Saturn Pathology Pty Ltd (ABN: 66 636 039 677) is committed to ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of your personal information. This Privacy Policy (Policy) is intended to clearly describe how Saturn Pathology handles your personal information, including its collection, use, disclosure and security, and including any personal information that we collect through our website(s). Saturn Pathology complies with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act), the associated Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) and state or territory legislation that governs how private sector health service providers should handle your personal information, including, but not limited to, health information. Saturn Pathology may, from time to time, amend this Policy, in whole or part, at our sole discretion. Any changes to this Policy will be effective immediately upon the posting of the revised Policy on our website(s). By continuing to access our services following any changes, you will be deemed to have agreed to such changes. If you do not agree with the terms of this Policy, as amended from time to time, in whole or part, you must not access our services, including our website(s).
By providing personal information to us, you consent to us collecting, using and disclosing your personal information as described in this Policy. In some circumstances, where it is not reasonable or practical for us to collect this information directly from you, responsible persons (for example, a spouse or partner, close family member, emergency contact or enduring medical power of attorney) can give consent for collection on your behalf.
We may collect personal information from patients, healthcare professionals, employees, contracted service providers, students, trainees, suppliers and other individuals with whom we engage in the course of our usual business operations. You are not required to provide personal information to us. However, if you do not provide us with all the information we request, the services we provide to you may be affected. If you provide incomplete or inaccurate information to us, or withhold personal information from us, we may not be able to provide you with the services you are seeking, or otherwise engage with you. Saturn Pathology – PRIVACY POLICY Details correct as of 1 January 2021.
We will usually collect your personal information directly from you by email, telephone, in writing or in person, or through our website(s). Where it is not reasonable or practical for us to collect this information directly from you, we may need to collect information about you from a third party. In the case of patients, we may also collect information from a third party where your health may be at risk and we need your personal information to provide you with emergency medical treatment. The third parties from whom we may collect your personal information include: Other health service providers, including healthcare professionals, hospitals, clinics and other pathology practices if they have referred you to us or are involved in your care. (Your doctor will generally explain why he or she is collecting the information and where it is going to.) Your responsible persons (such as a relative or carer). Our own internal records to link your information. The My Health Record program operated by the Commonwealth Department of Health, if you have chosen to participate. Health insurers, law enforcement or other government instrumentalities.
The type of personal information we collect about you depends on who you are, our relationship with you and the nature of our interaction with you. The personal information we collect about you will include only the information that is: Reasonably necessary for us to engage with you in the usual course of our business. Necessary to provide you with services (including, in the case of patients, coordinating and communicating with your healthcare providers). Required for administrative and internal business purposes related to the services we provide to you. The personal information we collect may include but not limited: Your name, age, gender, date of birth, contact details, Health information relating to your lifestyle and medical history relevant to providing healthcare services (such as your medications, diagnostic tests and treatments, family medical history, occupational history, genetic or biometric information and copies of correspondence to and from your healthcare providers). Relevant government identifiers (such as your Medicare number), when necessary for billing or other administrative purposes. Other personal information collected in the form of clinical images and samples. Records of our past engagement with you. In relation to employees, any information relating to your employment including, employment histories, applications, pre-employment checks, qualifications, training records and information required by laws, regulations or standards. Payment details. Other information, occasionally including religion and ethnicity, which may be relevant in our dealings with you.
During the course of providing services to you, or otherwise engaging with you, we may disclose your personal information to trusted third parties including: Healthcare service providers or other relevant parties involved in your care or requesting services on your behalf (including for the purpose of obtaining second opinions or making referrals, on your behalf, for specialist medical services) Statutory registries or bodies where requested to do so by you or as required by law (such as national cancer registries) Other third parties or organisations, if required by, and in order to comply with, our legal obligations. Approved and trusted contractors, under agreement, as engaged by us to provide professional services (such as debt collection, information and communication technology providers, specialist clinical services). Sensitive information is only ever disclosed for the purposes for which you gave it to us or for directly related purposes you would reasonably expect, or if you agree, for example, to handle a complaint. Where we outsource any of our services or hire contractors to perform professional services, we will require them, under contract, to comply with the Privacy Act, or other relevant privacy legislation and, where applicable, our Privacy Policy. We may use electronic processes to disclose your personal information as specified above, where available or relevant. We will not seek your additional consent to disclose your personal information for the purposes listed above. My Health Records If you have chosen to participate in the My Health Record program operated by the Commonwealth Department of Health, we may access personal information stored in your My Health Record if the access permissions you have set allow this. When requested to do so, we may disclose your personal information by uploading your health information electronically to the My Health Record system. If you do not want us to access personal information stored in your My Health Record, or to upload health information to it, you may opt out or choose to modify access controls within the My Health Record system. Cross-border disclosure We may enter into arrangements with other related entities or third parties outside of Australia to store, access or use data we collect, including personal information, in order to provide services to us (such as data processing, analysis, interpretation or the performance of specialised tests). In such cases, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that the third parties do not breach the APPs, including by requiring that the third party has information security measures and information handling practices in place that are of an acceptable standard and approved by us.
When you use our website(s), we will identify you as an individual user with a secure login and collect personal information about you. Our website(s) may use cookies that allow us to gather anonymised statistics relating to the management of our website(s). These analytics may include, but are not limited to, your internet service provider (ISP), domain name, browser type and the pages you visit. Our website(s) and our email communications may contain links to third-party websites. We do not control these websites or any of their content and if you visit these websites, they will be governed by their own terms of use (including privacy policies). You should satisfy yourself of the personal information handling policies of third-party website operators.
We take the protection of your personal information seriously and take all reasonable steps to ensure the information that we collect, use and disclose is accurate, secure and protected from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
We will take reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information we collect, use or disclose is accurate, complete and current. To assist us, please ensure that the information you provide to us is accurate, up-to-date and complete, and let us know when your personal information changes. Security We will take all reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. We use technologies and processes including, but not limited to, access controls, network firewalls, encryption and physical security measures, in order to protect your privacy. Retention We will destroy or permanently de-identify any of your personal information that is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was collected, provided we are not required, under relevant accreditation standards or an Australian law, to retain the information
If you have comments or concerns relating to this Policy or wish to make a complaint about our handling of your personal information, or other issue, please contact our Privacy Officer. We may need to verify your identity and ask for further information, in order to investigate and respond to your concern or complaint. All complaints received are managed by either the Medical Director, a Pathologist or the Quality Manager. The investigation undertaken will be respectful, fair and objective. Where possible the identity of the complainant will be kept confidential, particularly where the complaint involves a staff member. Where appropriate, an apology and explanation it to be provided to the complainant. Acknowledgement of a complaint will take place within 5 working days and resolution within 30 days when possible.