use patient health information to assist in improving the quality of care we give to all our patients by reviewing the treatments used in the practice.

We may also use information that does not identify you in research projects to improve health care in the community. You will normally be informed if your information is to be used for this purpose and will have the opportunity to refuse to have your unidentified information used in this way.

In some circumstances, where the research serves an important public interest, identifiable medical records can be used for medical research without your consent under guidelines issued by the National Health and Medical Research Council. An official ethics committee must approve this research.

Wherever practicable, the information used for research will not be in a form that would enable you to be identified. The publication of research results, which use your information, will never be in a form that enables you to be identified. 

SECURITY OF INFORMATION IN THE PRACTICE

Most medical practices now keep their medical records on a computer system. We will ensure that any of your personal information that is put on computer will be kept private by only allowing access by authorised staff.

We also ensure system back-ups are kept safe and away from any unauthorised contact.

YOUR ACCESS TO YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION 

You have access to the information contained in your medical record. You may ask your doctor about any aspect of your health care including information in your record. We believe that sharing information is important for good communication between you and your doctor and for good health care.

Information in your record can be provided to you by way of an accurate and up to date summary of your care, for instance if you are moving away and are transferring to a new doctor. Do not hesitate to ask your doctor if you want a summary of your care for any reason.

If you request a summary or direct access to your full medical record your doctor will need to take out any information provided by others on a confidential basis.

Your doctor will also need to consider the risk of any physical or mental harm to you or any other person that may result from disclosure of your health information.

Your doctor will be pleased to provide a full explanation of the health summary or medical record provided.

Depending on the amount of work involved, you may be asked to contribute to the cost of gathering/collating and providing the information. 

RESOLVING YOUR CONCERNS REGARDING THE PRIVACY OF YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION

If you have any concerns regarding the privacy of your health information or regarding the accuracy of the information held by the practice, you should discuss these with your doctor.

Inaccurate information will be corrected or your concerns noted in the records if it is not possible or desirable to alter the original record.

Further information on Privacy Legislation is available from:

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner

A fee of $50 is charged for non-attendance without this 2 hours’ notice and must be paid before another consult can be booked with us. Medicare do not cover this fee. 

This policy is also stated in our appointment reminder text. You may cancel your appointment by responding to this text or by calling the practice. 

If you feel you have wrongly received this fee or believe your circumstances are extenuating, we ask that you contact the practice at enquiries@aberfoyleparkfp.com.au

If you require medical assistance outside of our opening hours, please call 13SICK National Home Doctor on 13 74 25.

In a medical emergency, please call 000 and ask for an ambulance.

Home visits are arranged at the doctor’s discretion and can not be book through reception without the doctor's approval. 

All medical certificates and clearance certificates require an appointment with the doctor.

Legally, no medical certificates or clearances can be back dated.