Privacy Policy for Patients
This Practice wants to ensure the highest standard of medical care for our patients. We are governed by an ethic of privacy and confidentiality. Our practices are consistent with privacy principles of the Data Protection Acts. We see our patients’ consent as being the key factor in dealing with their health information. This article is about making consent meaningful by advising you of our policies and practices on dealing with your medical information.
Managing your information
In order to provide for your care here we need to collect and keep information about you and your health on our records.
• We retain your information securely.
• We will only ask for and keep information that is necessary. We will attempt to keep it as accurate and up to-date as possible. We will explain the need for any information we ask for if you are not sure why it is needed.
• We ask you to inform us about any relevant changes that we should know about. This would include such things as any new treatments or investigations being carried out that we are not aware of. Please also inform us of change of address and phone numbers.
• All persons in the practice (not already covered by a professional confidentiality code) sign a confidentiality agreement that explicitly makes clear their duties in relation to personal health information).
• Access to patient records is regulated to ensure that they are used only to the extent necessary to enable the secretary or manager to perform their tasks for the proper functioning of the practice. In this regard, patients should understand that practice staff may have access to their records for:
1. Typing referral letters to hospital consultants or allied health professionals.
2. Sending scans images, referral letters and reports on to Medica Ireland, who report our medical studies. Reports are carried out by fully qualified and accredited consultant radiologists through Medica Ireland. Medica Ireland is also a data processor for our company for the purpose of consultant radiologist report provision.
3. Opening letters from hospitals and consultants. The letters could be appended to a patient’s paper file or scanned into their electronic patient record.
4. Scanning clinical letters, radiology reports and any other documents not available in electronic format.
5. Downloading laboratory results performing integration of these results into the electronic patient record.
6. Photocopying or printing documents for referral to consultants.
7. Handling, printing, photocopying and postage of medico legal and life assurance reports, and of associated documents.
Data Processing
Medica is also a data processor for our company for the purpose of consultant radiologist report provision for all these medical ultrasounds. We use Cliniko as a practice management software solution. We store all our patient records on this platform and process the data for us. We have agreements signed with both these companies in order to ensure safety of your patient records in line with GDPR.
Disclosure of information to other health and social professions
We may need to pass some of this information to other health and social care professionals in order to provide you with the treatment and services you need. Only the relevant part of your record will be released. These other professionals are also legally bound to treat your information with the same duty of care and confidence that we do.
Disclosures required or permitted under law
The law provides that in certain instances personal information (including health information) can be disclosed, for example, in the case of infectious diseases.
• Disclosure of information to Employers, Insurance Companies and Solicitors
• In the case of disclosures to insurance companies or requests made by solicitors for your records we will only release the information with your signed consent.
Use of information for training, teaching and quality assurance
• It is usual for sonographers to discuss patient case histories as part of their continuing medical education or for the purpose of continued education. In these situations the identity of the patient concerned will not be revealed.
• In other situations, however, it may be beneficial for other sonographers / doctors within the practice to be aware of patients with particular conditions and in such cases this practice would only communicate the information necessary to provide the highest level of care to the patient.
Your right of access to your health information
You have the right of access to all the personal information held about you by this practice. If you wish to see your records you can make a formal written access request (info@theultrasoundsuite.ie) to the practice and the matter can be dealt with formally.
Medicolegal data retention
For medico-legal reasons we will retain a copy of your records in this practice for an appropriate period of time which may exceed eight years.
WEBSITE POLICY
Personal identification information
We may collect personal identification information from users in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to, when users visit our site, fill out a form, and in connection with other activities, services, features or resources we make available on our Site. Users may be asked for, as appropriate, name, email address, mailing address, phone number. Users may, however, visit our site anonymously. We will collect personal identification information from users only if they voluntarily submit such information to us. Users can always refuse to supply personally identification information, except that it may prevent them from engaging in certain Site related activities.
Non-personal identification information
We may collect non-personal identification information about users whenever they interact with our site. Non-personal identification information may include the browser name, the type of computer and technical information about users means of connection to our Site, such as the operating system and the Internet service providers utilized and other similar information.
Web browser cookies
Our site may use “cookies” to enhance user experience. User’s web browser places cookies on their hard drive for record-keeping purposes and sometimes to track information about them. User may choose to set their web browser to refuse cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If they do so, note that some parts of the site may not function properly.
How we use collected information
The Ultrasound Suite may collect and use Users personal information for the following purposes:
– To improve customer service
Information you provide helps us respond to your customer service requests and support needs more efficiently.
– To send periodic emails
We may use the email address to respond to their inquiries, questions, and/or other requests.
How we protect your information
We adopt appropriate data collection, storage and processing practices and security measures to protect against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure or destruction of your personal information, username, password, transaction information and data stored on our Site.
Sharing your personal information
We do not sell, trade, or rent users personal identification information to others. We may share your email address with our paid social media platforms for the purpose of creating lookalike audiences for advertising purposes.
Changes to this privacy policy
The Ultrasound Suite has the discretion to update this privacy policy at any time. When we do, we will revise the updated date at the bottom of this page. We encourage users to frequently check this page for any changes to stay informed about how we are helping to protect the personal information we collect. You acknowledge and agree that it is your responsibility to review this privacy policy periodically and become aware of modifications.
Your acceptance of these terms
By using this site, you signify your acceptance of this policy. If you do not agree to this policy, please do not use our Site. Your continued use of the site following the posting of changes to this policy will be deemed your acceptance of those changes.
Last updated 26/5/2022