How Austin Health keeps your information private

Austin Health is subject to the following laws when handling your personal and health information:

• Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) and the Health Privacy Principles
• Health Services Act 1988 (Vic)
• Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic)
• Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic)
• Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022 (Vic)
• My Health Records Act 2012 (Cth)
• Privacy Act 1988 (Cth)

We have strict policies on how we collect, store, use, access and disclose patient information. Your information can only be viewed by authorised staff.

Information that Austin Health collects about you

We may collect information from you, your representatives, and external healthcare providers where lawful and necessary. If this information is not provided, we may be unable to provide appropriate care to you. This includes

• Personal information such as your name, sex assigned at birth, gender and contact details
• The contact details of your General Practitioner (GP) and nominated representatives
• Details about your healthcare including relevant information from other healthcare providers

If your contact details or GP details change, please tell us at your next visit or call 03 9496 5447.

How Austin Health uses your information

Austin Health uses your information to:

• Make decisions about your care in partnership with you
• Provide health education to you
• Coordinate your care with other healthcare providers and support continuity of care
• Contact you about surveys to help us understand your experience about your visit
• Invite you to participate in a research project which is approved by a Human Research Ethics Committee in accordance with national standards
• Support internal teaching, service planning, accreditation, evaluation, quality improvement, complaint resolution, funding, reporting and legal obligations
• Contact you about our fundraising work, including asking for a donation to Austin Health. Relevant staff will only receive limited contact information required to contact you and will not have access to your clinical records

Any use of artificial intelligence (AI) is in accordance with the Austin Health policy and relevant privacy laws.

Access to your information

You can apply to access your health information under the Freedom of Information Act. You also have the right to request an amendment to information held.

For more information, visit our Freedom of information page.

Specific information such as the discharge summary, pathology and radiology reports, will be uploaded to your My Health Record (MHR). For more information, visit My Health Record.

Our Patient Portal also provides access to some of your information.

You can refuse to share your information

You have the right to refuse sharing of your information. However, this may affect our ability to organise services for your ongoing care. If you do not wish to share your information with any of the organisations or services listed below, please contact the relevant department: 

Who outside of Austin Health may receive information about you?

Austin Health may be required to access and share your information with external healthcare providers to provide you with the best care or organise services for you. A secure electronic health information sharing system called CareSync Exchange will be used. For more information visit CareSync Exchange (Department of Health).

• If you stay in hospital, visitors are only informed of your ward and general condition. We only discuss your treatment with your authorised representatives.
• If you are a veteran or a dependant of a veteran, ex-service organisations may be notified of your admission so they may visit you whilst you are in the hospital and provide support.
• We release information when required or permitted by law. For example, under the Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme; or to prescribed entities for quality and safety purposes.
• We provide information to police or court via subpoenas or warrants. Information is not provided without sighting the required legal documents.
• We report deidentified statistical information to government funding bodies and report mandatory information to the Department of Health, government bodies or registries.

Privacy concerns

If you are concerned that Austin Health has not respected your privacy, you can contact the Patient Experience Office at Austin Health by email feedback@austin.org.au or phone 03 9496 3566. 

Download as a fact sheet

You can also download the information from this page as a fact sheet.

Contact us

For further information contact:

Health Information Services  

Phone: 03 9496 5447