Loryn Smith Dietetics values the privacy and security of your personal health information and uses standards-compliant secure messaging where possible.
As a patient of our practice, we require you to provide us with your personal details, medical histories and reports so that we may provide appropriate dietetic care.
To enable ongoing care, and in keeping with the Privacy Act 1998 and Australian Privacy Principles, our aim is to provide you with sufficient information about how your personal information may be used or disclosed and record your consent or restrictions to this consent. Your personal information will only be used for the purposes for which it was collected or as otherwise permitted by law, and we respect your right to determine how your information is used or disclosed.
By signing below, you (as a patient/parent/guardian) are consenting to the collection of you/your child’s personal information, and that it may be used or disclosed by the practice for the following purposes:
- Administrative purposes in running our practice
- Billing purposes, including compliance with Medicare requirements.
- Follow-up calls, appointment reminder/recall notices via SMS or email
- Disclosure to others involved in your health care, including treating doctors, surgeons, allied health professionals, outside this practice. This may occur as written referrals, reports or professional letters to the specified provider.
- Accreditation and quality assurance activities to improve individual and community health care and practice management.
- For legal related disclosure as required by a court of law.
- For the purposes of research only where de-identified information is used.
- To comply with any legislative or regulatory requirements, e.g Medicare compliance
If your Practitioner is concerned about yours or your child’s safety or if you disclose a serious criminal offence. In these instances, your Practitioner is required by law to inform and communicate with relevant professionals. You will be informed if your Practitioner needs to take this.
Family/Carers:
If you are attending sessions with a family member/s or carer/s on whom you depend, and you disclose information likely to be a risk to your health in a private session, your Practitioner has a ‘no secrets’ policy. Your Practitioner will advise you if information needs to be shared with your family/carer and support you to share this information with your family/carer yourself. Your Practitioner will always inform you if they need to share critical information with your family/carer if you have been unable to do this yourself. Likewise, if family or a carer provide your Practitioner with information concerning your health, your Practitioner will inform you. Your Practitioner has a strong preference to ONLY have discussions with family in your presence unless you consent or prefer otherwise.
Please disclose to Loryn Smith Dietetics any carers, guardians or family members in the direct care of the patient who have consent to engage in sessions and with the practitioner . All other parties will not be privy to sessions, information or to have contact with the practitioner regarding the patient.
Telehealth Privacy Policy:
Loryn Smith Dietetics operates virtually via telehealth. It is imperative that both the practitioner, client/s and the client/s family/carers utilise telehealth safely and appropriately to ensure the privacy and confidentiality for all parties involved.
By signing below, you (as a patient/parent/guardian) are agreeing to the following telehealth privacy policies:
- Both practitioner and client/parent/guardian or any support workers or carers in attendance will NOT record the session with any device such as with the telehealth platform, voice recorder or other recording device
Failure to meet the above criteria to protect the privacy and confidentiality of both the practitioner and client/parent/guardian will result in the immediate cessation of service by Loryn Smith Dietetics.