Conditions of Use and Practice Privacy Policy

Information provided to us, either through this web site or directly at our practice, is treated as private and confidential. The following outlines the Conditions of Access and the Practice Privacy Policy (PPP) of Intraface (Matthew Hawthorne Pty Ltd) – which includes Dr Matthew Hawthorne, their employees and third party agents.

(Note: For the purposes of this policy, it applies to the patient, and where that individual is under 18 years of age, his/her parent/s or legal guardian/s. Legal guardian/s may include trustee administrators, legal power of attorney or official officers of the Queensland Dept of Child Safety or other state government department responsible for legal custody of minors or legally incapacitated).

• The Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988 provides the National Privacy Principles (NPPs) which all health practitioners must apply. Visit www.privacy.gov.au for greater detail.
• All details provided remain confidential and are not made available to parties other than the patient, his/her parents and legal guardians (where the patient is under the age of 18 years).
• Personal information is only released to third parties when authorised in writing by the patient, parent/legal guardian (for patients under 18 years of age) EXCEPT where dictated by state or federal legislative directives including court orders. It is important to note that applying for Medicare and/ or Health Insurance benefit claims carries the legal requirement that all patient and treatment details shall be available to that processing body and it is a legal offence to make false and misleading claims for such benefits.
• Treatment information, including financial liability details may be requested by a Health Insurance Provider where you are a member of such a Fund. On becoming a member you consented to your Provider (MBF, Medibank Private etc) obtaining this information from registered health providers you engage during the course of that membership. When we are contacted by a Health Provider we make every effort to confirm the identity of the contact person, their authority to obtain your/ your child’s information and obtain requests in writing.
• Details of treatment may be discussed with your dentist, medical or other practitioners where deemed essential in the course of treatment planning or execution – this requirement was advised and consented by you (patient or parent/guardian) in writing as part of the Medical/ Dental History Consent completed at the initial examination or visit to the practice.
• In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 1992 and its legislative directives, a patient and parents/legal guardians (for patients under 18 years of age) have access to his/her records.
• Should a written transcript of records or duplication of Xrays, study models etc be required, an administrative charge may apply – this is stipulated in the relevant Act. This fee will be quoted at the time a written request is received and must be fully paid at the time of collection.
• While a patient (his/her parents or guardian if applicable) may have the right to access personal information held by us (provided relevant under the Act) they DO NOT hold ownership of any records including study models, XRays, photos and clinical notes.
• Physical records such as written notes, XRays, referral letters and other correspondence are stored ‘on-site’ at each respective practice where access is limited to staff only. Storage is in accordance with the requirements outlined by the relevant registration board in Queensland.
• Electronic records are protected by way of user passwords, made available to current employees. Such records are not accessible beyond the practice based computer network but may be archived ‘offsite’ using industry standard encryption technology.
• Data made available via this web site is password restricted on a ‘per user’ basis, meaning only information specific to a nominated user can be accessed by that person.
• On accessing the ‘WebCHECK’ area (after the successful entry of a UserID and Password) your computer’s IP address will be recorded in the processing of On-Line requests. This is considered standard internet practice for the purposes of tracing fraudulent activity.
• Where critical information such as Credit Card details are collected through this web site industry standard secure connections are generally employed (known as a SSL certificate). All web site users should be mindful of internet security and while every effort is made to secure the transmission of critical information, future data ‘hacking’ loopholes are only revealed by precedent. In sending critical information, such as Credit Card details, via this site the user is acknowledging that security is limited to ‘current technology’ only.
• Critical personal information such as patient Date of Birth, addresses, telephone numbers and Email addresses ARE NOT stored in this web site’s database.

While we place critical importance on your privacy, we assume you too will assist us to that end. Where you suspect your privacy may have been breached (with due regard to the statement above) you should contact the practice immediately.

Web Site Handling of Critical Information

This web site uses current industry standard 256bit SSL technology to encrypt and transmit sensitive information. Such information that you may provide includes credit card details for ‘on-line’ payments, change of address, requests to change appointments and similar requests. Your PC should always have the latest security updates for its internet browser to take full advantage of on-line privacy.

To confirm that you have a SECURE connection while providing this information look for the ‘lock’ icon in your browser’s tool bar. Double clicking on that icon will display the authenticity of the site (which should always be www.intraface.com.au OR www.emergingtech.com.au) in addition to the issuing authority of the SSL certificate, Thawte.

Thawte SSL certificates are generally compatible with most internet browsers and operating system platform independent, although only recent browser versions (Internet Explorer 5 and more recent) include the 256bit SSL technology.

Site Redirection

To maximise site security monitoring our OnLine Portal facility is managed on our behalf by Emerging Technologies so you will notice that certain screens of WebCHECK have that address. All data transmission is handled by current SSL technology – you should confirm the validity of the SSL certificate if there is a concern of security.