Telephone Call Policy

In our practice clinically significant information is only given to a patient by a Practitioner or a nurse when instructed by a Practitioner. Calls are transferred to the nurse or contact details are taken to pass on to the Practitioner at the next available time, depending on the urgency of the call. Non-clinical staff can consult the POPGUNS for a guide if unsure and ask if the matter is an emergency before they put a caller on hold. 

If telephone contact is deemed appropriate by the Practitioner privacy and confidentiality of the patient is maintained by:

• ensuring other patients and persons cannot hear the conversation.
• refraining from disclosing personal health information to anyone other than the patient, using three forms of identity to check that information is given to the correct person.  These three points of identification are the patient’s name, date of birth and address.
• Clinical and non-clinical staff members are recording any correspondence related to any type of phone/electronic communication (both successful and unsuccessful communication) in the patient file. 
• All communication with the patients are recorded under their health record and appropriate consent is taken when necessary. 
• Failure to establish telephone consultation with the patient is recorded in the file and voice message/email is left for the patient for further instruction. 
• Communication during a crisis, disaster or emergency is conducted according to the severity of the issue.

Meadowlands Medical values the importance of personal health information and is therefore committed to providing the best possible effort to keep patient data safe and secure. To do so our clinic follows the recommendation of the Australian Privacy Principals (APPs).