We value the relationship we have with our patients and our staff and respect the nature of the doctor-patient relationship. Patient privacy is vital to such relationships. The Privacy Act 1988 and its recent amendments formalise the already existing and acknowledged privacy obligations of our service. We have a legal and ethical duty to protect patient information.

Who we are

Care Fertility is located in Greenslopes Private Hospital in Brisbane, Australia and owned by Care Fertility.

What personal information do we collect and hold?

Our doctors and staff collect information from patients primarily to provide proper care and treatment. 
This information may include:

• contact details and date of birth
• relationship status
• medical history
• family medical history
• symptoms, diagnosis and recommended treatment
• test results
• ethnicity
• Medicare/private health fund details, and
• billing or account details.

Most of this information will be provided directly by the patient by sometimes by other sources e.g. medical practitioners, health funds or health providers. 

How do we collect personal information and what do we do with it?

Patient information may have to be disclosed to other doctors, nurses, counsellors, scientists and other health or allied health professionals so that proper health care is provided. 
It is necessary for Care Fertility to provide information on the details of your treatment to: 

• hospitals
• your health fund 
• Medicare

This information is often provided by facsimile transmission and electronic transmission. 

Whilst Care Fertility staff take measures to ensure that your privacy is protected, misdirection of electronic communication may occur. 

You will be asked, at registration, for permission for Care Fertility staff to communicate with you by email or SMS (text) message.

The doctors and staff of Care Fertility are members of various medical and professional bodies including insurance organisations. These bodies and organisations provide valuable services to their members and may require their members to provide information in relation to their clinical practice, which may include patient information. This includes the Reproductive Technology Accreditation Committee (RTAC) and its nominated representatives who inspect and accredit Care Fertility.

In addition Care Fertility is required to provide information in a de-identified way to regulatory bodies such as Australia and New Zealand Assisted Reproduction Database (ANZARD). This may include data on the outcome of pregnancies conceived with the assistance of Care Fertility and you may be contacted to provide this information if it is not known to us.

Care Fertility also undertakes regular internal audits to improve the quality of service provided and staff involved in these activities may inspect your medical data.  All these staff are aware of the Privacy Act and requirements to respect confidentiality.

You may be asked to provide consent to partake in a research trial and if you agree your medical details may be provided to the trial investigators but this will be done in a de-identified way.

Patients who wish to look at their information held by Care Fertility or who have queries about the privacy policy are welcome to discuss the issues with the treating doctors or the directors of Care Fertility.