Privacy Policy

1. About this Privacy Policy

Dr Jack Crozier is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains how personal information is collected, used, stored and disclosed in connection with Dr Crozier's website and private medical practice.

Personal information is handled in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) and other applicable privacy, health and professional obligations.

This policy applies to personal information collected through this website and in connection with enquiries, appointment requests and the provision of medical services.

Hospitals, consulting facilities and other organisations involved in your care may operate their own information systems and privacy policies.

2. What personal information may be collected?

The information collected depends on how you interact with the practice. It may include:

• your name
• date of birth
• address
• telephone number and email address
• emergency or alternative contact details
• appointment and scheduling information
• referral information
• Medicare, Department of Veterans' Affairs or private health insurance information where relevant
• correspondence with you and other healthcare providers
• billing and payment information
• information reasonably required to provide medical care.

Where you become a patient, information may also include health information, such as:

• medical history
• current and previous medical conditions
• medications
• allergies
• examination findings
• pathology and imaging results
• referral letters
• photographs or clinical images where clinically appropriate
• operative and treatment information
• communications with other healthcare professionals involved in your care.

Health information is sensitive information and is handled with additional care.

3. How information is collected

Personal information may be collected:

• directly from you
• through an appointment or enquiry form on this website
• by telephone or email
• through patient registration forms
• during consultations or treatment
• from your referring doctor
• from another healthcare professional involved in your care
• from hospitals, pathology providers, imaging providers or other health services
• from a parent, guardian, carer or authorised representative
• from Medicare, insurers or government agencies where authorised or required.

Where reasonable and practicable, personal information will be collected directly from you.

4. Why personal information is collected

Personal information may be collected, used and disclosed where reasonably necessary to:

• respond to an enquiry
• arrange, confirm, reschedule or cancel an appointment
• identify and communicate with patients
• provide medical assessment, advice and treatment
• maintain appropriate clinical records
• communicate with referring doctors and other healthcare professionals
• coordinate investigations, procedures and ongoing care
• manage referrals
• undertake billing and administrative activities
• process Medicare, DVA or health-insurance matters where applicable
• meet legal, regulatory and professional obligations
• maintain patient safety
• manage complaints or concerns
• operate and improve the website and practice
• protect the security of practice systems and information.

Personal information will generally only be used for the purpose for which it was collected or for a related purpose that would reasonably be expected, unless another use or disclosure is authorised or required by law or you have consented to it.

5. Appointment requests through this website

The website provides a form through which you may request an appointment.

The appointment-request form is intended to collect basic administrative information such as:

• your name
• telephone number
• email address
• preferred clinic
• other information reasonably required to respond to your request.

Submission of an appointment request does not confirm an appointment. The rooms will contact you to arrange or confirm an appropriate appointment.

If you have an urgent medical concern, do not rely on the website form for urgent medical assistance. Contact your general practitioner, an appropriate urgent-care service or emergency services as appropriate.

6. Website information, cookies and analytics

When you use this website, certain technical information may be generated automatically.

Depending on the website settings and services enabled, this may include:

• IP address
• browser and device information
• approximate location information
• pages viewed
• referring website
• date and time of access
• interactions with the website.

The website may use cookies and similar technologies that are necessary for site functionality, security, analytics or performance.

Analytics information may be used to understand how visitors use the website and to improve its content, navigation and performance.

You may be able to restrict or disable cookies through your browser settings. Some website functions may not operate correctly if essential cookies are disabled.

7. Website and technology service providers

Third-party technology providers may be used to operate the website, manage communications, maintain information systems or provide administrative services.

These may include providers of:

• website hosting and website forms
• email
• cloud storage
• practice-management systems
• telecommunications
• IT support and cybersecurity
• analytics and website-performance services.

The website is hosted using Squarespace.

Information entered into a website form may therefore be processed through website infrastructure and subsequently delivered to the storage or email destination configured for the form.

Only information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose should be entered into website forms.

8. Disclosure of personal information

Personal information may be disclosed where reasonably necessary for your care or for legitimate practice administration.

Recipients may include:

• practice administrative staff
• your referring practitioner
• your general practitioner
• other specialists
• allied health professionals
• hospitals and day-procedure facilities
• pathology and diagnostic-imaging providers
• pharmacies
• laboratories
• healthcare organisations involved in your treatment
• Medicare or the Department of Veterans' Affairs
• private health insurers where appropriate
• professional advisers
• IT, software, website, communications and cloud-service providers
• insurers and indemnity providers
• government, regulatory or law-enforcement bodies where required or authorised by law.

Where practicable, only the information necessary for the relevant purpose will be disclosed.

Personal information is not sold to third parties.

9. Overseas processing and disclosure

Some technology, website, email, analytics or cloud-service providers may process or store information outside Australia.

For example, some infrastructure used in connection with this website may involve processing in the United States or other jurisdictions in which relevant technology providers operate.

Where personal information is disclosed overseas, reasonable steps will be taken where required to ensure the information is handled consistently with applicable Australian privacy obligations.

Clinical information will not intentionally be disclosed overseas for unrelated purposes.

International patients should be aware that communication between Australia and their treating doctors, insurers or healthcare organisations in another country may necessarily involve the transfer of personal and health information across international borders.

10. Direct marketing

Personal information will not be used for unrelated direct marketing in a manner inconsistent with applicable privacy requirements.

Where you have chosen to receive practice news, educational material or other communications, you may withdraw your consent or unsubscribe at any time.

Health information will not be used for unrelated marketing purposes without appropriate authority or consent.

11. Security of personal information

Reasonable steps are taken to protect personal information from:

• misuse
• interference
• loss
• unauthorised access
• unauthorised modification
• unauthorised disclosure.

Security measures may include appropriate administrative, technical and physical safeguards, access controls, secure information systems and procedures designed to protect confidential patient information.

However, no internet transmission or electronic storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

For this reason, patients should avoid sending unnecessary sensitive medical information through general website forms or ordinary electronic communications.

12. Retention of information

Personal and health information is retained for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected and for any period required by applicable legal, clinical, professional, insurance or record-keeping obligations.

When information is no longer required to be retained, reasonable steps will be taken to securely destroy it or de-identify it where appropriate.

13. Data breaches

Processes are maintained for responding to suspected privacy or data-security incidents.

Where a data breach meets the requirements of the Notifiable Data Breaches Scheme, affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner will be notified as required by law.

14. Access to your personal information

You may request access to personal information held about you.

Before providing access, reasonable steps may be taken to verify your identity.

Access may be refused or limited in circumstances permitted by law. If access cannot be provided, you will generally be informed of the reason where required.

There is no charge for making an access request. A reasonable administrative charge may apply in some circumstances for providing access where permitted by law.

15. Correcting your personal information

Reasonable steps are taken to ensure that personal information is accurate, complete, relevant and up to date.

If you believe information held about you is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date, please contact the practice and request that it be corrected.

Reasonable steps will be taken to consider and, where appropriate, make the requested correction.

16. Anonymous and pseudonymous interactions

You may generally browse publicly available information on this website without identifying yourself.

However, it will usually be necessary to know your identity when:

• responding to an appointment request
• arranging medical care
• providing clinical advice
• maintaining medical records
• processing referrals or billing
• meeting clinical or legal obligations.

For these reasons, anonymous or pseudonymous medical treatment will generally not be practicable.

17. Information about other people

If you provide personal information about another person, you should only do so where you have appropriate authority or where doing so is otherwise lawful and appropriate.

This may arise, for example, where a parent, guardian, carer or authorised representative makes an enquiry on behalf of a patient.

18. Links to other websites

This website may contain links to third-party websites, healthcare organisations, professional organisations or other external resources.

Dr Crozier is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party websites.

You should review the privacy policies of those organisations if you provide personal information directly to them.

19. Privacy complaints

If you have a concern about the way your personal information has been handled, please contact the practice.

Please provide sufficient information for the concern to be identified and investigated.

Privacy complaints will be considered and responded to within a reasonable period.

If you are not satisfied with the response, you may also be entitled to make a complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

20. Changes to this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect:

• changes to legislation or privacy requirements
• changes to clinical or administrative practices
• changes to website functionality
• changes to technology providers.

The current version will be published on this website together with its effective date.

21. Contact

For questions about this Privacy Policy, requests to access or correct your personal information, or privacy-related concerns, please contact: