Privacy Policy

This privacy policy is to provide information to you, our client, on how your personal information (which includes your health information) is collected and used within The Food Mind Collaboration, and the circumstances in which we may share it with third parties.

When you register as a client of The Food Mind Collaboration, you provide consent for our dietitians and clinic staff to access and use your personal information so they can provide you with the best possible health advice. Only staff who need to see your personal information will have access to it. If we need to use your information for anything else, we will seek additional consent from you to do this.

The Food Mind Collaboration will need to collect your personal information to provide dietetic and hypnotherapy services to you. Our main purpose for collecting, using, holding and sharing your personal information is to manage your health. We also use it for directly related business activities, such as financial claims and payments, practice audits and accreditation, and business processes (e.g. staff training).

The information we will collect about you includes your:

• names, date of birth, contact details, emergency contact details
• anthropometric measurements, blood test results
• medical information including medical history, mental health history, medications and supplements, allergies and intolerances
• social history, family history and risk factors
• diet and physical activity, previous lifestyle changes, eating behaviours
• Medicare number or other healthcare identifiers
  health fund details

You have the right to deal with us anonymously or under a pseudonym unless it is impracticable for us to do so or unless we are required or authorised by law to only deal with identified individuals.

The Food Mind Collaboration may collect your personal information in several different ways:

• When you make your first appointment we will collect your personal and demographic information.
• During the course of providing dietetic or hypnotherapy services, we will collect further personal information.
• We may also collect your personal information when you visit our website, send us an email or SMS, telephone us, make an online appointment.
• In some circumstances personal information may also be collected from other sources. Often this is because it is not practical or reasonable to collect it from you directly. This may include information from:
  • your guardian or responsible person
  • other involved healthcare providers
  • your health fund, Medicare, National Disability Insurance Scheme or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (as necessary)

We sometimes share your personal information:

• with third parties who work with our clinic for business purposes, such as accreditation agencies or information technology providers – these third parties are required to comply with Australian Privacy Principles and this policy
• with other healthcare providers e.g. psychologists, general practitioners
• when it is required or authorised by law (e.g. court subpoenas)
• when it is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to a patient’s life, health or safety or public health or safety
• to establish, exercise or defend an equitable claim for the purpose of confidential dispute resolution process
• when there is a statutory requirement to share certain personal information

Only people who need to access your information will be able to do so. Other than in the course of providing dietetic or hypnotherapy services or as otherwise described in this policy, our clinic will not share personal information with any third party without your consent.

Our practice will not use your personal information for marketing any of our goods or services directly to you without your express consent. If you do consent, you may opt out of direct marketing at any time by notifying our practice in writing.

Our practice may use your personal information to improve the quality of the services we offer to our clients through research and analysis of our client data.

We may provide de-identified data to other organisations to improve population health outcomes. The information is secure, clients cannot be identified and the information is stored within Australia. You can let our staff know if you do not want your information included.

Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms e.g. as paper or electronic records.

The Food Mind Collaboration website(s) may contain links to websites operated by third parties. If you access a third-party website through our website(s), personal information may be collected by that third party website. We make no representations or warranties in relation to the privacy practices of any third-party provider or website and we are not responsible for the privacy policies or the content of any third-party provider or website. Third party providers / websites are responsible for informing you about their own privacy practices and we encourage you to read their privacy policies.

You have the right to request access to, and correction of, your personal information.

The Food Mind Collaboration acknowledges clients may request access to their records. We require you to put this request in writing to info@thefoodmc.com.au and our clinic will respond within 30 days.

Our practice will take reasonable steps to correct your personal information where the information is not accurate or up to date. From time to time, we will ask you to verify that your personal information held by our practice is correct and current. You may also request that we correct or update your information, and you should make such requests in writing to info@thefoodmc.com.au

We take complaints and concerns regarding privacy seriously. You should express any privacy concerns you may have in writing to info@thefoodmc.com.au Our clinic will respond within 30 days and will attempt to resolve your complaint or concern in accordance with our resolution procedure.

You may also contact the OAIC. Generally, the OAIC will require you to give them time to respond before they will investigate. For further information visit www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC on 1300 363 992.

This privacy policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure it is in accordance with any changes that may occur. We will notify our clients by email when we amend this policy.