Privacy policy

Brecken Health Telehealth (we, us) is bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles, and the health records legislation that applies in your state or territory. This policy explains what we do with your information.

What we collect

We collect only what we need to provide your care and run the practice:

• Identity and contact details — your name, date of birth, address, phone number and email
• Medicare, DVA and concession card details, where you provide them, so we can claim rebates on your behalf
• Health information — your medical history, symptoms, medicines, allergies, test results, and the notes your doctor makes during a consultation
• Payment information — processed by our payment provider; we do not store your full card number
• Technical information — [describe website analytics and cookies, if any, and how to opt out]

Wherever possible we collect information directly from you. We may also receive it from other health professionals involved in your care, from My Health Record where you have one, or from a parent, guardian or carer where that is appropriate.

Why we collect it

• To provide you with medical care and to keep an accurate clinical record
• To communicate with you about your appointments, results and follow-up
• To claim Medicare rebates and process payments
• To meet our legal and professional obligations, including accreditation and quality improvement
• [Add any other purposes, such as recall and reminder systems, and how patients can opt out]

Who we share it with

We share your information only where it is necessary for your care or required by law:

• Other health professionals involved in your care — specialists, pathology and imaging providers, allied health, hospitals and pharmacies
• Services Australia, for Medicare and DVA claims
• My Health Record, where you have one and have not asked us to withhold a document
• Our service providers under contract — [list your practice management software, booking provider, telehealth platform, secure messaging and payment provider], each of which is bound to protect your information
• Where required or authorised by law, including mandatory reporting obligations, court orders and subpoenas
• Where necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to someone's life, health or safety

We do not sell your information, and we do not disclose it to employers, insurers or family members without your consent.

Overseas disclosure

[State whether any provider stores or processes data outside Australia, and which countries. If all data is held in Australia, say so plainly.]

How we protect it

Your records are held electronically in [name your clinical system], protected by access controls, encryption in transit and at rest, audit logging, multi-factor authentication for staff, and regular backups. Staff access is limited to what each person needs to do their job, and all staff sign confidentiality agreements.

Video consultations use [name your telehealth platform] and are encrypted. Consultations are not recorded.

If a data breach occurs that is likely to cause you serious harm, we will notify you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, as required by the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

How long we keep it

We retain adult records for at least seven years from your last consultation. For patients under 18, we retain records until they turn 25. [Confirm the requirement in each state or territory in which you operate.] Records are then destroyed securely.

Accessing and correcting your record

You may request access to your health information at any time, and ask us to correct anything inaccurate, out of date or incomplete. Write to privacy@breckenhealth.com.au. We will respond within 30 days.

In limited circumstances we may decline access — for example, where giving access would pose a serious threat to someone's life or health, or affect another person's privacy. If we do, we will explain why in writing and tell you how to have that decision reviewed. A reasonable administrative fee may apply to large requests, and we will tell you the amount before we begin.

Anonymity

You may ask to deal with us anonymously or under a pseudonym. In practice this is rarely possible for clinical care, since we must keep an accurate record and verify your identity for prescriptions and Medicare claims. We will tell you if it is an option in your situation.

Making a privacy complaint

If you believe we have mishandled your information, contact our Privacy Officer at privacy@breckenhealth.com.au or call 1300 000 000. We acknowledge complaints within two business days and aim to resolve them within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can complain to:

• The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner — 1300 363 992, oaic.gov.au
• The health complaints body in your state or territory
• [List the health complaints body for each state and territory where you see patients]

Changes to this policy

We review this policy at least every two years. The current version is always available on this page, with the review date shown at the top.