Patient health information privacy statement

Purpose

We respect privacy and confidentiality. The purpose of this document is to explain what information we collect about you and how data gathered by your health provider, as well as by Pinnacle as a primary health organisation and its affiliates, is used in providing health services to you.

To learn what a primary health organisation is and how this practice is connected please the information for patients section of this website.

You directly consent to your health information being collected when you sign an enrolment form to register with a practice health provider.

Overview

Maintaining your trust and privacy is important to us.
We are bound by law to collect and retain data about the delivery of health services to you.
We only collect and retain what we need to deliver health services for you and your whānau.
We only use what we know to improve your health and the health of the community.
We don't sell the information collected or retained to anyone.
We only share what we know with people in the health system who we know will look after your information the way we do.
We look after the information we hold about you and keep it secure.
Your health record is your health record - you can see it, correct it, and know what we have done with it - just ask.
From time to time, we may collect information about you from other health providers and health services involved in your care. Examples may include telehealth and virtual providers such as Practice Plus, and other healthcare or after-hours providers.
If we collect information about you indirectly and you have not already been informed that this may occur, we will, where practicable, notify you. This may be done through your health provider’s patient portal or other appropriate means.

What type of information is collected and how it is used?

Information about you (such as your name, date of birth, gender, address, ethnicity, citizenship, NHI number).
Information about your health.
Information about the financial transactions around consultation charges.

The information collected will be:

used for the delivery of health services by your health provider and Pinnacle
used by Health New Zealand / Te Whatu Ora to give you a National Health Index (NHI) number or update any changes
summary information is sent to Pinnacle and Health New Zealand / Te Whatu Ora to support both planning and general practice funding
may be shared with your consent to specialist, public hospitals, other health providers or after-hours providers (such as Practice Plus) to support your healthcare
used to determine eligibility to receive publicly funded services. Information may be compared with other government agencies but only when permitted under the Privacy Act.

Our obligations to you

Your privacy and the confidentiality of your information is important to us and a legal requirement.

Your health information may be reviewed by an auditor either checking on health matters or as part of a financial audit, but only according to the terms and conditions of Section 22G of the Health Act or any subsequent applicable Act.
You don't have to consent for your health information to be shared, however, withholding it may affect the quality of care you receive. Talk to your health practitioner if you have any concerns.
Your privacy is our priority. We will keep your information secure and prevent unauthorised access. We work with a range of data sources and platforms, and we constantly evaluate our systems and processes to ensure we are using the latest technologies to increase security.

Right to access and correct

You have the right to access your health information and have it corrected.
You don't have to explain why you're requesting the information, but you may be required to provide proof of your identity. If you request a second copy of that information within 12 months, you may have to pay an administration fee to cover reasonable costs to provide that information.
You have the right to know where your information is kept, who has access rights, and if the system has audit log capability who has viewed or updated your information.
If asking for your health information to be corrected, your health provider should provide you with reasonable assistance. If your healthcare provider chooses not to change that information, you can have this noted on your file.

Research

Your health information may be used in research approved by an ethics committee or when it has had identifying details removed.

Research which may directly or indirectly identify you can only be published if the researcher has previously obtained your consent and the study has received ethics approval.
Under the law, you are not required to give consent to the use of your health information if it's for unpublished research or statistical purposes, or if it's published in a way that doesn't identify you.

Consent options

If you do not agree to have any of your information collected, we may not be able to provide health services to you. Please discuss this with your health provider if you have concerns.

Visiting another practice

If you visit another practice which is not your regular health provider, you will be asked for permission to share information from the visit with your regular health provider.

If you have a High User Health Card or Community Services Card and you visit another health provider which is not your regular practice, they can make a claim for a subsidy, and the health provider you are enrolled with will be informed of the date of that visit. The name of the practice you visited and the reason(s) for the visit will not be disclosed unless you give consent.

Complaints

If you're not happy with the way your health information is collected or used, you can talk to the privacy officer of your health provider about your concerns. By law, all health organisations are required to have a privacy officer.