Privacy Policy

At Coastal Developmental Paediatrics (CDP), the doctors and administration staff respect your privacy and are committed to complying with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) in the Privacy Act 1988. This Privacy Policy explains what we do with personal information that is collected from clients.

If we make any changes to this policy it will be announced on our website. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Privacy Policy or the management of your personal information, please provide this in writing to the Practice Manager via email: pm@cdpaediatrics.com.au, or mail addressed to: 'Practice Manager, Coastal Developmental Paediatrics, Suite 4/ 16 Innovation Parkway, Birtinya Qld 4575'.

Information collected and how it is collected:

When booking an appointment at Coastal Developmental Paediatrics for your child, you have indicated your consent that any personal and health care information provided to staff, will be managed in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Prior to or upon attending your child's initial paediatric appointment, you will be asked to sign a patient consent form. If you do not consent for information to be collected from or shared with a third party (e.g. your child's school) this will be noted in your child's file.

Doctors retain their own medical records within a secure electronic medical record software system. In order to best address your child's medical support needs, the doctors will need to collect and record information about your child and family, including relevant family medical history. 

Information is collected from you via:

• New patient form;
• Questionnaires completed by you and members of the child's care team including but not limited to, childcare / school teachers and other health care professionals;
• Copies of any educational and health care reports you may provide or are received;
• Any relevant information that relates to you or your child, that you provide to the doctors directly, via email, written letters and phone conversations.

All information collected will be recorded in the electronic medical record, including information recorded by doctors during consultation visits, assessments and other clinical activities, and information received directly from third parties. 

Administration staff will collect administrative information for your child's medical record file, including your child's name and date of birth, Medicare number, contact parent name and date of birth, contact phone number, email, postal and residential addresses.

Collecting, Keeping, Using, and Disclosing Your Information:

Personal information is collected that is necessary to provide your child with the best possible health care, as well as to maintain a high level of quality customer service.

We endeavour to keep your information relevant, accurate, complete, and up to date. When you arrive for an appointment, the receptionist at the clinic may request confirmation that your details have not changed. If you require your personal information to be updated, please complete the written contact details update form at the clinic reception.

Collected personal information will also be used for:

• Invoicing and billing purposes
• Ensuring compliance with Medicare and Health Insurance Commission requirements
• Accreditation and quality assurance activities to improve individual and community health care and practice management
• Patient reminders of upcoming appointments in the form of phone call, SMS or email
• Compliance with any legislative or regulatory requirements
• Sending communication to you about changes to services, clinic hours or appointments
• Updating your child's records and keeping your contact details current
• Disclosing health care information to others involved in your child's health care, including health care providers outside of Coastal Developmental Paediatrics
• Responding to complaints and compliments you have made

What happens to this information?

1. Coastal Developmental Paediatrics administration team and doctors collect and use the information in compliance with the Australian Privacy Principles, the AMA recommendations and the APS code of ethics. 
2. Although each child's medical record is the clinical responsibility of their doctor, this information is available to the administration team and other doctors working within Coastal Developmental Paediatrics. If you do not want the information to be available to other staff, please let the administration team and doctor you are working with know, and this will be noted in your child's file.
3. As per Medicare requirements for specialist services rendered under medical referrals from General Practitioners, or other medical specialists, paediatrician summary letters or reports, including a treatment plan, are sent back to the referring doctor following consultations. Reports may also be sent to other health providers involved in your child’s care, by joint agreement between your doctor and yourself / the child's guardian.
   Your doctor may provide you with a copy of these medical reports, as they are a copy of the doctor’s assessment and management recommendations for your child.  In the event that you request a copy of your child’s medical file for another health professional, or for your own purposes, a copy of these reports already authorised for release by the doctor may be supplied to you by practice administration staff, with the treating doctor’s agreement.
4. The Paediatricians and administration staff do not automatically send copies of information to schools or any other professionals. Information is not shared with any individual or business without your specific instructions or consent to do so, except in the case of an emergency affecting the safety, health and wellbeing of your child. If you would like any information sent to another party, please let your doctor or administration staff know.
5. The information about your child and family contained in the doctor's medical files will not be used for teaching or research purposes without your consent.  

Keeping Your Information Safe:

All information kept on computer systems is password protected and stored securely. Your medical practitioner, practice manager and administration officers will endeavour to abide by the Australian Federal Privacy Act 1988, and are trained to maintain your child’s health information, and your family’s private information confidentially and securely.                                                         

As a private practice of contracted (not employed) medical staff, working independently, the doctors each retain individual responsibility for their medical notes and records.

The doctors and administrative staff take appropriate measures to keep your personal information secure, managed confidentially and destroyed appropriately, when no longer required.

In the future, Coastal Developmental Paediatrics administration staff and your doctor will implement appropriate technical advances or management processes as required to continue to safeguard personal information.

Please be aware that email is not considered a secure form of communicating confidential or sensitive information. Any email correspondence of this nature, from Coastal Developmental Paediatrics, will be password protected.

Confidentiality:

A confidentiality agreement is entered into by all employees, contractors, and agents at the time of their employment or engagement, in order to protect the privacy of individuals.  Coastal Developmental Paediatrics view unauthorised disclosure as a serious breach of misconduct by our employees, contractors, and agents. If the disclosure of personal information is breached, disciplinary or legal action will be taken.

Disclosure of information:

Patients and clients can request to have copies of their personal information, clinical notes, images, and reports sent to them, or a third party, by completing a Release of Personal Information Consent Form.

Personal information will not be released, unless a consent form has been signed, received, and processed by the clinic. Authorisation is required from your doctor to the administration staff prior to the material being released. Personal information will only be disclosed in accordance with the Privacy Act.

Personal information will only be disclosed: -

• For the purposes and uses for which we have advised that we are collecting it, and for related purposes that you would reasonably expect;
• Where we have consent provided by patients or clients to do so;
• As required by law, or
• In an emergency situation, where it is in the best interest of the patient’s health care to disclose relevant information.

We do not disclose your personal or clinical information to recipients located overseas.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this policy, the use of your information, or you wish to update the information we have collected, please discuss with your doctor or the Practice Manager via email. 

Complaints regarding a breach of your privacy:

If you wish to make a complaint about how we have handled your personal information, you can communicate your concerns in writing using the contact details provided below. Your complaint will be investigated, and you will receive a written response to your complaint.

Complaints Contact Details:

Privacy Officer
Coastal Developmental Paediatrics
Postal: Suite 4/16 Innovation Parkway Birtinya, Qld 4575
Email: pm@cdpaediatrics.com.au

The staff and doctors at Coastal Developmental Paediatrics will always endeavour to resolve any complaint, to your satisfaction, without the involvement of third parties.  If you are still not satisfied with the response received, you may lodge a privacy complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (www.oaic.gov.au).