1. Introduction

Compass Fertility is committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality and security of personal information. As an assisted reproductive technology provider, we handle sensitive health and personal information and take our obligations seriously.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, store and protect your personal information and how you can access or correct it.

2. What information we collect

We may collect personal and sensitive information including but not limited to:

1. Identifying information such as name, date of birth, address, phone number and email address

2. Medicare details, private health insurance details and government identifiers where required by law

3. Health information including medical history, test results, fertility treatment information, genetic information and reproductive material records

4. Partner or donor information where relevant to treatment

5. Payment and billing information

6. Information provided through our website, patient portals, forms, emails or phone calls

7. Information collected during appointments, procedures and follow up care

3. How we collect information

We collect information directly from you wherever possible. This may occur when you:

1. Register as a patient

2. Complete forms or consent documents

3. Attend consultations or procedures

4. Communicate with us by phone, email or online systems

5. Use our website or patient portals

We may also collect information from third parties where necessary, such as referring doctors, pathology providers, imaging services, hospitals, laboratories, donors, regulatory bodies or government agencies.

4. Why we collect and use your information

We collect and use personal information to:

1. Provide fertility treatment and related medical care

2. Manage embryos, gametes and reproductive material safely and lawfully

3. Communicate with you about appointments, results, treatment plans and follow up care

4. Meet legal, ethical and regulatory obligations

5. Process billing, Medicare claims and health fund claims

6. Maintain accurate medical records

7. Improve our services, systems and patient experience

8. Conduct quality assurance, auditing and reporting where required

5. Disclosure of personal information

We may disclose your personal information to:

1. Medical practitioners, nurses, scientists and staff involved in your care

2. Referring doctors and healthcare providers involved in your treatment

3. Laboratories, pathology providers and diagnostic services

4. Donor registries, ART regulators and government authorities as required by law

5. Medicare, private health insurers and payment service providers

6. Technology and service providers who support our systems under strict confidentiality obligations

We do not sell or rent personal information.

6. Use of information for research and training

Where permitted by law, de identified information may be used for research, quality improvement, education or training purposes. Identifiable information will only be used for research where required approvals and consents have been obtained.

7. Storage and security of information

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access or disclosure.

This includes:

1. Secure electronic medical record systems

2. Access controls and role based permissions

3. Secure storage of physical records

4. Staff confidentiality obligations and training

5. Data backup and recovery processes

Information is retained for the period required by law and professional standards.

8. Overseas disclosure

In some cases, your information may be stored or processed using systems hosted outside Australia. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure overseas providers comply with Australian privacy requirements.

9. Website and online services

Our website may collect limited information such as IP address, browser type and usage data for security and analytics purposes. Cookies may be used to improve website functionality. You can adjust browser settings to manage cookies.

Submitting information through online forms or portals is subject to appropriate security measures.

10. Accessing and correcting your information

You have the right to request access to your personal information and to request corrections if it is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date.

Requests can be made by contacting Compass Fertility using the details below. Identification may be required before access is granted.

11. Complaints

If you believe your privacy has been breached, you may lodge a complaint with us. We will investigate and respond promptly.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

12. Changes to this policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time. The current version will always be available on our website.