Policy on Collection and Storage of Personal and Healthcare Information

As part of providing a service to you, Dr Alexander Strachan will need to collect and record your personal details and all information relevant to conducting a full medical and psychiatric assessment and providing treatment. This information will be a necessary part of providing you with a high standard of psychiatric care, including performing psychiatric assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, and to be proactive in your mental healthcare.

This information will be retained and what happens during sessions will be documented. This enables Dr Strachan to provide a relevant and informed service. This information may be viewed by administration staff for the service to be provided to you. Your information is stored electronically and at times on paper, and all reasonable physical and electronic precautions are taken to protect the integrity and confidentiality of your information.

Your consent is required to collect, store, and use your personal information for the following purposes:

• Administrative purposes
• Billing (including compliance with Medicare and Health Insurance Commission requirements)
• For research and quality improvement purposes to improve individual and community healthcare and practice management (this will only be information which does not identify individual patients)
• To comply with regulatory or legislative requirements, such as when the health and wellbeing of you or other(s) is at significant risk of harm
• For reminders and recalls which may be sent to you by SMS, e-mail, or letter, regarding your healthcare and management.

You have the right to decline to have your information collected or used in all or some of the ways outlined above, but it may reduce my ability to provide you with a high quality of psychiatric care and mean the service is not provided to you.