Patient Privacy

My Therapy Space Privacy Policy

This privacy policy is to provide information to you, our clients, 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.  

Our commitment in respect of personal information is to abide by the Australian Privacy Principles for the protection of personal information, as set out in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and any other relevant law.

Why and when your consent is necessary  

When you register as a client of My Therapy Space, you provide consent for our clinicians and practice staff to access and use your personal information so they can provide you with the best possible care. 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.  

Why do we collect, use, hold and share your personal information?  

Our practice will need to collect your personal information to provide healthcare services to you. Our main purpose for collecting, using, holding and sharing your personal information is to support your family. We also use it for directly related business activities, such as financial claims and payments, practice audits and business processes.

What personal information do we collect?  

The information we will collect about you includes your: 

• names, date of birth, addresses, contact details, next of kin details  
• medical information including medical history, medications, allergies, social history, family history and risk factors, treatment plan, referral details  
• Medicare number for identification and claiming purposes  
• NDIS details
• Private health fund details. 

Dealing with us anonymously  

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.  

How do we collect your personal information?  

Our practice may collect your personal information in several different ways. 

1. When you make first contact with us our practice staff will collect your personal and demographic information.
2. When you complete our intake and service agreement form.
3. During the course of providing services, we may collect further personal information.  
4. We may also collect your personal information when you visit our website, send us an email or SMS, telephone us, make an online appointment or communicate with us using social media.  
5. 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, general practitioners, other allied health professional, hospitals, community health services and pathology and diagnostic imaging services 
• NDIS, your private health fund or Medicare

When, why and with whom do we share your personal information? 

We sometimes share your personal information:  

• 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 client’s life, health or safety or public health or safety, or it is impractical to obtain the client’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 child endangerment) 

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.  

Our practice may use your personal information to improve the quality of the services we offer to our clients through research and analysis of our patient data.  

How do we store and protect your personal information? 

Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms. 

• Electronically
• Paper records 
• Visual records such as video and photos

We take reasonable steps, and implement reasonable safeguards, to protect your personal information that we hold from misuse, interference and loss, as well as unauthorised access, modification and disclosure.

• Electronic format with passwords and 2FA ( two factor authentication)
• Antivirus software
• Paper records in locked cabinets
• Confidentiality agreements for staff and contractors

We are subject to a range of obligations relating to the periods for which health information and records must be retained. We must generally retain health information about an individual until at least:

• an individual turns 25 – if we collected the information before the individual was 18; or
• otherwise, 7 years from the last occasion on which that health information was altered, or a health service was provided to that individual.

If we no longer require personal information for a purpose permitted by Australian law, and the retention period has passed, we will take reasonable steps to securely destroy or de-identify such personal information.

We utilize CCTV in public areas for the safety of our clients and staff.

How can you access and correct your personal information at our practice? 

You have the right to request access to, and correction of, your personal information. 

Our practice acknowledges clients may request access to their medical records. We require you to put this request in writing and by completing our Authority for Release of Records Form and our practice will respond within 14 days.  There will be a fee charged for the release of these records.

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 reception@mytherapyspace.com.au

How can you lodge a privacy-related complaint, and how will the complaint be handled at our practice? 

We take complaints and concerns regarding privacy seriously. You should express any privacy concerns you may have in writing to the Practice Manager managers@mytherapyspace.com.au or Suite 3A/2 Classic Way, Burleigh Waters QLD 4220.   Please include your name, email address and/or telephone number and clearly describe your concerns or complaint.  We will then attempt to resolve it in accordance with our resolution procedure and within 14 days.  

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.

Privacy and our website  

When you visit our website, or download information from it, the following information is recorded: your internet address, domain name if applicable, the date and time of the visit, the pages you have accessed and documents downloaded, the previous website you have visited and the type of browser you are using. This information is only used for statistical and website development purposes.

We use cookies to improve the functionality of our website, and to remember user preferences when people return. We make limited use of cookies on our website.

Policy review statement 

This policy will be reviewed by My Therapy Space Management on a regular basis to ensure that it continues to comply with the Australian Privacy Principles. When an update of this policy is needed, an updated version will be published on the My Therapy Space website www.mytherapyspace.com.au.

Updated May 2023