Privacy Policy

At Meta Psychiatry, we are committed to safeguarding your privacy and ensuring that your personal and health information is handled with the highest level of confidentiality and care. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, store, use and disclose your information in line with Australian privacy legislation and healthcare obligations.

We encourage all clients, referrers and website visitors to review this policy carefully. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Our practice is committed to ensuring your personal information is professionally managed in accordance with all Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). This policy is to provide information to you, our patient, on how your personal information (which includes your health information) is collected and used within our practice, and the circumstances in which we share it with third parties.

 

What Personal Information We Collect and Why

When you register as a patient of our practice, your doctor and/or their support team will need to collect your personal information so they can provide you with the best possible healthcare services. We also use it for directly related business activities, such as financial claims and payments, practice audits, professional compliance and normal business processes.

The personal information we collect and hold generally includes:

• Your name, address, date of birth and contact details

• Information about your health condition, medical history, social and family history, risk factors, medications, allergies, adverse events, immunisations and treatment you may have already received

• Medicare number or DVA number for identification and claiming purposes

• Private health fund details

Only practice staff who need to see your personal information will have access to it. All practice staff have signed a Confidentiality Agreement as part of their employment with us.

 

How We Collect Your Personal Information

Our practice will collect your personal information:

• Directly and in person, over the phone, by email, SMS or by completing our online or hard copy forms

• When you make your first appointment, our practice staff will collect your personal and demographic information via your registration

If it is not possible to collect it from you directly, we may also collect this information from:

• Your guardian or responsible person

• Other involved healthcare providers such as General Practitioners, allied health professionals, hospitals, community health services, and pathology and diagnostic imaging services

• Medicare or DVA

Our practice does not collect information via our website or through any social media.

 

Anonymity and Pseudonymity

In some circumstances, you have the right to interact with us anonymously or using a pseudonym. However, in most cases it is not practicable for us to provide clinical services without knowing your identity, as your personal and health information is essential to your safe and appropriate care. If you wish to discuss this further, please contact us directly.

 

Who We Share Your Personal Information With and When

We may share your personal information with:

• Other healthcare providers involved in your care

• Third parties who work with our practice for business purposes, such as IT providers and accreditation agencies

• Parties authorised or required by law, including court subpoenas

• Emergency services or relevant authorities when necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to a patient's life, health or safety, or public health or safety, or where it is impractical to obtain the patient's consent

• During the course of providing medical services through Electronic Transfer of Prescriptions (eTP)

Our practice will not use your personal information for marketing any of our goods or services directly to you without your express consent. If you do consent, you may opt out of direct marketing at any time by notifying our practice in writing.

We will not share your personal information with anyone outside Australia — unless under exceptional circumstances that are permitted by law — without your consent.

 

How We Store and Protect Your Personal Information

Your personal information may be stored at our practice as paper records, electronic records or audio recordings. We use an approved clinical management software system with secure cloud-based storage for most patient clinical data.

Our practice stores all personal information securely and has strict protocols and policies to ensure your personal information is protected from misuse, loss, interference or unauthorised access:

• Electronic records are encrypted and password protected

• All staff and contractors must sign confidentiality agreements prior to commencing work with and for our practice

 

How Long We Retain Your Personal Information

We retain personal and health information for as long as necessary to provide you with ongoing care and to meet our legal obligations. In Queensland, health records are generally retained for a minimum of seven years from the date of last entry, or until the age of 25 for records created when a patient was a minor, whichever is the longer period. When personal information is no longer required, it will be destroyed or permanently de-identified in a secure manner.

 

Data Breaches — Notifiable Data Breaches Scheme

Meta Psychiatry is subject to the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). In the event of an eligible data breach — that is, unauthorised access to, disclosure of, or loss of personal information that is likely to result in serious harm — we will:

• Promptly assess the breach within 30 days of becoming aware of it

• Notify affected individuals as soon as practicable

• Notify the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)

• Take immediate steps to contain the breach and prevent recurrence

If you believe your personal information held by us may have been compromised, please contact us immediately at admin@metapsychiatry.com.au or (07) 3472 6962.

 

How You Can Access and Correct Your Personal Information

Our practice will take reasonable steps to correct your personal information where the information is not accurate or up to date. We will ask you at different times to verify that the information held by our practice is correct and current.

You have the right to access and correct personal information that we hold about you, in electronic or hard copy format. To request access or correction, please contact us using the details below.

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Healthcare

Meta Psychiatry uses AI-assisted transcription and clinical documentation tools to support the accuracy and efficiency of our clinical work. Examples include software such as Heidi Health, Halaxy AI, and NovoPsych.

Your consent for the use of AI tools is obtained as part of your intake process. All AI tools used by the clinic are required to comply with applicable Australian privacy legislation. Data processed by these tools is encrypted in transit and at rest and is used solely for the purpose of generating clinical documentation.

You have the right to withdraw your consent for the use of AI tools at any time by notifying the clinic in writing prior to your consultation. Where AI-assisted tools are not used, your practitioner is required to complete clinical documentation manually, which involves additional time after your consultation. Accordingly, a fee may apply to reflect the additional clinical and administrative time required. For further information about how each tool manages your data, please refer to the relevant vendor's privacy policy via their respective websites.

Meta Psychiatry uses computer programs, including AI-assisted transcription and documentation tools, that use your personal and health information to support clinical decision-making. These tools assist your treating practitioner in creating accurate clinical records, which may inform decisions about your diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care.

The kinds of personal information used in this process include consultation content, medical history, and health information collected during your appointment. These tools support — but do not replace — the clinical judgement of your treating practitioner, who retains full responsibility for all decisions about your care.

If you have questions about how automated tools are used in your care, please speak with your treating practitioner or contact us using the details below.

 

Privacy Complaints

If you have a concern or complaint about the way we have handled your personal or health information, we encourage you to contact us in the first instance so that we can seek to resolve the matter directly.

You can lodge a complaint by:

​

• Email: admin@metapsychiatry.com.au

• Phone: (07) 3472 6962

• In writing: Level 4, 4 Paxton Street, Springwood QLD 4127

​

We will acknowledge your complaint promptly and endeavour to respond substantively within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, or if you wish to escalate your complaint, you have the right to contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

​

• Website: www.oaic.gov.au

• Phone: 1300 363 992

• Online complaint form: www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-complaints

 

Policy Review

This policy is reviewed regularly to ensure it remains current and consistent with our legal obligations and clinical practices. The most recent version will always be available on our website at www.metapsychiatryclinic.com.au/privacy-policy.