Contact Details

Please inform our reception staff if your current contact details have changed so that your information in our system can be updated. This includes phone number, address, Medicare card details, Pension card details, next of kin and any other relevant information.

Cultural Status

We encourage patients to identify their cultural status to us so that we can do our best to offer any specialised services available, particularly as part of The Closing Gap Health Initiative in Australian Health Policy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Language and Interpreter Services

If English is not your preferred language or you are deaf, you may require an interpreter. Please advise the receptionist at the time of making your appointment if an interpreter is required, your preferred language and dialect, or for deaf patients whether an Auslan sign interpreter is required.

Follow-up Appointments

Your doctor is obligated to review patients with abnormal test results or if further assessment is recommended. Even patients with normal test results may need a follow up consultation in order to assess the medical problem further, particularly if it has not resolved. If you receive notification to attend for a recall visit, please contact our reception staff to book an appointment with your doctor.

If your symptoms are not settling or if they are worsening, it is recommended that you make another appointment to see the doctor.

Electronic Scripts and Pathology Referrals

During telehealth consultations, the doctor may send you email pathology referrals or ePrescriptions by SMS. Please make sure that we have your updated contact details so these can be transmitted correctly when this service is needed.

Test Results

In order to discuss your results it is recommended that you make an appointment with the doctor. Results are not provided by phone. Most tests are available within two to five working days, unless advised otherwise.

Prescriptions, Certificates and Referrals

An appointment with your doctor is required in order to issue a prescription or perform a certificate or a referral.

Reminders

The practice is committed to preventative care. We ask your permission for you to be included in our reminder system. As part of this reminder system, you will receive reminders for pap smears, immunisations, blood pressure checks, skin cancer checks and health assessments if they are recommended by your doctor. If you do not want to be part of this system, please advise the doctor or the receptionist.

SMS Appointment Reminders

Our practice software sends out automatic SMS text reminder messages to patient’s mobile phones the day before a scheduled appointment. If you do not want to be part of this system, please advise our receptionists.

Telephone Calls

Our doctors prefer not to be interrupted during consultations, except for emergencies. The receptionist will take a message from you and relay them to your doctor when they are available. It is recommended that for medical matters that are of concern to patients that an appointment is made with the doctor in order to assess and manage the condition appropriately.

Change of Address or Custody

Changes in you address or contact details should be provided to our receptionist when attending the practice. It is requested that if there are any changes in child custody arrangements that court documentation is provided to the doctor at the time of the consultation.

Health Information and Privacy Policy

It is the policy of this practice to maintain strict confidentiality and security of patients personal health information at all times, and to ensure that this information is only available to authorised members of staff. All staff members are trained in computer security. In compliance with the Commonwealth Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000, and the Privacy Amendment Act (2014), Armstrong Street Medical Centre has a Privacy Policy, which is available on request and which complies with the Australian Privacy Principles.

Our practice uses a computerised medical record system to record your personal information and medical information, and has engaged a dedicated IT provider to maintain our computer systems. The practice has installed a 24 hour security system to ensure the security of the premises.

This practice submits patient data to various disease specific registers (cervical, breast, and bowel screening registers) to assist with preventative health management with patient consent.

Medical records are the property of the practice. Patients have the right to access their medical records under the Privacy Act 1988 and the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic). Only written requests on the appropriate practice form for access to medical records will be accepted.

Click here to read our full Privacy Policy.

Zero-Tolerance Towards Violence Policy

The clinic has a zero-tolerance policy towards violence and aggressive behaviour. Verbal and physical aggression towards our staff will not be tolerated. Where a patient or carer displays aggression or violence, our general practitioners have the right to discontinue the care and our staff have the right to ask those involved to leave the clinic. The staff also have the right to activate our duress system and ask for the police to attend if they feel threatened.

Your Rights

Despite our best intentions, complaints may arise. Our practice deals with complaints in a courteous and understanding manner. Patient satisfaction affects health outcomes and our practice acknowledges that patient complaints are an important source of customer feedback. We welcome your suggestion on how we can improve the practice, so please feel free to speak to the practice manager or receptionist. If there are more serious complaints, it is preferable to write to the practice manager outlining the problem. If there is a need to make a formal complaint, please contact the Health Care Complaints Commission's inquiry service toll free 1800 136 066.

Quality Improvement Activities and Initiative

The practice engages in quality improvement activities in several ways, and we update our practice policy and procedures in line with the guidelines provided by professional organisations and from suggestions provided by patients.

The practice seeks and responds to patient feedback on their experience of the practice to support quality improvement activities. We have a suggestion box at reception for patients to confidentially provide feedback. The practice offers an anonymous online customer satisfaction survey to patients who have attended the clinic that day to provide feedback about their experience and to seek suggestions to improve the quality of the service. The practice also uses anonymous paper-based patient questionnaires on occasion in order to get patient feedback. Patients are also encouraged to provide their doctor and our reception staff face to face feedback during their visit. Patients are also encouraged to provide their doctor and our reception staff face to face feedback during their visit.

The practice has instituted several changes that have improved the service we provide to patients including:

• Expanding the services offered at the clinic,
• Recruiting allied health to provide services at the clinic,
• Calling patients if the doctor is running late by over 15 minutes,
• Practice newsletter in the waiting room and online with information about any new services offered at the practice,
• Online bookings on our website and on the HotDoc app for new patients and existing patients of the practice,
• Smartphone HotDoc app on which online appointments can be made,
• SMS notifications and confirmations of appointment for patients who have given consent for SMS messaging,
• SMS recalls and reminders for patients who have given consent for SMS messaging,
• Health reminders regarding to preventative health measures when patients make an online appointment or confirm an appointment,
• Expanding the hours the clinic opening hours,
• Telehealth phone and video consultations,
• Sending prescriptions by SMS to patients' smartphones,
• Sending pathology referral to patients by email,
• Expanding our after-hours telehealth service,
• Check-In kiosk at the clinic entrance so patients don’t have to call to advise reception that they have arrived for their appointment,
• Remote smartphone check-in for patients waiting within 100 meters of the clinic so patients don’t have to call to advise reception that they have arrived for their appointment,
• “Next in the Que” service using HotDoc app to advise patients how many patients are ahead of them to see their doctor, · Improve telephone system offering phone extension options to decrease phone waiting times,
• Asking patients 10 years old and over with contagious illnesses to wear masks while in the clinic to reduce the risk of transmission of infection in the clinic to vulnerable patients,
• Reception sneeze screen,
• Increasing the number of hand sanitiser stations in and around the clinic,
• Upgrading IT, internet, online bookings, security, phone and communication equipment and services,
• A new suggestions box in reception for patients to provide anonymous feedback.

Social Media

Armstrong Street Medical Centre supports the responsible use of social media to promote accurate health information and practice services, engage with the community in a professional and ethical manner, and protect the confidentiality, privacy, and dignity of patients, staff, and stakeholders. The clinic does not use many social media platforms but has its main listings on the HotDoc booking platform, the Healthdirect website, and Google. Patients are advised to take care if they received unauthorised requests for information from any social media platform, and if in doubt to notify the practice

HotDoc Smartphone Booking Platform, Services and Data Security

The HotDoc online booking service allows patients to book online 24x7 via the clinic website or the HotDoc app. With HotDoc electronic appointment reminders, patients can instantly confirm, cancel or rebook their appointments if they provide adequate notice (cancelling an appointment with less than 24 hours' notice may result in a late cancellation fee from the practice). HotDoc electronic clinical reminders and results notification uses a secure fully trackable electronic system which meets accreditation requirements for security and patient confidentiality to notify patients when they are due for a medical review and if their doctor as received results or correspondence that they would like to discuss with you. The HotDoc smartphone app has a mobile check-in function that allows you to let reception know you have arrived. The clinic also has a HotDoc kiosk on the front patio to allow patients to register electronically.

HotDoc advises to ensure the message you receive is genuine and sent by HotDoc:

1. Check the sender. Our emails will always come from hotdoc.com.au or hotdocmail.com.au — always check the spelling, as malicious actors may use domains that look similar. HotDoc has protections in place to help your email provider detect if an email claims to be from us but is not from us (SPF/DKIM). Look at your emails and review any warnings carefully.
2. Check the link. All Hotdoc links will take you to hotdoc.com.au or htd.io — it’s critical that you always check the spelling, as malicious actors may use links that look similar.
3. Check the contents of the message you’ve received. Typically, HotDoc include information that only HotDoc and your practice would know, including:
   • Your name;
   • Your practice or doctor’s name;
   • Your appointment details;
   • Private information that has only been shared with HotDoc or your practice.

HotDoc now allows muti-factor identification to help you protect your account online. We strongly recommend patients using HotDoc enable this function for added data security.

Emails and SMS Communications

Communication with patients via electronic means is conducted with appropriate regard to privacy. Our practice’s primary reason for communicating electronically to patients is to issue SMS appointment reminders and encrypted SMS medical recalls and reminders using the HotDoc platform. When the practice communicates with other medical services, we prefer to communicate via encrypted electronic messaging services. Patient consent is obtained when registering with the practice through the patient registration form which documents the risks associated with electronic communication being that the information could be intercepted or read by someone other than the intended recipient.