Went to a new clinic today. They asked for my residential address and said they don’t use email, just phone number for contact. I’m uncomfortable giving out my real details.
A couple of questions:
- Can they refuse to treat me if I don’t provide an address?
- Can they refuse to treat me if I don’t provide a phone number?
- Can they refuse to treat me if I insist to provide an email instead of a phone number?
Keen to hear what others in Aus do. Thanks.
do you want to continue going to the clinic? and receiving follow up information?
I am 100% wanting privacy. but id give a fucking clinic i am visiting my details so they can inform me of my results or follow ups.
is this a troll post? am I being whooshed?
Address and phone number is not essential. They can inform you with email
is this a troll post? am I being whooshed?
No
Depending on local laws they may not due to, ironically enough, privacy and sensitive information laws. In fact beyond appointment scheduling I’ve yet to go to a practice that used email in any meaningful way. Even getting my health summary info to transfer between practices, I had to do a whole song and dance that essentially equates to “we’re sending you all this but if it gets lost, intercepted or misdirected, you agree that’s your problem because we told you email is bad”.
They usually need an address to verify who you are (Medicare, benefits, script confirmation, patient differentiation) and a number so they can contact you regarding follow up’s (again to come in, not to discuss meaningful information). Keep in mind, practices, hospitals, etc also deal with drug seekers and mentally unwell individuals.
Beyond personal/sensitive information laws; they also want you to come in for any follow up/results because healthcare professionals like being paid for their time and up until Telehealth, couldn’t typical bill for phone calls. I get desiring privacy but given you’re going to be discussing and sharing personal health information with a clinician, this all seems a bit pointless tbh. Hence ol mate thinking this is a troll question I would guess.
When I worked for a family medical practice, many moons ago, if a patient refused to provide “demographic” information like this, we likely would just decline them as a patient, for liability reasons if nothing else.
Depending on local laws they may not due to, ironically enough, privacy and sensitive information laws. In fact beyond appointment scheduling I’ve yet to go to a practice that used email in any meaningful way. Even getting my health summary info to transfer between practices, I had to do a whole song and dance that essentially equates to “we’re sending you all this but if it gets lost, intercepted or misdirected, you agree that’s your problem because we told you email is bad”.
Why would email get lost, intercepted, or misdirected (compared to SMS)?
They usually need an address to verify who you are (Medicare, benefits, script confirmation, patient differentiation) and a number so they can contact you regarding follow up’s (again to come in, not to discuss meaningful information). Keep in mind, practices, hospitals, etc also deal with drug seekers and mentally unwell individuals.
In my experience, they don’t seem to verify or identify a patient by address. Even if I give them a fake one, they accept it. If they ever need to send something later, they’ll just confirm the address with you again. So I’d rather give them somewhere to send it, like a PO box, when they actually need it.
Beyond personal/sensitive information laws; they also want you to come in for any follow up/results because healthcare professionals like being paid for their time and up until Telehealth, couldn’t typical bill for phone calls. I get desiring privacy but given you’re going to be discussing and sharing personal health information with a clinician, this all seems a bit pointless tbh. Hence ol mate thinking this is a troll question I would guess.
It’s about keeping unnecessary people from knowing unnecessary information when there’s a perfectly good alternative like email.
When I worked for a family medical practice, many moons ago, if a patient refused to provide “demographic” information like this, we likely would just decline them as a patient, for liability reasons if nothing else.
In your experience, do they share a patient’s address, phone number, and medical info with any third party? Or does it stay within that practice permanently?
Why would email get lost, intercepted, or misdirected (compared to SMS)?
Email is not a very secure means of communicating. Generally emails are encrypted between each relay, but at them, they sit there until it’s encrypted again for the next hop. Email in general is not super secure unless you set up some form of encryption, like openpgp for example. The clinic also can’t necessarily determine if you’ve have the account one day, or whether it’s been compromised the next.
If you use email in a browser, that’s a whole new set of potential attack vectors (MiTM for example). Healthcare providers pay out the nose for secure messaging and email services (so your specialist can transmit results/findings to your GP for example). Which requires both parties to have specialised paid software.
In my experience, they don’t seem to verify or identify a patient by address. Even if I give them a fake one, they accept it. If they ever need to send something later, they’ll just confirm the address with you again. So I’d rather give them somewhere to send it, like a PO box, when they actually need it.
I would caution anyone about providing false information to healthcare providers. They may not necessarily immediately work it out but if your information is checked against a third party (certain medications are checked against a database or governing body if they’re scheduled/have high abuse potential) and found not to match, issues may arise. Like important medication scripts being cancelled. Still got that medication? You now possess a controlled substance without legal justification. This one of a myriad of reasons this is a bad idea.
In your experience, do they share a patient’s address, phone number, and medical info with any third party? Or does it stay within that practice permanently?
I don’t live in the capitalism funhole that is the US as a disclaimer. From my understanding, not without your permission (I.e. a GP suggest you see a specialist, you accept, they then coordinate and potentially, with your consent, send the referral). The only exception I can think of is providing information to law enforcement if you break the law at the practice (e.g. threaten staff, become violent etc). Breaching confidentiality is a big deal in the healthcare profession.
Generally they’ll retain your records while you’re an active patient and a minimum time after. When you become inactive, you can request a copy of your patient summary information. Though here I believe after a certain time, lacking any instruction, they’re obligated to de-identify and destroy patient records.
Long version
Medical records should not be kept forever. Under Australian privacy law, you have an obligation to destroy or permanently de-identify information collected for a specific purpose when you no longer need it for that purpose. Maintaining confidentiality is paramount when you destroy any medical records. Legislation in some states and territories requires you to keep a register of health records that are destroyed. This is good practice in any event.
You may also be compelled by law to provide documents to a third party. This might be through a legal document such as a summons or subpoena, a notice of non-party disclosure, or a warrant from police.
https://avant.org.au/resources/medical-records-the-essentials
From a medical indemnity providers site. Aka lawyers for doctors.
Thank you, this is very informative.
Though I have to argue that email is better than SMS, since SMS messages aren’t encrypted at all.
Email isn’t really encrypted either, depending.
You have no more control or assurance email will be encrypted than you do SMS. Neither one is - in any way - a secure communication channel.
Which is why no medical provider I’ve dealt with in the last 10 years sends anything sensitive via email (or sms).
They send an email/sms letting you know there’s a message for you, and to go login to their system to retrieve the message or test result.
I always use my VOIP phone number (endpoint is in a data center 100s of miles away from where I live) and haven’t gotten much trouble about that. Residence address is different. I’m in the US and they are required to collect it in case something goes wrong with a prescription and they have to send emergency crews after you or something. But, as far as I can tell, they didn’t try to verify it.
What did they say when you said you didn’t want to give an address or phone number?
They insist that you provide one.
It would be helpful if you would put in the title and description in which jurisdiction you live in.
edited
I bought a 2nd phone number from Hushed years ago when it was lifetime for $50. All bills, utilities, or credit cards have that number. Hushed is configured to straight to VM unless I need it.
Only friends and family now have my new real number that’s not recycled so I now get 0 spam calls.
For an address, I unfortunately just use my own bc a PO box is too expensive and inconvenient now.
Is this in Aus? Because you can get a free address at local AusPost to have mail directed to it and they hold it for a few weeks.
No, US. They charge a osmium for a small box, and over $150/mo for a bigger box. For me, the PO is on the other side of town, so I’m not in the mood to ever drive that way 😅
How does that compared to MySudo?
Not sure. It initially didn’t require anything besides email. So I faked the name, an email alias, no phone # or address or anything. Can’t speak to it now, but not bad then.
They do get their numbers from Twilio iirc, but again, most companies have my BS # and they go to VM. It’s helped cut down maybe bc my name isn’t directly tied to it either?
My “real” f&f # is through jmp.chat and Cheogram app on my LineageOS phone that’s never had a SIM/carrier configured. It has a custom vpn profile configured with kill switch, and I use a Moxee hotspot running a Calyx Sim for the T-Mobile network, with Rayhunter loaded.
What happens if you cite privacy concerns?
I’m asking because my clinic refuses to email or phone me, instead sending letters to my PO Box. Finding a different clinic hasn’t been successful yet either.
