Privacy Policy

This privacy policy sets out the information handling practices for Australian Association of Practice Management (AAPM) including our website and platforms operated by us. It does not cover personal information about our employees.

We strive to manage personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Act.

Personal information is information that may reasonably identify an individual. It includes things like names and email addresses and can include pieces of information which, when put together, identify a person.

Our primary goals are to:

• Represent and unite Practice Managers in the profession of Practice Management throughout the Healthcare Industry
• Promote Professional Development and the code of ethics through leadership and education
• Provide specialised services and networks to support quality Practice Management

The functions and activities we carry out to achieve these goals, and for which we collect and hold personal information include:

• Managing the membership details of Practice Managers in AAPM
• Conducting educational and training courses
• Holding events such as conferences
• Providing products and services including:
  • providing mentoring and scholarship schemes
  • conducting, and making available the results of membership surveys
• Providing and exchanging information through various channels such as newsletters, other publications such as AAPM Journal, social media sites, and our website.
• Lobbying and making submissions to government and others about improving healthcare administration.
• Carrying out a range of research, data collection and analytic activities to:
  • identify member and prospective members’ needs and ensure our products and services meet those needs
  • identify prospective members and provide marketing approaches designed to recruit new members
  • to provide up-to-date information to support lobbying activity and make submissions on issues
• Entering into relationships with sponsors and other partners to financially support AAPM activities.
• Providing third party services for HR services accessible by members by phone. In this scenario the third-party provider will collect and hold personal information about members on our behalf. They may also use this information for their direct marketing

Staying Anonymous

You may browse our website anonymously (however cookies may identify your IP address). If you identify yourself, at that point we will collect information about you.

Membership

We collect and hold information from members or prospective members through membership related applications. This information includes name and contact details, gender and career history. We also collect date of birth to enable us to uniquely identify members and to assess what products and services may be most suitable and of interest for members. We protect date of birth information by limiting AAPM staff access to those that actually require this information.

For ongoing membership management, we collect information from members about the reasons for discontinuing membership such as retirement, ill health or career change. For upgrading membership we collect (with consent): education qualifications, career history, criminal history, evidence of bankruptcy and referee comments.

Events, Education and training

We collect and hold information provided by members and non-members through applications to attend events such as conferences and briefings. This includes, if applicable:

• Sensitive information such as dietary or mobility requirements
• Image (video or photographs) or sound recordings (but only if you have not opted-out from this)

We keep a record of the events and workshops a member or non-member has attended.

Research

We commission market research about members and non-members, such as the Salary Survey and Member Satisfaction Survey. However, we only collect and hold the information gained from the research in aggregate form and do not connect it with any records we hold about individual members or non-members.

Notice where you give us information about third parties

If you give us personal information about any other individuals (e.g. guests attending a conference or other event) we ask that you tell the individual that you have done so and make them aware of this Privacy Policy, for example, by giving them the link to it.

We use information we collect and hold through membership, educational and training course and event applications or attendance to:

• Administer and meet member requirements for the particular service, course event or program.
• Help us improve the particular service, event or program
• Identify and analyse member and non-member activities and interests in order to better meet member needs and attract new members
• Enable us to target marketing communications to members and non-members

We will not use your personal information for any purpose which you would not reasonably expect unless it is consistent with the Privacy Act. If we think a member may not expect a particular use of information we hold about them, we ask for consent before we use it for that purpose.

Sound and image recordings of events

We use sound and image recordings of our events to enable us to provide access to education to people unable to attend in persons, and for promotional purposes. We will give you a chance at the time you apply to participate in an event to indicate if you do not want us to use your voice or image. You can also contact AAPM if you want to express your preference.

Marketing communications

We send marketing material to members and non-members about the products and services that AAPM provides that will think might be of personal and/or professional benefit. These products or services may extend beyond those provided by AAPM and include special offers from third parties.

We give you the chance to opt-out of receiving marketing material in communications we have with you, such as forms, letters or emails. Each of these communications will include in "Unsubscribe" link. Or you can contact us using the details below or log-in to our website at www.aapm.org.au

Unless you have opted out, we will provide marketing communications to members and non-members until 12 months after cessation of membership, or, in the case of non-members, 12 months after your last interaction with us.

Sensitive information

We only use and disclose sensitive personal information such as health information or criminal history for the purposes for which you gave it to us or for directly related purposes you would reasonably expect (if applicable).

Events

We disclose the name, title and post nominal of event participants to speakers, organisers, hosts or facilitators under strict conditions to enable them to carry out their role in relation to an event, for example, to organise table lists, or facilitate introductions. We also disclose this information to sponsors and potential sponsors to enable them to assess whether or not to sponsor an event and disclose this to providers of special member offers from time to time under strict conditions.

Publications

We disclose information about members to other members via AAPM publications – for example, about Fellows, Ambassadors, or the recipients of awards and scholarships.

Contractors and partners

We disclose personal information to contracted service providers who assist us with a number of our functions and services including service providers of technology, data processing, contact centre, legal, accounting, business consulting, auditing, archival, delivery, banking, payments, market research, content production and mailing but only for the purpose of fulfilling those services.

We disclose information to partners in some of our programs, for example, about applicants for scholarships to assist us with scholarship candidate assessment or nominations for awards such as Practice Manager of the Year.

Disclosure with consent

With your consent we disclose personal information in a number of circumstances. This could include disclosing to your employer the fact that you are an AAPM member, the nature of your membership, the AAPM education events you have attended.

Where authorised or required by law

As authorised by the Privacy Act we disclose personal information in connection with law enforcement activities by enforcement bodies, for example, Australian Securities and Investments Commission investigations or other investigations into suspected fraud or unlawful activity.

We are required by the Corporations Act 2001 to allow an individual to inspect the AAPM member register and view current and past members’ names and addresses. However, the Corporation Act prohibits the individual from using the information gained to contact or send material to members, and from using it for other prescribed purposes.

Exemptions which may apply when deciding whether or not to provide an individual with access to information about them include any of the following which may be relevant:

• this would unreasonably impact on the privacy of other individuals (APP 12.3(b))
• the request is frivolous or vexatious (APP 12.3(c)
• the information relates to existing or anticipated legal proceedings between the parties, and the information would not be accessible through discovery (APP 12.3(d))
• access would reveal the intentions of the entity in relation to negotiations with the individual in such a way as to prejudice those negotiations (APP 12.3(e))
• this would be unlawful (APP 12.3(f))
• denying access is required or authorised by or under law (APP 12.3(g))
• the entity has reason to suspect that unlawful activity or misconduct of a serious nature that relates to its functions or activities has been engaged in, and giving access would be likely to prejudice the taking of appropriate action in relation to the matter (APP 12.3(h))
• providing access is likely to prejudice enforcement related activities conducted by or on behalf of an enforcement body (APP 12.3(i)), and
• providing access is likely to reveal evaluative information generated within the entity in connection with commercially sensitive decision-making processes (12.3(j)).

Email

If you send us an email, that address will be recorded automatically by our e-mail messaging system for the purpose of replying to your e-mail. However for normal communication with you we will use the e-mail address you provide in your membership application/renewal, unless you ask us to use a different e-mail address.

When we send you emails or other electronic messages, we record information about your interactions with the email including when and where you open the message and click on particular links.

This helps us to better understand what information is of interest to you and to improve the content.

Website

This section applies to our website under the domain name aapm.org.au and any platforms controlled by us.

We use Google Analytics to collect a range of information about your interactions with our website. Google Analytics collects the information using a number of techniques including cookies and Java Script. We also use Google Analytics to collect information from the browsers of those who participate in the Company Directors LinkedIn group.

The information we collect includes IP address, domain name, date and time of visit, the pages visited and time spent on each page, whether you have visited the site before and what site referred the visitor to the web page. We use this information to evaluate the effectiveness of our website and the level of interest in AAPM pages.

Information about how Google handles personal information is available at http://www.google.com.au/intl/en/policies/privacy/.

You can opt out of the collection of information via Google Analytics by downloading the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Our website may contain links to other sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or policies of those sites and we suggest that you review their privacy policies.

Social media

We participate in social media such as our Facebook & LinkedIn groups, Instagram or Twitter. If we think it is relevant to the quality of service that AAPM provides or its objectives, we sometimes record the nature of the topic discussed by a particular individual and their name and follow up with further conversation offline about which we take notes.

Social media services also handle your personal information for their own purposes. These sites have their own privacy policies.

We regularly assess the risks of misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure of personal information and ensure that we have adequate measures, including policies, procedures and technology, to address those risks. For example, we limit staff access to personal information to that which they need to carry out their role. We conduct regular internal and external audits to assess whether we have adequately complied with or implemented these measures.

We hold most information about members and non-members for 7 years.

Testimonials

If you provide us with a testimonial, you give us your consent for the use of your name, image (if applicable) and date and content of the testimonial to be displayed on our website or other marketing material. We will use your testimonial for as long as the content is relevant. You may withdraw your consent.

You have a right to ask for access to the personal information we hold about you. Unless there is a lawful reason not to, we will give you access to it and allow you to correct any wrong information.

We will ask you to verify your identity to ensure we don’t give information to the wrong person. If we don’t give you access to your personal information or refuse to correct it we will tell why. You may ask us to make a note of your requested correction to be located alongside information we have not agreed to correct.

Our contact details are:

Address: AAPM National Office | Suite 209, Level 2, 517 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Victoria 3000
Phone: 1800 196 000
Fax: 03 9329 2524
Email: nationaloffice@aapm.org.au

Requests for Access and Complaint Resolution Mechanism

In the event that you have a question, concern or complaint regarding the way in which we handle your personal information, you should contact our Privacy Officer using the contact details set out above.

We take your privacy concerns seriously. Where you express any concerns that we have interfered with your privacy, or seek access to information about you that we hold, we will respond within 48 hours to let you know who will be handling your matter and when you can expect a further response.

If you are unsatisfied with our response you can complain to the Office of the Information Commissioner Telephone: 1300 363 992. Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au

We will amend this policy from time to time and notify you of any amendments through our publications and by posting an updated version on our website www.aapm.org.au.

Suggestions about improving this policy are welcome. Please contact us through www.aapm.org.au should you wish to provide feedback.