Email Policy

Policy 

Coogee Beach Doctors along with your doctor recognises the dependence and ease of electronic communication via email in society but also acknowledges the limitations in security when dealing with confidential documents and material in healthcare. 

Our policy is designed to align the needs and demands of our patients with the appropriate safety precautions to limit business exposure and its potential liability. 

Confidential documents and materials include but are not limited to any document with patient details and/or clinical information. 

Procedure

Coogee Beach Doctors along with your doctor implements a staggered approach to the use of electronic communication via email. 

Confidential documents must not be sent without the consent of the patient. During telehealth and telephone consultations your GP may obtain verbal consent from their patients to allow for these documents to be emailed. 

If patients request access to confidential documents via email outside of a consultation, it is the responsibility of the staff member to obtain consent. 

Patients are advised to request these documents by initiating electronic communication with the practice email account. An automated response will be sent to the senders email to clarify risks involved with email communication. It is acknowledged by the practice that consent is implied if the patient initiates electronic communication with the practice. In some instances the GP or reception team will be able to email securely by placing a password on the document when sending through BP software. 

Email Reply: 

Thank you for your email.

This email account is only monitored intermittently and therefore we ask all requests to be completed over the phone. If you wish to book an appointment, you can do this through our website www.coogeebeachdoctors.com.au or through the HotDoc App. In an emergency please call 000. 

If you are requesting any correspondence from your doctor, please read the below statement on the risks of using email as a form of communication. 

For specialists and other third parties emailing patient correspondence, please be aware of the below risks and that by communicating with Coogee Beach Doctors through email that we acknowledge implied consent on behalf of the patient. 

All clinical correspondence for all General Practitioners will be forwarded to the respective doctor.

There are inherent risks in using unsecured or unencrypted email communication for health information. Transmitting health information by unsecured or unencrypted email has a number of risks. 

These include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Unsecured email can be circulated, forwarded, stored in paper and electronic files

  • Email senders can easily misaddress an unsecured email or the unsecured email can be received by unintended recipients 

  • Backup copies of unsecured email may exist even after the sender or the recipient has deleted his or her copy 

  • Employers and online services have a right to archive and inspect unsecured email transmitted through their systems 

  • Unsecured email can be intercepted, altered, forwarded or used without authorisation or detection.

  • Coogee Beach Doctors cannot guarantee confidentiality of information transferred via email. In receiving this information you are acknowledging the risk of email communication and Coogee Beach Doctors is not liable for any breaches. 

If you have any questions or wish to withdraw your consent please speak with reception staff on 02 9665 5438 immediately. Coogee Beach Doctors complies with the Australian Privacy Principles and the Privacy Act 1988.

In the event that communication is not initiated by email, patients will be asked to confirm that they are aware email communication is not secure and that they consent to the potential risks in sending the confidential documents or information. 

All new patients are advised of how to access the email policy via our website. This will be provided when the patients are filling out a new patient form through our online booking system, AutoMed. 

Coogee Beach Doctors complies with the Australian Privacy Principles and the Privacy Act 1988.

Emails between the practice and the patient will form part of the medical record. Relevant emails will be recorded on a patient's file. 

Coogee Beach Doctors encourages the use of facsimile or healthlink to communicate with specialists & other third parties. In the event that those options are not available, email communication may be used. 

Specialists and third parties will be advised of our policy when requesting our email address. The automated response includes the below statement to inform them of the risks and that by communicating with Coogee Beach Doctors through email that we acknowledge implied consent on behalf of the patient. 

For specialists and other third parties emailing patient correspondence, please be aware of the below risks and that by communicating with Coogee Beach Doctors through email that we acknowledge implied consent on behalf of the patient. 

All members of the practice team are made aware of our policy regarding electronic communication with patients during induction, and are reminded of this policy on an ongoing basis. 

Each member of the practice team holds full accountability for emails sent in their name, and they are expected to utilise this communication tool in an acceptable manner.