Communications Policy

Communications Policy

Purpose
The purpose of this Communications Policy is to outline the guidelines and practices for communication within Arkaba Medical Centre to ensure effective, professional, and consistent interaction with patients, staff, and external parties, in alignment with the RACGP 5th Edition accreditation standards.

This policy applies to all staff, healthcare providers, and external partners associated with Arkaba Medical Centre, including receptionists, administrative staff, medical professionals, and allied health workers. It governs communication via all mediums, including face-to-face, telephone, email, digital platforms, and written correspondence.

Objectives
· To maintain clear, professional, and compassionate communication with patients, ensuring their needs and expectations are met.
· To ensure confidentiality and privacy in all communications, in line with Australian privacy laws and RACGP standards.
· To facilitate accurate and timely information exchange among staff and with external parties.
· To promote accessibility and transparency in communications to improve patient outcomes and satisfaction.

Principles of Communication

The following principles will guide all communications within the practice:

· Respect and Professionalism: All communication will be respectful, considerate, and professional, always maintaining the dignity of patients and colleagues.
· Confidentiality: Personal health information and patient details must be communicated confidentially and securely, following legal and ethical guidelines regarding patient privacy.
· Timeliness: Communication must be efficient and timely, ensuring that important information is relayed promptly to the relevant parties.
· Clarity and Accuracy: Information should be communicated in a clear, accurate, and understandable manner, avoiding ambiguity, and ensuring that patients and colleagues fully understand the details being provided.
· Cultural Sensitivity: Communication will be inclusive, culturally appropriate, and mindful of the diverse backgrounds of patients and staff.
· Patient-Centred Care: All communication should prioritize the patient’s needs, preferences, and involvement in their care.


Communication Channels

The following communication channels are used within the practice:
· Face-to-Face: All patient interactions will be conducted in a professional and respectful manner, ensuring patients’ needs and concerns are addressed in real-time.
· Telephone: The practice will ensure that all phone calls are answered promptly, with staff trained to handle queries effectively and compassionately.
· Email: Emails will be used for communication that is not time-sensitive and involves general information. All email communication must adhere to privacy guidelines, and patients will be encouraged to use encrypted email when communicating sensitive health information.
· Online Patient Portal: Arkaba Medical Centre uses Automed, a secure, patient-focused online portal for non-urgent communications, such as appointment scheduling, test results, and follow-up care.
· Written Correspondence: Letters and written forms of communication will be clear, concise, and professionally presented, with follow-up, as necessary.
· Social Media: Social media platforms will be used cautiously and professionally, avoiding personal health-related communications or sensitive information shared via these platforms.


Patient Communication and Engagement

· Appointment Scheduling: Patients will be informed of their appointment times and any changes via phone, SMS, or email, depending on their preferences.
· Follow-Up: Communication following consultations, including medical results, referrals, and care instructions, will be done in a timely and accurate manner, with patients being informed of next steps.
· Patient Education: Information about medical conditions, treatments, and care plans will be provided in a clear, understandable format, and patients will be encouraged to ask questions to ensure comprehension.
· Feedback: Patients will be encouraged to provide feedback on their communication experiences, which will be used to improve services and address any issues.


Staff Communication and Training

· Internal Communication: Clear, efficient communication will be maintained among staff through meetings, internal memos, and digital platforms. The aim is to ensure that all team members are well-informed and aligned on patient care and operational practices.
· Training: All staff will receive training on effective communication skills, including cultural competence, conflict resolution, and patient confidentiality, in accordance with RACGP standards and continuing professional development requirements.
· Staff Wellbeing: Open lines of communication will be encouraged for staff to discuss concerns or issues in a supportive and non-judgmental environment, with appropriate mechanisms in place for conflict resolution.


Confidentiality and Privacy

· All communications involving personal patient information, including health records and appointments, will comply with relevant privacy laws, including the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the RACGP standards.
· Patient information will only be shared with authorized individuals and only when necessary, to provide care or meet legal requirements.
· Any communication breaches, including accidental disclosures, must be reported immediately to the business manager, and addressed in a timely manner.

Email Policy

Introduction
Arkaba Medical Centre considers our obligations under the Privacy Act before we use or disclose any health information. The Privacy Act does not prescribe how a healthcare organisation should communicate health information. Any method of communication may be used if the organisation takes reasonable steps to protect the information transmitted and the privacy of the patient. A failure to take reasonable steps to protect health information may constitute a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles and may result in action taken against the organisation by the Australian Privacy Commissioner. What amounts to reasonable steps will depend on the nature of the information and the potential harm that could be caused by unauthorized access to it.

Our practice reserves the right to check an individual’s email account as a precaution to fraud, viruses, workplace harassment or breaches of confidence by members of the practice team. Inappropriate use of the email facility will be fully investigated and may be grounds for dismissal. Our practice does not email documents to patients except in rare circumstances.

Email configuration
Communication of clinical information to and from healthcare providers are completed from within the practice’s clinical software, wherever possible, using a secure clinical messaging system such as Health link. The use of a practice’s clinical software means that a record of communication is automatically retained in the patient’s medical record. This is not possible when communicating via email.

As such we have the current protective measures in place:
· Computer security measures
· Using 3 identifiers to identify patients
· Notifying patients that the information is not encrypted and that there is a security risk in sending emails to them containing their personal medical information. They can choose to collect a hard copy from our office if they prefer
· A notice on our emails if the email is sent to the wrong address
· Notification to OAIC of any significant data breach
· Protection against spam: Use a spam filtering program.
· Encryption of patient information: Use server to server encryption such as SSL or TLS.
· Staff email use education
General protection
· If any information held in our email accounts that is specific to a patient’s health information will be downloaded as per practice policy. It will be imported into relevant patient file to ensure contents are backed up with the rest of our data.
· We do not provide confidential information by return email no matter how credible the sender’s email seems. Confirmation of the email address is obtained from the intended recipient prior to sending the email.
· Use a spam filtering program.
· Encryption of patient information
· All email communications should be treated as confidential.
· When sending patient information or other confidential data by email, it is best practice to use encryption.
· Be aware that encrypted files are not automatically checked for viruses. They must be saved, decrypted, and then scanned for viruses before being opened.

Protection against the theft of information

There are significant risks if providing confidential information by email: only do so via the internet when the site displays a security lock on the task bar and with an https in the web address.
Do not inform people of your email password.
Be aware of phishing scams requesting logon or personal information (these may be via email or telephone).

Email disclaimer

The practice uses an email disclaimer notice on outgoing emails that are affiliated with the practice stating:

PRIVACY & CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE

(The information contained in this email is confidential and may be protected by legal/medical professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, disclosure, publication or copying of this document and/or its attachment is unauthorised. If you have received this transmission in error notify us immediately by telephone and delete it.)

Email correspondence

Email correspondence sent to our email address is retained as required by the Public Records Act 2002 and other relevant legislation. Email messages may also be monitored by our information technology staff for system troubleshooting and maintenance purpose. Patient email address details will not be added to a mailing list or disclosed to a third party unless required by law.

The content of emails received from patients may be copied into a patient’s file note.