Confidentiality
We are bound by law to keep your information confidential.
At your first session we’ll ask you to complete a consent form. This outlines what confidentiality and consent are (and will be explained by your clinician). On this form you’ll be able to list who you want kept in the loop. This could be your GP, specialist, support coordinator or family member.
We will only use or disclose your information for purposes directly related to your treatment. This may include us sending information or referrals to your nominated GP or other services for example NDIS.
We may be required to disclose information to courts and Government agencies to comply with other laws and your personal information may be required as evidence in court if subpoenaed.
Under law and ethical guidelines, we may need to report certain things that you tell us. This may include criminal activity. We are also ethically bound to protect you or others from harm.
From time to time, we may use your information to contact you regarding client satisfaction surveys that help us to evaluate and improve our services.
accessing information
There are several pieces of legislation that relate to accessing information that has been developed by your treating clinician, the most important of which for us is the NSW Health Records and Information Privacy Act (2002).
An individual can request access to health-related information. Such a request must be:
In writing
State the name and address of the individual making the request (If you are not the client, your relationship to the client)
Sufficiently identify the information being sought
Specify the form in which you wish to receive it (as defined by the Act)
This can be delegated to another person to receive the information
Please be careful if you are requesting a copy of your file to be sent somewhere outside of AWI Consulting. Once this information leaves our office we are not responsible for confidentiality being maintained.
The Act provides for two methods of providing the information to the client
The client can be given a copy of the Health Information
By providing the individual an opportunity to inspect the notes and take their own notes
There are several reasons that a request for access to the file can be denied under the Act – but usually these are fairly serious issues and the burden of proof justifying that reason rests on us as the provider.
It will generally be the preference and recommendation of the practice that you review information with your clinician, which can be a genuinely useful tool for starting a conversation about why something may have been entered into the record.
You can request that a record be corrected if you believe it to be in factual error. If your clinician disagrees with you and feels the information is accurate – an amendment must be made to the file reflecting the disagreement.
Please be aware that fees and charges will apply to either reviewing or providing copies of a client file. We may also be able to undertake a verbal handover to your new treating practitioner (for example if you move to a new town and need to continue therapy).