Our Commitment to Your Privacy

Shaw Psychology is unequivocally committed to protecting your privacy and the confidentiality of your personal information. As a provider of health services, we are bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), as well as the Victorian Health Records Act 2001. This policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your information.

 

What Information We Collect

We collect information that is necessary to provide you with our psychological services and to manage our relationship with you. The types of information we collect include:

• Personal Information: Your name, address, date of birth, phone number, and email address.

• Sensitive (Health) Information: Information you provide during your engagement with us, including your medical history, presenting concerns, and information from other health providers. This also includes your clinical notes, treatment plans, and any reports or assessments.

• Website Usage Information: We may collect non-identifying information about your visit to our website, such as your IP address, browser type, and the pages you visited. This is done through tools like Google Analytics to help us improve our website and services. We do not use this data to personally identify you.

 

Why We Collect Your Information

We collect your personal and health information for the primary purpose of providing you with the highest standard of psychological care. Specifically, this includes:

• To understand your needs and develop a comprehensive assessment and treatment plan.

• To communicate with you about your appointments and our services.

• To liaise with other healthcare professionals involved in your care, such as your GP, with your explicit consent.

• For billing and processing payments.

• To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations.

 

How We Use and Disclose Your Information

Your information is used strictly for the purposes of your care. We will not disclose your information to any third party without your explicit, written consent, except in the specific circumstances outlined below.

• Third-Party Service Providers: To ensure the smooth operation of our clinic, we engage trusted third-party services. We only disclose the minimum information necessary for them to perform their function. These include:

• Practice Management: Our practice is managed using Halaxy, a secure, Australian-based electronic health record system where all your clinical information is stored.

• Virtual Reception: We use 'Time Well Spent', a Melbourne-based virtual reception service, to manage appointments and calls.

• Clinical AI Assistance: With your separate, explicit consent, we may use 'Heidi Health', an Australian-based AI transcription service, to assist in creating accurate clinical notes.

• Accounting: We use Xero for financial management.

• Cross-Border Data Disclosure: Our virtual reception service, 'Time Well Spent', may use data processors located in the United States. As such, your basic contact and appointment information may be transferred overseas. In accordance with Australian Privacy Principle 8, we must inform you that by providing your information and consenting to our services, you acknowledge that your information may not have the same level of protection as it does under Australian law, and Shaw Psychology is not required to ensure the overseas recipient complies with the Australian Privacy Principles.

• Limits to Confidentiality: All psychological services are confidential. However, there are legal and ethical limits to this confidentiality. We are required by law to disclose information if:

• We believe you or another person is at serious risk of harm.

• Your information is subpoenaed by a court of law.

• We have a mandatory obligation to report concerns about the safety of a child.

 

Data Security and Storage

We take all reasonable steps to protect your information from misuse, loss, and unauthorised access.

• All electronic records are stored in our secure practice management system (Halaxy), which uses bank-grade encryption and is hosted in Australia.

• Our internal communications and administrative files are managed within our secure Google Workspace environment, which is configured to the highest security standards.

• Any paper documents are kept in locked filing cabinets and are securely destroyed after being digitised.

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Your Rights: Access and Correction

You have the right to request access to the personal and health information we hold about you. You also have the right to request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate or out of date.

 

To make a request, please contact our Practice Director in writing. We will respond to your request within 30 days. Please note that a reasonable fee may be charged to cover the administrative costs of providing access.

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Website Cookies and Links:

• Cookies: Our website may use 'cookies' to enhance your browsing experience. A cookie is a small file that is stored on your computer. You can adjust your browser settings to refuse cookies if you wish.

• Links to Other Websites: Our website may contain links to other external websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these other sites.

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Complaints and Enquiries

If you have any questions about this policy or a complaint regarding the handling of your privacy, please contact our Practice Director.

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Dr. Daniel Shaw

Principal Psychologist

Shaw Psychology

Phone: (03) 9969 2190

Email: support@shawpsychology.com

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We will investigate any complaint and respond to you in writing. If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).