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13 March 2002
Dear Practice Manager,
 

Attached to this letter are a number of resources designed to assist you with implementing a Privacy Policy for your practice. We have attempted to compile practical resources & some answers to the most commonly asked questions, but each practice will have to make its own decisions on how to provide for legislative requirements.

Included are a sample request form for your patients seeking access to their documents, a general statement for your Policy & Procedures manual, a privacy statement for practice staff, a copy of the AMA waiting room poster that could be enlarged and displayed by AMA members, and a patient information leaflet designed by the RACGP.

We would recommend that you tackle this issue sooner rather than later & would suggest the following for your consideration.

  Appoint a Privacy Officer in your practice. This person will be the Liaison officer for all privacy issues and patient requests for record access under legislation

  Become familiar with the National Privacy Principals (NPPs) or Health Privacy Principles (HPPs) & related guidelines

  Review current privacy practices

• What data do we collect ? Document

• How do we store our data & is it secure?

• What data do we disclose & to whom?

• When do we obtain patient’s consent?

  Develop & document an updated practice privacy policy

• Use current confidentiality/privacy policy & amend this

• Ensure a “Patient Request “ form is available

• Educate staff – show policy

  Develop a notice for the waiting room notice board, informing patients & visitors of the practice’s compliance with the new privacy laws. The AMA has produced a Privacy Kit that contains a sample poster, which is attached for the use of AMA members.

Please share the attached documents with your GPs & encourage them to agenda Privacy Policy at a forthcoming Practice meeting.

We would also recommend the following web sites for further details.

• Office of Federal Privacy Commissioner ( www.privacy.gov.au)

• Health Services Commissioner Victoria ( www.health.vic.gov.au/hsc/index.htm)

• DHS : ( www.dhs.vic.gov.au/privacy/)