Privacy policy

1. Who the practice collects information about

• People referred for an independent medical examination or file review (examinees).
• Staff of referring law firms, insurers, self-insurers and superannuation trustees.
• Specialists engaged by the practice, and applicants for engagement.

2. Information collected

For examinees, the practice collects health information and other personal information supplied by the referring party or by the examinee, including medical records, imaging reports, prior reports, the history taken at examination and the results of examination. For referrers and specialists, the practice collects names, contact details, professional details and billing information.

3. How information is collected

Information is collected from the referring party, from the examinee at the examination, from treating practitioners where authorised, and through the practice's secure referral portal. Examinations may be recorded by audio with the examinee's written consent; the recording is deleted once the specialist has checked the examination notes.

4. Purpose

The practice collects examinee information to prepare an independent report requested by the referring party. It does not provide treatment. Referrer and specialist information is collected to manage referrals, examinations, reports and accounts.

5. Disclosure

Reports are provided to the referring party, which may provide them to other parties to a claim, a court, a tribunal or a scheme regulator. The practice discloses information to service providers that support its work, including transcription, document storage, records verification, accounting and email providers, under written agreements that limit use to the practice's purposes. The practice does not sell personal information.

6. Storage, security and location

Information is stored in Microsoft 365 and Azure services located in Australia, with access limited to the people working on each matter, multi-factor sign-in, and an audit record of portal access. [Confirm: no service provider processes examinee information outside Australia; if any does, name the country here.]

7. Retention

Reports and the material they rely on are kept for [seven] years from the date of the report, or longer where the examinee was a child at the time of examination or a court order or scheme rule requires it, and then destroyed.

8. Access and correction

A person may ask for access to, or correction of, information the practice holds about them. Access to a report may be subject to the rules of the proceedings or scheme in which it was prepared, and the practice may refer the request to the referring party.

9. Complaints

Questions and complaints are directed to the Privacy Officer, Datum Specialist Medicolegal, at referrals@datummedicolegal.com.au. The practice responds within 30 days. If a complaint is not resolved, the person may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au.

10. Data breaches

The practice assesses any suspected data breach promptly and notifies affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner where the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme requires it.