When you engage with Converge and use our EAP services, we create a confidential clinical record of the services provided to you. This may include appointment details, assessments, correspondence and notes made by your clinician and use of your eligible services.
Can I ask for my clinical record to be deleted?
You may ask us to delete your information; however, Converge is generally unable to delete a clinical record on request.
The Australian Privacy Act does not provide a general “right to erasure” or an automatic right to have a clinical record deleted. Privacy requirements concerning the destruction of information generally apply when the information is no longer needed for a permitted purpose and is not required to be retained under another Australian law or a court or tribunal order.
Clinical records may need to be retained for specified periods to meet legal, regulatory, professional, clinical-governance and record-keeping obligations. Retaining an accurate record also supports continuity of care and provides a reliable account of the services delivered.
For these reasons, ending your services, withdrawing consent or asking for a record to be deleted does not necessarily remove Converge’s obligation or lawful basis to retain it.
What we can delete:
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Your online booking portal login details and access
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Your Application login details, activity (for Move challenge) and access
What we can’t delete:
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Your clinical record, use of clinical services, clinical notes, and the name linked to these data points.
What can I request?
You may ask Converge to:
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provide access to, or a copy of, the health information we hold about you, subject to any applicable legal exceptions;
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correct information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading; or
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attach a statement to your record explaining your position if you disagree with information in the record and it is not amended.
A request for correction does not necessarily result in the original clinical entry being removed. Where appropriate, a correction, clarification or additional statement may instead be added so that the clinical record remains complete and transparent.
How is my clinical record protected?
Clinical records are treated as sensitive information. Converge applies privacy, confidentiality and security controls to protect records from unauthorised access, use, modification or disclosure.
Information is retained only for as long as it is required or lawfully needed. Once the applicable retention requirements have been met and the information is no longer required for a permitted purpose, it is securely destroyed or de-identified in accordance with our record-retention practices and applicable law.
How to make a request
To request access to your record, seek a correction or raise a privacy concern, please go to https://convergeinternational.com.au/clientforms/ricf/
Privacy policy: https://convergeinternational.com.au/privacy
We may need to verify your identity before processing a request. We will review your request individually and explain the outcome to you.
If you are dissatisfied with our response, you may use Converge’s complaints process here: https://convergeinternational.com.au/feedback