Kennedy Dental and Cosmetics Pty Limited (ACN 154 044 005)
1/238 Oxford Street
Paddington NSW 2021
Protecting your privacy – our privacy policy
Kennedy Dental and Cosmetics Pty Limited (“Kennedy Dental”, “we”, “our” and “us”) is committed to providing quality dental care for its patients. As a fundamental part of this commitment, the dentist(s) and staff of the practice recognise the importance of protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the information that we collect about you and your health and the advice and treatment we provide to you.
If you have any questions about our Privacy Policy please do not hesitate to ask your dentist or our reception staff.
As well as being an important professional commitment to you, our practice is required to comply with applicable Commonwealth, State and Territory privacy laws. The Commonwealth privacy law is the Privacy Act 1988 and the State/Territory law is the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW). Under these laws, we are required to comply with a set of privacy principles. A copy of these Principles is available for inspection at the reception desk.
What personal information do we collect?
As a part of our commitment to providing quality dental care to you, we need to collect , record and retain information about you, your health and our advice and treatment provided to you. This information will include:
- personal details (including your name, address, date of birth, your contact details and details of your health fund membership or other insurer where relevant);
- your dental history and other relevant health information;
- notes made during the course of dental consultations;
- x‑rays and other electronic records of your dental health and treatments provided;
- photographs / images (where authorised by you);
- referrals to other dental service providers;
- Results and reports received from other dental and health service providers.
How do we collect your personal information?
Generally, we will collect this information directly from you (and where required for your dental care, your family members or carer) or from your oral health professionals and health services who have been treating you. If we need to get information from other persons, we will ask your permission to do so. We may need to contact your health fund or other insurer to confirm your insurance coverage.
We may collect this information through a variety of ways including completing of forms, telephone, email, SMS or fax. You may also provide this information to us through our website, an iPad or tablet or a mobile phone
How do we use your personal information and who do we share your personal information with?
The information we hold about you will be used for the purposes of providing advice and treatment to you, referrals to other health professionals, obtaining advice from other health professionals on x‑rays, other images, tests or treatment options, managing our accounts and billing your health fund or insurer for our practice clinical quality management, training of our staff and for investigation and resolution of any concerns you may have about our services to you.
If you consent, we may use photographs to record and evaluate treatment provided to you and to communicate with other oral health professionals and health services that have been treating you. In a de-identified form, we may use photographs for education, research and training purposes, and on the https://www.kennedydentalcosmetics.com.au website for the purpose of patient education.
We use overseas suppliers who receive photos of patients and names and dates of birth, who do not store your information, and return all documents to us relating to your dental treatment.
Due to legislative requirements or a court order (e.g. subpoena), we may be required to disclose information about you to regulators, law enforcement bodies or other parties without your prior knowledge or consent. Subject to any legal constraints, we will use reasonable steps to let you know of these requests.
How do we store and protect your personal information?
As part of our commitment to improving the quality of our dental services, we may participate in research programs, professional development and other educational activities. We may use the information we hold about you to assist with this research and education. However, this information will not identify you unless we have received your agreement to do so or the research study has been approved by a research ethics committee that complies with the National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines and applicable privacy law.
We will take appropriate steps to protect the security of the information we hold about you, including protection against unauthorised access, virus or other electronic intrusions, fire, theft or loss. Your electronic records are protected by a security password. Our staff is bound by strict requirements regarding protection of the privacy and confidentiality of your dental records. We scan the paper record and then we destroy them.
We store your records at our practice and in electronic systems under our control. We are using a software system, called “Frontdesk Practice Management system” and authorised members of the practice can access the patient files through a secure login. The software provider does not have access to any patient information. The practice management system allows us to access the practice’s appointment book (including patients’ names) online on any outside device, but we cannot see the patient’s file in that situation”
I can access the appointment book online on any outside device, but I cannot see the patient’s file.
How can you access and correct your personal information?
As a patient of this practice you have the rights of access to the information we hold about you. Should you wish to access this information, please contact the practice.
It is important that the information we hold about you remains accurate and up to date. Please let us know of any changes in your contact and other personal details. Our staff will confirm your current address and contact details with you from time to time for this purpose.
How long do we retain your personal information?
We will keep your dental records after you cease to be a patient of the practice. This is to enable us to provide information to your future dentist if required and for medicolegal reasons. Legislation also requires us to keep your records for a number of years after you cease to be a patient of this practice.
How you can ask questions or make a privacy related complaint
Should you, at any time, have a query or concern in relation to our privacy policy and/or management of your information please let our staff know and they will be happy to address any concerns you may have. If your concerns are not resolved by our staff, or you have a complaint about your privacy management, please advise Dr Irene Kennedy.
You may also contact us by email or phone:
info@kennedydentalcosmetics.com.au
02 93318114
We will make our best endeavour to address your complaint within 30 days of receipt of your complaint. If you are not satisfied by our response, you have a right to make a complaint to the Commonwealth or State/Territory Privacy Commissioner. For further information:
- Commonwealth Privacy Commissioner – visit oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC on 1300 336 002; or
- NSW Privacy Commissioner – visit ipc.nsw.gov.au or call the IPC on 1800 472 679.
Dated: March 2017