Privacy Policy
Open Book Speech Therapy is committed to protecting the privacy of your personal information we collect and hold. Open Book Speech Therapy complies with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), Speech Pathology Australia’s Code of Ethics (2010) and other applicable privacy laws and regulations.
This Privacy Policy explains how Open Book Speech Therapy manages your personal information that we collect, use and disclose.
Open Book Speech Therapy is a private speech pathology practice under the ownership of Lucy Stevens.
How Open Book Speech Therapy Handles Your Personal Information
In order to provide you with the health care services that you have requested, Open Book Speech Therapy will need to collect and use your personal information. If you provide incomplete or inaccurate information to us or withhold personal and health information from us we may not be able to provide you with the services you are seeking.
What Personal Information Do We Collect?
We will only collect the information we need for the particular function or activity we are carrying out. We collect information from you that is necessary to provide you with speech pathology services and to manage our relationship with you.
The information we collect may include:
Client’s name
Client’s date of birth
Address
Contact details of family members or other support people related to the client’s care
Health fund details
Health/medical information
Other health-related information
How Do We Collect Health Information?
We will collect your health information directly from you. Sometimes, we may need to collect information about you from a third party (such as a relative or another health service provider) following completion of a consent form. Information may be collected via phone call, in person, online or participation in surveys, questionnaires or forms.
How Do We use Your Information?
Open Book Speech Therapy uses your personal information for the following purposes:
Deliver an appropriate and effective service
Provide you with information or services that you request from us
Improve the quality of services we offer
Contact you in relation to matters concerning your care
Who Might we Disclose Your Information to?
Your personal information will generally only be used by the speech pathologist involved in your care, however on occasion your care may be provided by a number of health professionals (for example., speech pathologist, occupational therapist and/or psychologist) working or consulting together. We may disclose your information to these health professionals as part of the process of providing your care and to other health professionals involved in your care. A consent form will be provided to you and completed prior to the disclosure of information to others.
We may disclose your information to the following people:
Other health professionals involved in your treatment
The referrer (if the referrer’s details have changed please let us know).
Relatives, guardian, close friends or legal representative
Other uses with your consent. With your consent we may also use your information for other purposes such as including you on a marketing mail list, or research.
Please note, however, that unless you provide us with your express consent for this purpose, we will not use your information in this way. We will not disclose your personal information to any individual who is outside Australia.
How to Access and Correct Your Personal Information
You have a right to access the personal and health information that we hold about you. You can also request an amendment to your personal and health information should you believe that it is inaccurate. Should you wish to obtain access to or request changes to your health record you can contact Open Book Speech Therapy via email, phone call or conversation with your provider and we will endeavour to respond within two business days.
How do we Protect your Personal Information?
Open Book Speech Therapy will take reasonable steps to ensure that your personal information which we may collect, use or disclose is accurate, complete and up-to-date.
Open Book Speech Therapy will take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. We use technologies and processes such as access control procedures, network firewalls, encryption and physical security to protect your privacy.
Open Book Speech Therapy will destroy or permanently de-identify any of your information which is in its possession or control and which is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was collected/provided. Open Book Speech Therapy is not required under an Australian law or court/tribunal or otherwise to retain the information.
Complaints or Enquiries
If you have questions, complaints or comments about this Privacy Policy please email us. Please note we will require proof of your identity and full details of your request before we can process your complaint. Please allow up to two business days for Open Book Speech Therapy to respond. If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to contact the Office of Australian Information Commissioner (at www.oaic.gov.au/) to lodge a complaint.