Privacy Policy

Introduction

This privacy policy provides 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.

Why and when your consent is necessary

When you register as a patient of our practice, you provide consent for our dental practitioners and practice staff to access and use your personal information so they can provide you with the best possible dental 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 generally seek additional consent from you to do this, unless obtaining your consent is not practical or reasonable, and an exception under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) applies.

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

Our practice will need to collect your personal information to provide dental services to you. Our main purpose for collecting, using, holding and sharing your personal information is to manage your dental health. We also use it for directly related business activities, such as financial claims and payments, practice audits and accreditation, and business processes (e.g. staff training).

What personal information do we collect?

The information we will collect about you includes your:

name/s, date of birth, address/es, contact details (e.g. telephone, email), family contact information
details of your oral health condition and the treatment/s and service/s you have received
details of your general health (e.g. medications, allergies, medical conditions) and medical history that may impact the dental treatment you receive
private health insurance information
Medicare number (where available) for identification and claiming purposes
information regarding other funding sources, where relevant (e.g. Child Dental Benefits Schedule, Department of Veterans’ Affairs)
information on workers’ compensation, motor vehicle and other accident claims, where relevant
healthcare identifiers, where relevant.

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.

When you make your first appointment our practice staff will collect your personal information via your registration
During the course of providing dental services, we may collect further personal information.
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.
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 and diagnostic imaging services
your health fund, Medicare, or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (as necessary).

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

We sometimes share your personal information:

with third parties who work with our practice for business purposes, such as information technology providers – these third parties are required to comply with APPs
with other healthcare providers
when it is required or authorised by law (e.g. 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 (e.g. some diseases require mandatory notification)

Only people who need to access your information will be able to do so. Other than in the course of providing dental services or as otherwise described in this policy, our practice will not share personal information with any third party without your consent.

Under certain circumstances where the third parties who work with our practice for business purposes are located outside Australia (e.g. Invisalign, dental laboratories), we may share your personal information outside Australia.

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.

How do we store and protect your personal information?

Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms including but not limited to:

Paper records
Electronic records
Visual records (X-rays, CT scans, Videos and Photos)
Audio Recordings

Our practice stores all personal information securely by ensuring:

Electronic records are to be protected by using confidential passwords.
Paper records in secure cabinets.
Physical and Electronic security with secure locks to access the practice and installed CCTVs.
Confidentiality agreements for staff and contractors.

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 patients may request access to their dental records. We ask that you put this request in writing to Info@mosmansmiles.com.au and our practice will send a consent form for your dental records and once the form has been received from you, our practice will respond within a reasonable time (<30 days).

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 to assist us with attending to your request we would prefer you to make such requests in writing to info@mosmansmiles.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 by sending us an email to info@mosmansmiles.com.au or by calling us on (02) 7258 9033. We will then attempt to resolve your issue/s in accordance with our resolution procedure within a reasonable time (<30 days.)

You may also contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). The OAIC may decide not to investigate your complaint if you have not raised it with the practice first. If you have lodged a complaint with us, and we have not responded within 30 days or you are dissatisfied with our response, you may then take your complaint to the OAIC. For further information visit www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC on 1300 363 992.

Privacy and our website

Your personal information will be collected through our website www.mosmansmiles.com.au when the registration form is being filled out and completed.

Policy review statement

This Privacy Policy is to be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure it is in accordance with any changes that may occur. If there are any changes to this current policy, we will notify you in writing via email.