Maroochydore Doctors @ Sunshine Plaza Privacy
Policy

This privacy policy is to provide information to you, our patient, on how your personal information (which
includes your health information) is collected and used within our practice, and the circumstances in which
we may share it with third parties.

For enquiries concerning this policy, you can contact our Practice Manager, Renae Schmidt. Renae is
best contacted via email at reception@maroochydoredoctors.com.au or you can leave a message
with our reception team.

When you register as a patient of our practice, you provide consent for our GPs and practice staff to access
and use your personal information so they can provide you with the best possible healthcare. Only staff who
need to see your personal information will have access to it. If we need to use your information for anything
else, we will seek additional consent from you to do this.

The practice collects, uses, stores, and shares your personal information primarily to ensure your healthcare is
managed safely and effectively. This includes delivering medical services, maintaining accurate medical
records, and processing billing and payments. Additionally, your information may be used for internal quality
and safety improvement initiatives, such as practice audits, accreditation processes, and staff training, to
uphold high standards of care.

The information we will collect about you includes your:
• names, date of birth, addresses, contact details
• medical information including medical history, medications, allergies, adverse events, immunisations,
social history, family history and risk factors
• Medicare number (where available) for identification and claiming purposes
• healthcare identifiers

You have the right to deal with us anonymously or under a pseudonym unless it is impracticable for us to do
so or unless we are required or authorised by law to only deal with identified individuals.
Under the Privacy Act 1988, healthcare practices are required to consider whether it is practical to allow
patients to remain anonymous or use a pseudonym. While we are not obligated to provide care anonymously
in all circumstances, we will make every effort to accommodate such requests where it is reasonable and
practical to do so.

Our practice may collect your personal information in several different ways.
• When you make your first appointment our practice staff will collect your personal and demographic
information via your registration.
• While providing medical services, further personal information may be collected via::

• ERx (escripts)
• My Health Record
• HotDoc online bookings

We may also collect your personal information when you send us an email or SMS, telephone us, make
an online appointment or communicate with us using social media.
• In some circumstances personal information may also be collected from other sources. Often this is
because it is not practical or reasonable to collect it from you directly. This may include information
from:
• your guardian or responsible person
• other involved healthcare providers, such as specialists, allied health professionals, hospitals,
community health services and pathology and diagnostic imaging services
• Medicare, or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (as necessary).

From time to time, photos or medical images may be taken using personal devices for medical purposes,
following Australian privacy obligations on using personal devices for medical images.

We sometimes share your personal information:
• with third parties who work with our practice for business purposes, such as accreditation agencies or
information technology providers – these third parties are required to comply with APPs and this policy
• with other healthcare providers
• when it is required or authorised by law (eg court subpoenas)
• when it is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to a patient’s life, health or safety or public
health or safety, or it is impractical to obtain the patient’s consent

• to assist in locating a missing person

• to establish, exercise or defend an equitable claim
• for the purpose of confidential dispute resolution process
• when there is a statutory requirement to share certain personal information (eg some diseases require
mandatory notification)
• during the course of providing medical services, through eRx, PHN, My Health Record (eg via Shared
Health Summary, Event Summary).

Only people who need to access your information will be able to do so. Other than in the course of providing
medical services or as otherwise described in this policy, our practice will not share personal information with
any third party without your consent.
We will not share your personal information with anyone outside Australia (unless under exceptional
circumstances that are permitted by law) without your consent.

Our practice will not use your personal information for marketing any of our goods or services directly to you
without your express consent. If you do consent, you may opt out of direct marketing at any time by notifying
our practice in writing.

The practice will not use your personal information for marketing any goods or services directly to you
without your express consent. If you do consent, you may opt out of direct marketing at any time by notifying
the practice in writing.

The practice will not use your personal information for marketing any goods or services directly to you
without your express consent. If you do consent, you may opt out of direct marketing at any time by notifying
the practice in writing.

The practice may use your personal information to improve the quality of the services offered to patients
through research, analysis of patient data for quality improvement and for training activities with the practice
team
We may provide de-identified data to other organisations to improve population health outcomes. If we
provide this information to other organisations patients cannot be identified from the information we share,
the information is secure and is stored within Australia. You can let reception staff know if you do not want
your de-identified information included.
At times, general practices are approached by research teams to recruit eligible patients into specific studies
which require access to identifiable information. You may be approached by a member of our practice team
to participate in research. Researchers will not approach you directly without your express consent having
been provided to the practice. If you provide consent, you would then receive specific information on the
research project and how your personal health information will be used, at which point you can decide to
participate or not participate in the research project.

Document automation is where systems use existing data to generate electronic documents relating to
medical conditions and healthcare.
The practice uses document automation technologies to create documents such as referrals, which are sent to
other healthcare providers. These documents contain only your relevant medical information.
These document automation technologies are used through secure medical software, Best Practice.
All users of the medical software have their own unique user credentials and password and can only access
information that is relevant to their role in the practice team.
The practice complies with the Australian privacy legislation and APPs to protect your information.
All data, both electronic and paper are stored and managed in accordance with the RACGP Privacy and
managing health information guidance.

The practice uses an AI scribe tool to support GPs take notes during their consultations with you. The AI scribe
uses an audio recording of your consultation to generate a clinical note for your health record. The practice AI
scribe service is Heidi.
Heidi:
• does not share information outside of Australia
• destroys the audio file once the transcription is complete.
• removes sensitive, personal identifying information as part of the transcription
The practice will only use data from our digital scribe service to provide healthcare to you. We always ask for
your consent before using AI in a consult and you can opt out of AI being used for your healthcare at any time.
We also have a formal AI scribe policy available with more details regarding it’s use in your healthcare.

Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms. All of our records are kept in
electronic format. X-rays, disks, photographs, etc are not kept on site and patients are requested to take them
and discard them or store personally
Our practice stores all personal information securely via electronic records.
Security precautions are put into place via our service agreement with Lightsource Computing who look after
all I.T support and security.

You have the right to request access to, and correction of, your personal information.
Our practice acknowledges patients may request access to their medical records. We require you to put this
request in writing. The practice has a specific form which is completed by the patient and GP. Our practice will
respond within a reasonable time. Generally, this process can take up to a week to allow time for preparation.
A request for an entire record will incur a fee of $30.
Our practice will take reasonable steps to correct your personal information where the information is not
accurate or up to date. From time to time, we will ask you to verify that your personal information held by our
practice is correct and current. You may also request that we correct or update your information, and you
should make such requests in writing to the practice in paper format or email at
reception@maroochydoredoctors.com.au

We take complaints and concerns regarding privacy seriously. You should express any privacy concerns you
may have in writing. We will then attempt to resolve it in accordance with our resolution procedure.
Complaints can be made to the practice via email on reception@maroochydoredoctors.com.au or you can
collect a complaints form from reception. Management endeavours to action and respond to any complaints
within 2 weeks.
You may also contact the OAIC. Generally, the OAIC will require you to give them time to respond before they
will investigate. For further information visit www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC on 1300 363 992.

How is privacy on the website maintained?
At Maroochydore Doctors @ Sunshine Plaza, any personal information you share with us through our website,
email, or social media, is handled securely and confidentially. This practice uses analytics and cookies.

Policy review statement
Our privacy policy is annually reviewed to ensure compliance with current obligations.

If any changes are made:
• They will be reflected on the website.
• Significant changes may be communicated directly to patients via email or other means.

Please check the policy periodically for updates. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.
Policy was last updated on the 03.09.2025