Privacy collection notice
What we collect, why we collect it, and who else sees it — in short. The full detail is in our privacy policy.
Why we ask
Why we ask for your details
Hinterland Medical Centre collects your personal information — which includes your health information — for the primary purpose of providing you with health care. We also use it for directly related business activities: making Medicare and health fund claims, taking payment, practice audits, accreditation, and staff training.
Only staff who need to see your information have access to it. If we want to use it for anything beyond the purposes set out here, we will ask you first.
What we collect
The information we ask for
Who you are
- Name, date of birth and gender
- Address, telephone numbers and email address
- Next of kin and an emergency contact
- Country of birth and cultural identity, including whether you identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
Your health
- Medical history, medications, allergies and adverse events
- Immunisations, social and family history, and risk factors
- Notes, results and letters from your care here and elsewhere
Paying for it
- Medicare number and reference number
- Pension, Health Care Card or DVA card details, if you hold one
- Private health fund details, where relevant
Where it comes from
How we collect it
Most of it comes from you — at registration, and during your appointments. Some comes from elsewhere, usually because it is not practical to get it from you directly: from other healthcare providers involved in your care, such as specialists, allied health practitioners, hospitals, community health services, pathology and diagnostic imaging; and from My Health Record, where you have one.
We also collect information when you telephone us, email or text us, or book an appointment through the practice's online booking listing.
This website sets no cookies, shows no advertising, and collects no personal information from visitors. Every font, picture and stylesheet is served from this website itself — nothing is fetched from Google, a social network, or an advertising network.
So the practice can see how the website is being used, each page sends the address of the page you are on, and the site you arrived from, to CyberSquad, who build and look after this website. Nothing else is sent: no cookie, no advertising identifier, no profile, and nothing that identifies you. The practice only ever sees counts.
Who else sees it
When we share it
With your consent, or where required or authorised by law, your information may be shared with:
- Other members of the team here, involved in your care
- Other healthcare providers — specialists you are referred to, pathology and imaging, hospitals and allied health
- Medicare, the Department of Veterans' Affairs and your health fund, for claims and payments
- My Health Record, if you have one and have not opted out
- Anyone else you have told us to share it with
We will not send your information overseas without your consent, unless we are required by law to do so. We do not sell it, and we do not use it for marketing by anyone other than the practice.
Your choices
What you can decide
You can decline
You do not have to give us any of this. But without it we may not be able to treat you safely, and Medicare claims cannot be made without your correct details — so a rebate will not apply.
You can be anonymous
You have the right to deal with us anonymously or under a pseudonym, unless that is impractical or the law requires us to deal with identified individuals. Again, Medicare rebates will not apply.
You can choose how we contact you
Appointment reminders, clinical reminders, results and health information can be sent by SMS or email. You choose which of these you want at registration, and you can change your mind at any time by telling reception.
You can see and correct your record
Ask the practice manager. There may be a fee for retrieving and copying records, and we will tell you what it is before we do anything.
If you are unhappy
Raising a privacy concern
Talk to the practice manager first
Ask reception, call 07 5578 2199, or write to the Practice Manager, Hinterland Medical Centre, 5 Price Street, Nerang QLD 4211. We will acknowledge your concern and tell you what we find.
If we do not resolve it, you can take a privacy complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner on 1300 363 992, or oaic.gov.au. There is more on our feedback and complaints page.
This notice is a summary. The full detail — including how we store and protect your information — is in our privacy policy.