Privacy

Sunraysia Radiology understands the importance of your privacy and the security of your personal information. We are committed to protecting any personal information you provide to us and ensuring that it is kept secure and confidential and used for the purposes for which it was collected, namely for providing diagnostic medical imaging services. We are bound by the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988.

Security

Sunraysia Radiology takes reasonable steps to protect all personal information which we hold from unauthorised access, use or disclosure. The personal information we collect is stored electronically and on paper. All personal information is held securely and disposed of in a secure manner once no longer required (including via confidential waste disposal bins which are used to place confidential waste).

Collection of Personal Information

In order to provide quality medical imaging services, it is necessary for Sunraysia Radiology to collect and store personal information. We will only collect and store medical information about your health as is necessary for health purposes. The type of information Sunraysia Radiology may collect and store includes the following:

• name, gender, date of birth, address (postal and email addresses), telephone and/or mobile numbers, referring doctor’s details, emergency contact details;
• billing information including Medicare, Health Care Card, private health insurance, Workcover, Motor Accident Commission, Veterans’ Affairs details;
• any other information required by Sunraysia Radiology to provide diagnostic medical imaging services.

If you choose not to provide Sunraysia Radiology with your personal information, it may not be possible for us to provide you with the medical services requested.

Use of Information

Sunraysia Radiology uses the collected personal information to enable us to provide accurate medical imaging reports, to make contact with patients, to enable contact with third party entities (for example, the insurance company) and/or to arrange and facilitate billing or debt collection.
Sunraysia Radiology will not disclose your personal information to any third parties without your consent, unless we are required to by law or in response to a legal request.

We will generally collect personal information directly from you. We may also collect personal information from third parties such as your referring doctor and/or other medical providers, or any other sources which will enable us to provide you with the medical services requested. The information we collect is stored in the Radiology Information System (RIS). The medical images are stored on the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS).

Disclosure of Personal Information Collected

Sunraysia Radiology may disclose personal information, as is necessary, to other health professionals including the patient’s referring doctor or allied health professional, and other medical providers.
Sunraysia Radiology’s medical imaging studies can be accessed via a secure password protected portal and is restricted to medical providers that are directly involved in the care of any particular patient.
In some circumstances, personal information may also be disclosed, only under strict conditions of confidentiality, to other authorised representatives of the patient (such as family members or guardians), for any billing purposes such as Medicate and Workcover, or contractors involved in the maintenance of Sunraysia Radiology’s medical imaging equipment, the Radiology Information System (RIS) and Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS).

Access to Personal Information

Patients should generally access their medical imaging reports by consulting their referring health professional which will ensure that the results are considered and explained in the context of the patient’s overall health and any ongoing health treatments.
Medical imaging studies may be provided to the referring health professional via secure electronic means and/or by fax number provided by the referring health professional. Once Sunraysia Radiology has provided the imaging studies to the patient’s referring health professional, the privacy of the imaging studies and any accompanying personal information will be covered by that health professional’s own privacy policy.

Patients may request access to their own personal information, including a copy of their own imaging studies. In order to preserve the patient’s privacy, Sunraysia Radiology cannot email, fax or post such information. Patients requesting copies of information must attend the Sunraysia Radiology premises so that they can be identified and their personal details verified before the information is provided (this may require providing proof of ID such as a drivers’ license).
To ensure that personal information we collect, use and disclose is accurate and up to date, patients must advise Sunraysia Radiology of any changes to their personal information (such as name or address changes).

Sunraysia Radiology provides access to medical imaging studies to registered health professionals and medical staff via a secure web-based password-protected portal. Personal information, including medical images and reports, may be made available to your referring health professional through this portal. We may also provide access to other health professionals with your express consent, or with the express consent of another person acting on your behalf, or in situations where there is a genuine
medical emergency o a request from an appropriate legal authority.

Privacy Complaints

If you have any concerns or complaints in regard to the treatment of personal information you can contact our Practice Manager so that we can investigate and respond to you in a timely manner. If you are not satisfied with the response from Sunraysia Radiology, you may refer the matter to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).