EMAIL AND ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION POLICY

Policy Title: Communication with Patients by Electronic Means
Current as of: March 2026
Applies to: All Glenmount Medical Clinic team members

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1. Purpose

Glenmount Medical Clinic recognises that electronic communication can provide patients and healthcare providers with an efficient method of communication. However, electronic communication also carries privacy, confidentiality and security risks.

This policy outlines the practice requirements for communicating electronically with patients and other healthcare providers, including the use of email, facsimile and Short Message Service (SMS).

The practice is mindful that, even where patients have provided electronic contact details, they may not be proficient or comfortable communicating via electronic means. Patient consent must therefore be obtained before engaging in electronic communication where appropriate.

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2. Scope

This policy applies to all members of the Glenmount Medical Clinic team who use electronic communication as part of their role.

Electronic communication covered by this policy includes:

• Email
• Short Message Service (SMS)
• Facsimile and eFax
• Secure messaging systems
• Electronic communications used in connection with patient care

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3. Policy Statement

Glenmount Medical Clinic communicates with patients via electronic means with appropriate regard to privacy, confidentiality and security.

The practice follows recommended measures to reduce the risk of information being intercepted or sent to an incorrect recipient. These measures include:

• Verifying the patient’s email address and relevant contact details
• Obtaining appropriate patient consent before communicating electronically
• Using secure messaging facilities between healthcare providers where available
• Minimising the amount of personal and health information sent electronically where possible
• Documenting electronic communication and patient consent where required

Patients should be made aware of the potential risks associated with electronic communication, particularly where email communication is not encrypted.

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4. Electronic Communication with Patients

The primary reasons Glenmount Medical Clinic communicates electronically with patients include:

• Issuing appointment reminders through the HotDoc messaging system; and
• Sending clinic emails relating to consent for assignment of benefits for bulk-billed telehealth appointments.

The practice verifies the patient’s relevant contact details at the time an appointment is made.

The practice email address is:

info@glenmountmedical.com

Patients may use this email address to communicate with the practice, subject to the privacy and security warnings outlined in this policy.

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5. Email Security and Confidentiality

Warning Regarding the Security of Email Communications

The practice recognises that standard email communication may not be encrypted and therefore cannot always be guaranteed to be secure.

There is a risk that emails and attachments may be:

• Read by someone other than the intended recipient
• Intercepted during transmission
• Accessed following unauthorised access to an email account
• Forwarded, printed or stored by another person

For this reason, Glenmount Medical Clinic discourages:

• Healthcare providers from sending sensitive patient information to the practice by standard email where a more secure method is available; and
• Patients from sending their personal or health information to the practice via standard email.

Where possible, the practice prefers correspondence from other healthcare practitioners to be sent through secure messaging systems such as:

• HealthLink; and
• eFax.

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6. Sending Health Information to Patients by Email

In certain circumstances, the practice may agree to send information, documentation or a response to a patient by email at the patient’s request.

Where the information includes personal or health information, the following procedure must be followed.

Procedure for Sending Health Information by Email at a Patient’s Request

Before sending health information or documentation by email, the practice team member must:

Step 1 – Verify the Patient’s Identity

Contact the patient and complete a three-point identity check using:

• First name
• Family name
• Date of birth

Step 2 – Explain the Risks of Email Communication

Advise the patient that standard email communication may not be encrypted and that the practice cannot guarantee the security of the email once it has been sent.

The patient should be informed of the potential risks associated with email communication before proceeding.

Step 3 – Verify the Email Address

Send an initial email to the patient with:

• No health information; and
• No documents or attachments.

The purpose of this initial email is to confirm that the practice holds the correct email address for the patient.

Step 4 – Obtain Patient Confirmation and Consent

The patient must reply to the initial email to:

• Confirm their identity and email address; and
• Confirm their consent to proceed with email communication; and
• Acknowledge and accept the risks associated with communication by email.

Step 5 – Document the Consent

Once consent has been received:

• The patient’s response email should be printed or saved in PDF format; and
• Uploaded to the patient’s clinical record.

Step 6 – Send the Requested Information

Once the above steps have been completed, the requested information or documentation may be sent to the verified email address.

The practice email disclaimer should be included on outgoing practice emails.

Step 7 – Maintain a Record

The practice must maintain an appropriate record of information sent to the patient via email in accordance with this policy.

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7. Password Protection of Email Attachments

Where available and appropriate, Glenmount Medical Clinic uses 7-Zip to password protect email attachments containing confidential or sensitive information.

Password protection is an additional security measure and does not remove the risks associated with sending information by standard email.

Where password protection or other appropriate security measures are not available, staff should consider whether the information should be sent electronically or whether an alternative communication method is more appropriate.

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8. Communication with Other Healthcare Providers

Glenmount Medical Clinic prefers to receive and send clinical correspondence through secure messaging systems where available.

Secure communication methods may include:

• HealthLink
• eFax
• Other available secure messaging facilities

Standard email should not be used as the preferred method for transmitting sensitive patient information where a secure alternative is available.

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9. Staff Responsibilities

All members of the practice team are made aware of this policy during induction and are reminded of their responsibilities regarding electronic communication on an ongoing basis.

Practice team members must understand that electronic communications may be:

• Forwarded
• Intercepted
• Printed
• Copied
• Stored by others

Each member of the practice team is accountable for emails sent in their name or retained within their mailbox.

Staff are expected to use practice electronic communication systems in an appropriate and professional manner.

This includes, but is not limited to:

• Limiting the exchange of personal emails
• Refraining from responding to unsolicited or unwanted emails
• Deleting hoaxes and chain emails
• Not opening attachments from unknown senders
• Virus checking email attachments where required
• Using appropriate and professional language in electronic communications
• Clearly identifying personal opinions where applicable
• Protecting confidential information
• Using appropriate security measures when transmitting patient information

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10. Monitoring and Appropriate Use

Glenmount Medical Clinic reserves the right to check an individual’s practice email account where reasonably required as a precaution against:

• Fraud
• Viruses
• Workplace harassment
• Breaches of confidentiality
• Inappropriate use of practice communication systems

Inappropriate use of the practice email facility will be investigated and may result in disciplinary action, including potential termination of employment where applicable.

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11. Documentation and Record Keeping

Where electronic communication relates to a patient’s healthcare, the practice will maintain an appropriate record of relevant communication in accordance with this policy.

This includes, where applicable:

• Confirmation of the patient’s identity
• Verification of electronic contact details
• Patient consent to electronic communication
• Information or documentation sent to the patient
• Relevant patient responses

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12. Email Disclaimer

The practice uses the following disclaimer on outgoing emails affiliated with Glenmount Medical Clinic:

UNINTENDED RECIPIENT: This email and any attachments are confidential and may be subject to legal or other professional privilege or copyright. You should not read, copy, use or disclose them without authorisation. If you are not the intended recipient, any confidentiality or privilege is not waived. Please notify us by return email at your convenience and permanently delete both messages. Thank you for your assistance.

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13. Staff Awareness

All new practice team members will be introduced to this policy during their induction.

Practice team members will be reminded of their responsibilities regarding privacy, confidentiality and the appropriate use of electronic communication as part of their ongoing employment and practice responsibilities.

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14. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed regularly and updated as required to ensure that Glenmount Medical Clinic’s procedures for electronic communication remain appropriate and consistent with practice requirements.

Current Policy Version: March 2026