Your Right to Privacy

Delmont Private Hospital is committed to providing you with excellence in the provision of psychiatric care. As a patient in this hospital, you are our primary concern. The hospital recognises the importance of your privacy and complies with the Health Records Act (VIC) 2001 and the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000 (Cwlth)

What information is collected?

Information about you is collected during your hospital stay to help with your diagnosis, care and treatment. Admission Registration information collected includes your name, address, contact details, date of birth, local doctor, next of kin and insurance information. Other information, which relates to your condition such as diagnosis, family history, presenting symptoms, treatments, test results and medication is also collected.

Each time you attend hospital, information about you will be updated. We aim to keep your information accurate and up to date at all times to make sure the best possible care and service can be provided.

By providing detailed and correct information about yourself and your illness, the hospital is able to provide optimal care and treatment - this may be compromised if correct information is not provided.

Why is the information collected?

• To process your registration, admission, discharge and account
• To document the course of your illness and medical treatment as a patient
• To provide a means of communicating between all health professionals involved in your care
• To enable pharmacy supply, pathology collection and radiological examination as required
• To provide continuity of your care on subsequent admissions or other follow up
• To provide information to other clinical practitioners and facilities involved in your care
• To provide statistical information as required by legislation
• To allow review, study and evaluation of patient care by hospital committees

What happens to this information?

When you become a patient at Delmont Private Hospital a medical record is commenced. All the information collected about you during your attendance is kept in your medical record. Each time you attend the hospital information is added to your medical record.

Medical records are stored in a safe secure manner with restricted access. The record is kept for ten years after your last attendance and is then destroyed by using secure means such as shredding.

Some information about you is also stored on computer systems. Computer stored information (such as your name, address, date of birth, telephone number, diagnosis and severity of illness measures) allows all healthcare professionals involved in your care to access information easily and quickly when it is needed and it allows analysis of treatments.

Delmont maintains strict policies with respect to access to your personal information.

Who has access to the information?

Hospital clinical administrative staff have access to your information to provide care and treatment and to process your admission, discharge and account. All staff employed by the hospital are bound by a strict code of confidentiality and have a duty to protect the privacy of personal information.

There are a number of services outside Delmont Private Hospital that might be involved in your care, especially once you leave the hospital. On discharge, a copy of the discharge summary is sent to your general practitioner (GP). If you are being treated at another hospital or by another doctor, they may call us to obtain a discharge summary about you so that they can treat you safely and effectively. In an emergency situation, the hospital will release medical information about you to facilitate your care. In other circumstances, your written consent will be sought prior to information being released.

The hospital will only pass on personal information to people who are directly involved in your care. If you do not wish information to be sent to your GP or to other treating doctors or facilities, please notify the Privacy Officer. Your request, once recorded, will mean that no information is sent for this and future hospital contacts until you notify us again.

In some circumstances private hospitals are required by law to release personal information about you. Examples of this include:

• Reporting of summarised de-identified information to the Victoria Police, Department of Human Services, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Private Hospital Data Bureau and other government agencies.
• Presentation of your medical record in court as evidence in court when subpoenaed (in case of legal action)
• Notification to our third party indemnity insurers in circumstances which may give rise to claim

Information is also provided to Health Funds, the Transport Accident Commission, Workcover and the Department of Veteran Affairs to ensure that they have evidence of your treatment to pay for your care. Health services providers used by Delmont Private Hospital receive information directly related to the provision of the relevant service.

Information collected is also used by the hospital to assist in undertaking management, funding, service monitoring, complaints handling and accreditation activities.

How can you gain access to information about you?

During your admission, your health care team is the best source of information about your care and treatment. Speak to a staff member if you have any questions about your care.

In accordance with the Health Records Act (VIC) 2001 and the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000 (Cwlth) you have the right to request access to your medical record and personal information held by Delmont Private Hospital.

If there is information in the record, which is incorrect, or with which you do not agree, you have the right to request that it be amended. If you would like access to information collected about your care or request information is amended, a request should be made in writing.

While there is no cost to apply to access information about you held by the hospital, fees are applicable if access is undertaken.

All requests and enquiries should be addressed to - Privacy Officer, Delmont Private Hospital, 298 Warrigal Road, Glen Iris, Vic, 3146

Need more information?

If you would like more information about our health information policies or the Privacy Act, please contact the hospital Privacy Officer at the above address.

If you have a complaint or a concern about the privacy or would like more information you can contact:

• The hospital's Privacy Officer
• The hospital's Consumer-Carer Representative (Contact details available from the Hospital Coordinator)
• The office of the Health Services Commissioner, an independent government funded authority on (03) 8601 5222 or for people in rural areas 1800 136 066 (freecall). Their web address is www.health.vic.gov.au/hsc

The Federal Privacy Commissioner on 1300 363 992 (for the cost of a local call anywhere in Australia). Their web address is www.privacy.gov.au