Communication Policy
Our team may communicate with you via electronic means using a third party software. Any information collected is kept confidential and used for patient care.
Telephone
Reception staff will attend to your call as soon as possible. At time we are very busy and you may have to be placed on hold for a period of time. If this is an emergency please hang up and call 000 for assistance.
Electronic communication (email)
Email can be used by a practice to transmit information outside the practice.
Ideally communication should be via secure messaging or encryption but this is generally not possible when emailing patients.
The practice has an obligation to take reasonable steps to protect the privacy and security of information it holds including when it is transmitted or disclosed outside the organisation.
The practice follows the RACGP recommendations to reduce the risk of interception of data and sending emails to incorrect addresses, including:
- use of passwords for sensitive information
- verification of the patient’s email address
- obtaining patient consent
- use of secure messaging facilities between practices where available
Procedures
Request for information to be sent via email
If a patient requests information to be sent by email, the practice:
- Explains to the patient that email is not a secure form of communication and the risk involved sending private documents through the email.
- Seeks the patient’s consent to use email and asks the patient to provide the email address they would like the practice to use (in the same way the practice asks for a contact phone number)
- Email would be sent to address provided and a copy of the email and any attachments would be saved to the patients file.
- When documents are sent by email a PIN code is attached to open the document.
- The PIN code is the first four digits of the patients DOB.
- The practice documents the patient consent and maintain a record of information sent via email to the patient in accordance with the email policy.
- Prescription are NOT to be emailed to Patient or any Pharmacist.
