At Skintel, we are bound by the Health Information Privacy Code 2020 which is overseen by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. This code regulates how healthcare providers collect and store information about their patients. You can read about the Privacy Code on the Privacy Commissioner’s website.
As a patient, you have a right to access any information that we have about you and ask for it to be corrected.
If you do not have such authority, or if you do not agree with the terms of this agreement, you must not accept this agreement and may not access and use the Website and Services. By accessing and using the Website and Services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by the terms of this Agreement. You acknowledge that this Agreement is a contract between you and Skintel, even though it is electronic and is not physically signed by you, and it governs your use of the Website and Services.
Collecting Information
At Skintel, we are committed to providing good quality care for all of our patients. To do this, we need to maintain records about your history, treatment and the advice that we give you. We also need to maintain information for administrative reasons, including for invoicing and to determine eligibility for funding.
The Privacy Code requires us to store your medical records for up to ten years after we last provided healthcare services to you.
Staff Access
We will handle your records with full respect for your privacy. While the doctor you see will have access to your records, other clinical (e.g., nurses) and administrative staff (e.g., receptionists) will also have access to your records to undertake their daily responsibilities.
All staff are bound by confidentiality agreements as part of their employment agreement.
We also undertake quality assurance audits from time to time to ensure that the care we provide remains of high quality.
Correspondence
As part of your care, we may need to communicate details of your medical record with other healthcare organisations. This may be done to access investigations on your behalf including laboratory and radiology investigations.
We also may need to discuss your condition and treatment with your general practitioner or your pharmacy and their staff respectively.
In some situations we may need to obtain advice from other specialists such as haematologists or oncologists, etc.
Third Party Access
In some situations, third parties may need to access your records. This could include your insurance company or regulatory agencies. Any organisation that accesses your records will be required to maintain confidentiality and uphold the requirements of the Privacy Act.
In rare circumstances, we may be required to release your medical records regardless of whether you consent. Disclosure will occur when the law requires, on court order or subpoena.
Changes and amendments
We reserve the right to modify this Policy or its terms related to the Website and Services at any time at our discretion. When we do, we will revise the updated date at the bottom of this page. We may also provide notice to you in other ways at our discretion, such as through the contact information you have provided.
An updated version of this Policy will be effective immediately upon the posting of the revised Policy unless otherwise specified. Your continued use of the Website and Services after the effective date of the revised Policy (or such other act specified at that time) will constitute your consent to those changes.
Acceptance of this policy
You acknowledge that you have read this Policy and agree to all its terms and conditions. By accessing and using the Website and Services you agree to be bound by this Policy. If you do not agree to abide by the terms of this Policy, you are not authorized to access or use the Website and Services.
Contacting us
If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints regarding this Policy, we encourage you to contact us using the details below:
