At Kidlife Therapy Services we are committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of our clients and stakeholders’ personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) under the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act), and Occupational Therapy Australia’s Code of Ethics. 

 

In order to provide clients with Occupational Therapy services, Kidlife Therapy Services will need to collect and use personal information provided by the client. Withholding or providing inaccurate information to Kidlife Therapy Services may impact the ability of clinicians to provide the quality of services requested. 

 

This policy is designed to clearly communicate how Kidlife Therapy Services handles our clients and all other stakeholders’ personal and health information. It provides a detailed outline of the type of information our practice may hold, how it is handled, how long it is kept and how you can access it. 

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‘Personal Information’ as defined in the Privacy Act (1988) means information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable:

- Whether information or opinion is true or not 

- Whether the information or opinion is recorded in a material form or not. 

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‘Health Information’ as defined in the Privacy Act (1988) is a particular subset of personal information and means information or an opinion about: 

- The health or a disability (at any time) of an individual 

- An individual’s expressed wishes about the future provision of health services to him or her 

- A health service provided or to be provided to an individual 

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Why we collect information:

Kidlife Therapy Services collects personal information when it is reasonably necessary for us to provide the services that you may require. 

Other reasons Kidlife Therapy Services collects personal information is to: 

- Understand how we can meet you/ your child’s needs and provide the best service possible to achieve this. 

- Claim payment from external funding sources, including Medicare, National Disability Insurance Scheme and other Insurance organisations. 

- Comply with third party agencies information along with their needs and requirements 

- Comply with reporting requirements and other obligations to third party agencies e.g. medical practitioners 

- Enable Kidlife Therapy Services to send reports and all other correspondence to other health care providers involved in the clients care. 

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How we collect your information: 

Kidlife Therapy Services will always attempt to initially obtain the required information from the client or stakeholder directly, by means of documentation, over the phone, via email or in person. 

In certain circumstances information may need to be collected from a third party such as: 

- General practitioner 

- Family member 

- Health practitioner 

-Carer Information may only be obtained from the above sources with the client or stakeholder’s consent. 

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Type of information we may collect: 

The following information may be collected by Kidlife Therapy Services in order to assist the clinicians to provide the service that is required: 

- Personal information including name, address, phone numbers, email address, date of birth and gender. 

- Family medical history and next of kin details. 

- Health information including relevant medical history, medical records, past assessment results, Medicare and private health details and insurance claim details.

- Occupation, employer details, school details, payment details and financial information. 

- Referral source and other health or medical practitioners involved.

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Disclosure and use of information: 

Kidlife Therapy Services will only use or disclose personal information for the primary purpose for which it was collected, for a directly related secondary purpose or as permitted or required by law. Along with the uses listed in this policy or otherwise permitted under the Privacy Act (1988), using or disclosing personal information will only be done after obtaining the client’s or stakeholder’s consent. 

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How we may use or disclose personal information:

- Personal information including sensitive and health information is collected and used for the primary purpose of ensuring all clients receive a high quality of service whilst under care of Kidlife Therapy Services employees. 

- Where necessary, information may be required to be disclosed to other health care providers, such as a general practitioner, other care team members or hospitals that may be involved in ongoing care and/or services 

- We may provide information about medical conditions to the next of kin, relatives, guardians or legal representatives, unless previously stated by the client or stakeholder to not disclose personal or health information. 

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How we store and protect your information: 

Kidlife Therapy Services ensures information is securely stored in a range of mediums including electronic systems and paper files. Kidlife Therapy Services uses a number of security measures to ensure information is protected. These include firewalls, administrative, physical and technical access restrictions, with only authorised personnel able to access relevant data. Kidlife Therapy Services aims to ensure all security programs are regularly assessed and updated as required. 

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How long we keep your information: 

Kidlife Therapy Services retain all personal and health information indefinitely on an internal electronic database following the conclusion of services to ensure clinicians can provide the best possible service. All paper copies of information will be submitted to Kidlife Therapy Service’s electronic database and then securely destroyed. 

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Access and changes to personal information:

If the client or stakeholder wishes to access the information Kidlife Therapy Services hold (both personal and health) the client or stakeholder has the right to do so. The client and stakeholders also have a right to request an amendment to the information held if the client or stakeholder believes it is inaccurate. 

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Contacting us:

If you have any concerns regarding our privacy policy or services please contact us directly using the contact details provided below.  

Email: admin@kidlifetherapy.com.au