1.1. Confidentiality and privacy of health and other information
1.1.1. Policy
Introduction:
Maintaining confidentiality and privacy of health and other information is crucial for any healthcare organization. Patients entrust their personal and sensitive information to healthcare professionals, and it is the responsibility of the healthcare organization to protect and secure such information. This policy and procedure outlines the measures and guidelines for maintaining confidentiality and privacy of health and other information at our healthcare organization to meet the criteria for AGPAL Accreditation in Australia.
Policy:
Our healthcare organization recognizes the importance of maintaining the confidentiality and privacy of health and other information of our patients. We are committed to ensuring that all personal and sensitive information of our patients is secure, protected, and used only for the purpose it was collected. Our policy is to only allow authorized team members to access our patient health records, prescription pads, and other official documents.
Procedure
Authorization and access control
Access to patient information is granted only to authorized team members who need to access the health and other information of our patients on a need-to-know basis. Employees are assigned unique login credentials to access the patient information system, and passwords are changed regularly. Our healthcare organization maintains a record of all employees who have been granted access to patient information.
Protection and Security of patient information
All patient health records, prescription pads, and other official documents containing sensitive information must be stored securely, in a locked and restricted access area. Only authorized team members can access these documents. Electronic patient information must be stored on secure servers with restricted access, and backups are taken regularly. Any physical or electronic copies of patient information must be disposed of securely, following the appropriate data destruction procedures.
Use of Patient information
Patient information is used only for the purpose it was collected. Our healthcare organization does not disclose or share any patient information with a third party without the written consent of the patient or as required by law. Patient information can only be used for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations as defined by the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
Disclosure of Patient information
In case of a patient request for access to their personal information, the healthcare organization will provide the information within 30 days of the request. In case of any breach of patient information, the healthcare organization will follow the Notifiable Data Breach (NDB) scheme under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and inform the affected patients as soon as possible. The healthcare organization will also report the breach to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) as required by law.
Training and education
All employees must undergo regular training and education on confidentiality and privacy of health and other information. Employees must understand the importance of maintaining the confidentiality and privacy of patient information, the consequences of breach, and the measures to prevent breach. All new employees must undergo training before accessing patient information, and all employees must undergo refresher training regularly. Our healthcare organization maintains a record of all employee training and education on confidentiality and privacy of health and other information.
Incident reporting
Any employee who becomes aware of a breach or suspected breach of patient information must report it immediately to their supervisor. The healthcare organization has a process for reporting and investigating any breaches of patient information. The healthcare organization will take appropriate action to prevent any further breaches and mitigate any potential harm to the affected patients. Our healthcare organization maintains a record of all incidents related to confidentiality and privacy of health and other information.
Conclusion:
The confidentiality and privacy of health and other information of our patients is of utmost importance to our healthcare organization. We are committed to ensuring that all patient information is secure, protected, and used only for the purpose it was collected. Our healthcare organization has measures and guidelines in place to maintain the confidentiality and privacy of patient information, and all employees must adhere to these guidelines. We regularly review and