Your Privacy and Data

Data

Your clinical data is retained in accord with Australian privacy and clinical record keeping legislation.  Third parties do not have access to it, except where necessary.

Use of artificial intelligence

AI is increasingly used to listen to or record sessions, and generate notes or letters. I understand the convenience of this to my colleagues, but it is not the way I practice. Sessions with me are not recorded, and I do not use generative AI to write notes or letters. 

I do use a commercial medical AI transcription service for dictation. With regard to your information, the company undertakes to process it in Australia and not to retain it longer than is required to make the transcript (ie a few minutes).  No human transcriptionist is involved, which I hope increases your privacy. 

I routinely use OpenEvidence, a commercial service that summarises the professional literature and may help tailor specific details of your care, but this does not involved detailed clinical information about you.

Supervision and collaboration

Discussing patient care with colleagues in a sensitive way is an essential part of psychiatric practice. The purpose of this is to ensure best practice care for you, and is a mandatory part of psychiatric practice in Australia.

If you are referred to me as part of a multidisciplinary team's care, I will endeavour to maintain your privacy while also helping the team understand your situation.  This is an individualised and sometimes challenging decision, so please feel free to tell me if there are certain things you would not want disclosed.

Discussing individual patient care with a clinical supervisor is an important part of checking my own thinking process.  This is done in an anonymised way, and I also take steps to ensure that the supervisor does not know you personally. The supervisor also has professional privacy obligations to you.