Important information about the nature of our services, confidentiality, how we collect and store your information, and your rights as a client of Pre-Emptive Healthcare. If anything here raises questions, please discuss them with your clinician or contact our team.
For details on appointment cancellations and fees, see our Cancellation Policy.
Pre-Emptive Healthcare is committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality and security of personal and health information entrusted to us.
We manage personal information in accordance with applicable Australian and Victorian privacy and health-records laws, including:
This Privacy Policy explains how Pre-Emptive Healthcare collects, holds, uses, discloses and protects personal and health information and how individuals may access or correct their information or make a privacy complaint.
Our internal Privacy, Cybersecurity & Data Governance, Artificial Intelligence Governance and Incident Response policies support this Privacy Policy and establish additional requirements for our staff, clinicians, contractors and approved service providers.
This policy applies to personal information handled by Pre-Emptive Healthcare about people including:
Additional privacy and consent information may be provided when a person books a service, completes an intake or consent form, participates in a funded program, uses a particular technology or is referred under a third-party funding arrangement.
The information we collect depends upon the person's relationship with Pre-Emptive Healthcare and the services being provided.
We may collect information including:
Because we provide health services, we may collect sensitive information and health information including:
We only seek sensitive and health information where it is reasonably necessary for our functions or services and where collection is authorised by consent or law.
Where relevant, we may also collect:
When you use our website, Client Portal or electronic services, certain technical information may also be collected, such as:
This information may be used for website operation, security, troubleshooting, service improvement and understanding how our services are accessed.
Where practicable, we collect personal and health information directly from the person concerned.
Information may be collected when you:
With your consent, where reasonably expected, or where permitted or required by law, we may also obtain information from third parties such as:
If someone provides us with personal information about another person, we expect them to have an appropriate basis or authority to provide that information.
We collect, hold, use and disclose personal and health information where reasonably necessary to:
We will generally use or disclose health information for the purpose for which it was collected or for a directly related purpose that a person would reasonably expect.
Information may also be used or disclosed where you have consented or where permitted or required by law.
Information provided during healthcare is treated confidentially.
Personal or health information will not ordinarily be disclosed outside Pre-Emptive Healthcare except where:
Only information reasonably necessary for the particular purpose will be disclosed.
Clinicians may participate in professional consultation, peer consultation or clinical supervision to support safe, ethical and effective care.
Information will be limited to what is reasonably necessary and will be de-identified where appropriate and practicable.
Where a provisional psychologist or another practitioner requiring formal supervision provides services, relevant clinical information may be discussed with and reviewed by the practitioner's authorised supervisor as part of professional supervision and clinical governance.
Clients will be informed about relevant supervision arrangements where required.
Where services are provided following a referral or under a government, insurer, EAP or other authorised funding arrangement, information may need to be provided to the relevant practitioner or organisation.
This may include information reasonably required to:
Where consent is required, information will not be disclosed until appropriate consent has been obtained.
Pre-Emptive Healthcare uses Zanda Health as its primary practice-management system.
Zanda may be used to manage:
Information held in our Zanda account is subject to access controls and other security measures.
Pre-Emptive Healthcare seeks, where reasonably practicable, to use systems that provide Australian data hosting for personal and health information. Some associated services, support functions, communications providers, infrastructure providers or authorised subprocessors may nevertheless involve access to or processing of information outside Australia.
Pre-Emptive Healthcare uses Stripe for secure payment-card processing and storage.
Where card details are entered through our approved payment system, Pre-Emptive Healthcare does not ordinarily store or have access to the complete payment-card number or security code within the client's clinical record.
We may have access to limited payment information such as:
Stripe maintains recognised payment-industry security controls, including applicable Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard requirements.
Like many major technology and financial service providers, Stripe uses technology infrastructure and service arrangements that may operate across multiple jurisdictions. Any handling of personal information through these arrangements remains subject to applicable privacy and security obligations.
Pre-Emptive Healthcare has an Artificial Intelligence Governance Policy governing the use of AI and AI-enabled technologies.
AI must not replace the professional judgement or accountability of a treating clinician.
We do not use artificial intelligence to autonomously determine a person's diagnosis, clinical treatment, eligibility for healthcare or other significant clinical decisions.
Where an approved AI-assisted documentation or note-taking service is used, which may include services such as Heidi Health or NovoNote, the clinician will explain the proposed use of the technology and obtain appropriate informed consent before it is used.
Where applicable, you will be informed about matters such as:
You may decline the use of an AI-assisted note-taking tool without losing access to healthcare at Pre-Emptive Healthcare.
AI-generated or AI-assisted material used in a clinical record must remain subject to appropriate human review.
Identifiable client information must not be entered into public or unauthorised generative AI systems.
Pre-Emptive Healthcare seeks to use approved technologies that provide appropriate privacy, security and data-protection safeguards. As with many modern technology platforms, some underlying infrastructure, support services or authorised subprocessors may operate across multiple jurisdictions.
Pre-Emptive Healthcare does not currently arrange for computer programs to make autonomous decisions using personal information where those decisions could reasonably be expected to significantly affect an individual's rights or interests.
If Pre-Emptive Healthcare introduces such a system, this Privacy Policy will be updated to explain the types of personal information used and the types of significant decisions made or substantially influenced by the system, as required by applicable privacy law.
Where clinically appropriate and with the person's consent, services may be provided by telephone or secure video-conferencing technology.
Pre-Emptive Healthcare uses approved systems and service providers for telehealth.
Telehealth involves some privacy risks associated with electronic communications. We take reasonable steps to protect confidentiality, but clients should also:
A clinician may confirm the client's current location and emergency contact at the commencement of a telehealth appointment where this is reasonably necessary for safety.
Pre-Emptive Healthcare recognises the sensitivity of personal and health information and seeks, where reasonably practicable, to maintain personal and health information within Australia and to use service providers offering Australian data hosting or storage arrangements.
Our preference is to minimise the movement of identifiable health information outside Australia wherever reasonably possible.
However, many modern technology, communications, payment, cybersecurity and cloud-service providers operate through complex global infrastructure. Their services may involve international networks, technical support arrangements, backup systems, infrastructure providers or authorised subprocessors.
For this reason, Pre-Emptive Healthcare cannot always guarantee that every element of a technology service, transmission, support process or underlying infrastructure will operate exclusively within Australia.
Where personal or health information may be accessed, processed or disclosed outside Australia or outside Victoria, Pre-Emptive Healthcare seeks to:
Under the Australian Privacy Principles and the Victorian Health Privacy Principles, transfers or disclosures of information outside Australia or Victoria are subject to specific privacy safeguards.
Pre-Emptive Healthcare periodically reviews its technology providers and information-handling arrangements as services, infrastructure and regulatory requirements change.
You may contact us if you would like further information about the systems used in connection with your personal or health information.
Pre-Emptive Healthcare takes reasonable administrative, technical and physical steps to protect personal and health information against:
Our controls include, where appropriate:
For security reasons, this public Privacy Policy does not describe the detailed configuration of our cybersecurity systems.
Staff and contractors may only access personal or health information where authorised and reasonably necessary for their duties.
Pre-Emptive Healthcare retains health records in accordance with Victorian health-record requirements and other applicable legal, professional, funding and contractual obligations.
Generally:
Some information may need to be retained for longer where required or authorised by law, professional requirements, legal proceedings, funding arrangements or another legitimate record-keeping requirement.
When personal information is no longer required to be retained, we take reasonable steps to securely destroy it or permanently de-identify it where appropriate.
Pre-Emptive Healthcare takes reasonable steps to ensure that personal and health information we collect, use and disclose is accurate, complete, up-to-date and relevant for the purpose for which it is held.
We encourage you to tell us if your:
changes or is incorrect.
You have the right to request access to personal and health information Pre-Emptive Healthcare holds about you, subject to exceptions provided by law.
To request access, contact:
Business Manager
Pre-Emptive Healthcare
30 Doncaster Road
Balwyn North VIC 3104
Phone: 03 9989 3380
Email: admin@pre-emptive.com.au
Please state that you are requesting access to your personal or health information and provide enough information for us to identify the records being requested.
We may need to verify your identity before releasing information.
We will respond within the period required by applicable law and aim to deal with requests within 30 days wherever reasonably practicable.
Access may be provided, depending upon the circumstances, by:
There are circumstances under the Privacy Act or Health Records Act in which access may lawfully be limited or refused. If that occurs, we will provide the reasons required by law and information about available complaint mechanisms.
A reasonable charge may apply where permitted by law for costs associated with providing access. There is no charge simply for making an access request.
You may ask us to correct personal or health information if you believe it is:
Correction requests can be made to the Business Manager using the contact details above.
There is no charge for requesting a correction.
Clinical records are professional records and ordinarily cannot simply be deleted or rewritten in a way that removes the original record or audit history. Where appropriate, corrections, annotations or additional information may be added to ensure the record accurately reflects the relevant information while preserving appropriate record integrity.
If we refuse a correction request, we will provide the reasons required by law and explain any available complaint or review options.
Where lawful and practicable, people may have the option of dealing with Pre-Emptive Healthcare anonymously or by using a pseudonym for general enquiries.
For most clinical services, however, we need to know a person's identity because of requirements relating to:
Anonymous or pseudonymous clinical treatment may therefore not be practicable.
Pre-Emptive Healthcare does not use a person's sensitive health information for unrelated marketing without appropriate consent or another lawful basis.
From time to time we may communicate information about our services, programs or clinic activities where permitted by law.
Where required, marketing communications will provide a simple way to opt out.
You may ask us at any time not to send you direct marketing communications.
Pre-Emptive Healthcare maintains procedures for responding to suspected or confirmed privacy and cybersecurity incidents.
If personal information is involved in a data breach, we will assess the incident and take reasonable steps to contain and remediate it.
Where a breach meets the criteria for an eligible data breach under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme in the Privacy Act, we will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner as required by law.
Other regulatory or contractual notifications will also be made where required.
If you believe Pre-Emptive Healthcare has not handled your personal or health information appropriately, we encourage you to contact us first so that we have an opportunity to investigate and respond.
Privacy complaints should be directed to:
Business Manager
Pre-Emptive Healthcare
30 Doncaster Road
Balwyn North VIC 3104
Phone: 03 9989 3380
Email: admin@pre-emptive.com.au
Please provide enough information for us to understand the concern and investigate what has occurred.
We will:
We aim to respond to privacy complaints within 30 days wherever reasonably practicable.
If you are dissatisfied with our response, you may be able to make a complaint to:
Depending on the nature of the concern, other professional or regulatory complaint avenues may also be available.
This Privacy Policy provides general information about how Pre-Emptive Healthcare manages personal information.
When we collect information from you, we may also provide more specific information through:
These notices operate alongside this Privacy Policy and may explain particular information-handling practices in greater detail.
Consent to healthcare and consent to particular uses or disclosures of information will be sought separately where required.
Privacy, healthcare and technology requirements change over time.
Pre-Emptive Healthcare reviews this Privacy Policy periodically and may update it when:
The current version will be made available on our website.
Material changes affecting the way existing personal or health information is handled will be managed in accordance with applicable privacy and consent requirements.
For questions about privacy, confidentiality, access to records, correction of information, consent or this Privacy Policy, please contact:
Business Manager
Pre-Emptive Healthcare
30 Doncaster Road
Balwyn North VIC 3104
Phone: 03 9989 3380
Email: admin@pre-emptive.com.au
If anything in this policy is unclear, or you'd like to discuss your options around consent, confidentiality or your records, please reach out. Your clinician can also talk you through any of this at your next appointment.
Contact Us