Progressive Sports Medicine's Privacy Policy

Progressive Sports Medicine (PSM) is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of all personal and health information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW).

This Privacy Policy explains how PSM manages the personal and health information we collect and hold about you — why we collect it, how we use it, to whom it may be disclosed, and how we keep it secure.

PSM complies with the Australian Privacy Principles contained in Schedule 1 of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). These Principles govern how we collect, use, disclose, store and protect personal information, and how individuals may access and correct information held about them.

The purpose of this Privacy Policy is to clearly communicate how PSM collects, holds, uses and discloses personal and health information, including digital information (metadata) obtained through electronic communications and medical systems. It provides an overview of the kinds of information we hold and how we manage that information in accordance with law.

This policy covers:
– why and when we collect your information
– how we use and disclose your information
– accuracy, access and correction
– security and storage
– changes to this policy
– how to contact us and make a privacy complaint

PSM’s Privacy Policy relates to all personal and health information we hold about you. Because your information is critical to the care we provide, we are committed to honesty and transparency in how we handle it.



For all patients and users of our services in Australia, this policy explains how PSM collects and protects your personal information and your rights to access and correction.

At PSM, our goal is not only to deliver medical services but to continually improve patient care through responsible use of information and strict privacy controls.

To provide you with appropriate health-care services, PSM must collect and use certain personal and health information. If you choose not to provide information requested by our clinicians or administrative team, we may not be able to deliver the full range of services you require.

Progressive Sports Medicine (PSM) collects personal and health information from you when it is reasonably necessary for us to deliver health care and related services, or to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations under Australian law.

Your information is stored securely within our cloud-based practice management and medical records systems. These systems are hosted on secure servers that use encryption, multifactor authentication, and access controls to ensure compliance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). Where information is stored or transmitted using third-party cloud infrastructure, PSM takes reasonable steps to ensure that those providers maintain privacy and security standards consistent with Australian law.



Telephone Calls

Telephone calls to and from our practice may be recorded for quality-assurance and training purposes. We will always notify you at the start of a recorded call and obtain your explicit consent to continue recording. Consent is never assumed. You may ask for recording to stop or end the call at any time.

Purpose of Collection

We collect personal information only where it is necessary to:

• provide you with the health-care services you request;
• communicate with you, your referring practitioner, or other treating clinicians;
• claim payments or rebates from Medicare, private health funds or insurers;
• manage our practice operations, quality assurance and staff training;
• comply with statutory reporting, professional, or insurance obligations; and
• improve our service delivery through lawful quality-improvement activities.

Types of Information Collected

The types of information we collect may include:

• your name, address, date of birth and contact details;
• your Medicare number and private health-fund details;
• health information including clinical records, referrals, test results and treatment notes;
• occupation and relevant medical history, including family history where clinically appropriate;
• payment information necessary to process claims and payments; and
• any additional information you choose to share with us to facilitate your care.

This information assists our clinical team in diagnosing and treating your condition and in tailoring care to your circumstances. Sensitive information (such as ethnic background or lifestyle factors) is collected only where directly relevant to your care and with your consent.

PSM collects personal and health information only by lawful and fair means, and where possible directly from you or your authorised representative. We may also collect information from other health-care providers involved in your care (where you have provided consent or would reasonably expect us to do so).

PSM collects most personal information directly from you.  This could include:

• Information from a form online or in the clinic, or give it to one of our team on the phone
• We also collect personal information during our relationship with you. For example, we may collect personal information:
• When you pay your bill or make an appointment
• During a consultation
• Completing a form (online or in the rooms)
• We may also monitor and/or record telephone conversations with you from time to time in order to train staff and to improve our service to you.
• While visiting our website(s) and apps that may use cookies and other digital identifiers. These include: site performance identifiers: these give us information about how our websites or apps are used. This helps us provide you with a more user-friendly experience.
• Analytics cookies: we use these to gather statistics about our site and apps. For example, they help us monitor how many users are on the site or app, and what sections are most popular
• Advertising cookies: we use these cookies to improve our understanding of the kind of advertising that may be relevant to your aggregated segment.
• In some cases, telephone numbers or return addresses are required so that we can supply requested information to you. 
• Progressive Sports Medicine and our website developers are interested in the privacy and safety of our visitors. This website contains forms through which users may request information or supply feedback to us. 
• We may also track where you go or what you read in our website so that we can supply you with effective follow up information, but only if you have given us explicit permission to do so by filling out a form that asks you if we may do so.

We may also use cookies or digital identifiers so that when you visit third party websites, relevant advertising our practice can be displayed to your aggregated segment. It’s important to know you can clear cookies or digital identifiers from your device and also disable future use of them by changing the security settings on your web browser. However, doing this might mean that parts of our website(s) or apps may not work as they should.

In some cases, PSM receives information about you from other parties where this is permitted or reasonably expected in the context of your health care.

This may include:

• your referring doctor or other treating practitioners;
• pathology, imaging, or allied-health providers;
• insurers, employers, or third-party funders (e.g. workers-compensation agencies);
• family members, guardians, or carers (with your consent); and
• professional service partners who support practice operations (e.g. billing, IT support, or transcription providers).



When information is collected from others, we take reasonable steps to notify you of the collection, verify its accuracy, and ensure it is used only for your health-care or directly related administrative purposes.

Progressive Sports Medicine (PSM) may use personal and health information for the primary purpose of providing you with safe, high-quality medical care and for directly related administrative, billing and clinical management purposes.

We will only use or disclose your personal information for another (secondary) purpose if:

• you have provided consent; or
• the use or disclosure is otherwise permitted by law under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) or Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW).
• 

Clinical and Administrative Uses

Your information may be used to:

• provide, coordinate and manage your medical care;
• communicate with other health-care professionals involved in your treatment;
• process Medicare, private-health fund or insurance claims;
• maintain accurate billing and appointment records;
• support quality assurance, staff training and internal audits; and
• meet legal, professional or regulatory reporting requirements.

PSM uses secure, cloud-based systems to manage clinical information, scheduling, billing and outcome tracking. Access to these systems is strictly limited to authorised staff and contractors who require it for legitimate clinical or administrative purposes.

Credit Arrangements

If you enter into a payment plan or request deferred billing, limited financial information may be used to assess credit-related arrangements, in accordance with the credit-information provisions below.

Quality Improvement and Research

PSM may use de-identified and aggregated data for clinical audit, research, or quality-improvement purposes. This information cannot reasonably identify individual patients and is handled in accordance with APP 11 and the Health Records (Privacy and Access) Regulation 2017 (NSW).

Marketing and Communications

From time to time, PSM may use your contact details to provide information about health topics, clinic updates, or invitations to educational events that may be of interest.
You may opt out of receiving such communications at any time by following the unsubscribe link or by notifying our reception team.

• PSM does not sell or rent personal information to third parties, and we never use sensitive health information for marketing without your explicit consent.

“Sensitive information” refers to certain types of personal data that are afforded higher protection under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW).

This includes information about your:

• health, medical history and genetic information;
• racial or ethnic origin;
• political opinions or philosophical beliefs;
• religious beliefs or affiliations;
• sexual orientation or practices; or
• criminal record.

PSM collects sensitive information only when it is reasonably necessary for the provision of a health service or required by law. We will always seek your explicit consent before collecting or using such information, unless an exemption under the Privacy Act 1988 applies (for example, to prevent or lessen a serious threat to life, health or safety).

If biometric or digital identifiers (such as voice recordings, photographs or signatures) are used within PSM’s cloud-based systems — for example, through telehealth, online forms or secure patient-portal integrations — they are stored securely, encrypted in transit and at rest, and accessible only to authorised personnel.

Sensitive information is never used for direct marketing and is not disclosed to third parties for any secondary purpose without your consent.

Progressive Sports Medicine (PSM) may share personal and health information with members of your care team and other professional service providers directly involved in your treatment or administrative management. This may include employees, subcontractors, allied-health professionals, medical specialists, case managers and practice-support staff.

Where appropriate, PSM may refer you for diagnostic, imaging or pathology services and may consult with other specialists to support diagnosis and treatment. Only the information reasonably necessary for that purpose will be shared.

When your care involves multiple providers (for example, anaesthetists, surgeons, or rehabilitation clinicians), PSM shares only the information required for those providers to deliver their services safely and effectively.

All third-party providers engaged by PSM are bound by confidentiality agreements or contractual clauses that limit their access and use of personal information to the specific purpose for which it was disclosed.

PSM also works with carefully selected third parties that provide essential business functions such as:

• information-technology and cloud-hosting support;
• secure data storage and backup services;
• dictation and transcription;
• billing, finance and debt-management;
• website and analytics support; and
• marketing or communications assistance.

These service providers may have limited access to systems containing personal information solely for technical or support purposes and are contractually required to protect that information from unauthorised access, use or disclosure.



Cross-Border Disclosure

While all of our Practice Management software is hosted on servers located in Australia, some service providers may operate from, or store data on, servers located overseas (for example, in the United States, India or the Philippines).
When personal information is accessed or processed overseas, PSM takes reasonable steps to ensure that those providers handle it in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APP 8) and maintain data-protection standards equivalent to those required under Australian law.

PSM maintains effective control of all personal information at all times, including through due-diligence checks, contractual safeguards and regular review of each provider’s privacy and security practices.

Progressive Sports Medicine (PSM) understands that managing accounts and payments is an important part of providing professional healthcare services.

PSM may collect and use limited financial information when you apply for a payment plan or deferred billing arrangement. This may include your contact details, relevant payment history and employment information, to assess eligibility for such arrangements.

If a credit check is required, PSM will notify you beforehand and obtain your consent. We will not request a credit report for individuals under 18 years of age. Any information obtained will be used only to assess the suitability of a payment arrangement and will not affect your access to clinical care.

Once you become a patient, we may retain limited financial records (such as payment history and billing references) to manage accounts and ensure accurate financial reporting.
All financial data are stored securely within PSM’s cloud-based accounting and billing systems and are accessible only to authorised administrative staff.

PSM does not use credit-related or financial information for marketing or promotional purposes and does not disclose such data to external marketing agencies.

Where necessary, PSM may engage third-party billing, finance, or debt-recovery providers to manage overdue accounts.
These providers are bound by written agreements that restrict their use of information solely to account management and require compliance with Australian privacy and data-security standards.

In rare circumstances, where debts remain unpaid after reasonable attempts at resolution, PSM may refer the matter to a licensed debt-collection agency.
Only the minimum necessary personal details (such as your name, contact information and amount owed) will be disclosed.

If reporting to a credit-reporting agency becomes necessary, PSM will provide you with advance notice and comply fully with all requirements of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Privacy (Credit-Reporting) Code 2014 Version 2.1.

Progressive Sports Medicine (PSM) may use or disclose personal information when required or authorised by Australian law or by a court or tribunal order.

Examples include:

• preventing or lessening a serious threat to life, health or safety;
• assisting law-enforcement agencies in the investigation of suspected unlawful activity or serious misconduct;
• responding to a notifiable data breach as required under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth);
• complying with statutory or regulatory reporting obligations, such as those relating to public health, workplace injuries, or professional conduct investigations.

PSM will disclose personal or communications information only where a valid legal instrument—such as a subpoena, warrant or statutory notice—requires us to do so.
Each disclosure is reviewed internally to confirm it is lawful, limited in scope, and properly documented.

In any situation involving mandatory reporting or public-health requirements, PSM will disclose only the minimum information necessary to fulfil that obligation.

Outside these specific circumstances, PSM will share personal information only:

• with your consent, or
• where the disclosure is directly related to the primary purpose for which it was collected and you would reasonably expect such use or disclosure.

Our website uses Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, and similar analytics tools to help us understand how visitors use and interact with our site.
These tools use “cookies” or similar technologies to collect aggregated, non-identifiable data such as pages visited, duration of visit, browser type and device information.

These analytics providers may process data on servers located overseas (for example, in the United States).
Progressive Sports Medicine (PSM) takes reasonable steps to ensure that these processors comply with privacy and data-security standards consistent with Australian law, in line with Australian Privacy Principle 8 (Cross-border disclosure).

You can control the use of cookies by adjusting your browser settings or through the cookie-consent banner displayed on our website.
Disabling cookies may limit certain website functions, but essential site features will remain accessible.

Marketing and Communications

PSM may use limited, non-sensitive personal information (for example, your name and contact details) to provide you with relevant updates, health-education material or invitations to events consistent with your relationship with our practice.
All such communications comply with Australian Privacy Principle 7 (Direct Marketing).

We may contact you by email, SMS or telephone to provide information about PSM services or educational programs.
We do not share or sell personal data to advertisers or social-media platforms.

All marketing messages from PSM contain a clear opt-out option.
You can unsubscribe at any time by following the link provided in an email or by informing our reception team directly.

For online behavioural advertising served via third-party platforms such as Google Ads or Facebook, you can manage or disable ad-personalisation within your account settings or opt out of targeted advertising entirely.
General, untargeted advertising (such as social-media posts or printed flyers) may not be individually controllable.

Progressive Sports Medicine (PSM) takes data security seriously and applies comprehensive physical, electronic and administrative safeguards to protect personal and health information from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.



Our Security Measures

Our safeguards include:

• firewalls, access-logging and intrusion-detection systems;
• role-based access controls ensuring only authorised clinicians and staff can view patient files;
• cloud servers protected by multi-factor authentication and hosted in secure data centres compliant with Australian health-information standards;
• encryption of all data in transit and at rest using current industry standards (TLS 1.2 or higher);
• regular security audits, malware scanning and staff training on privacy obligations; and
• restricted use of removable media and secure storage for limited paper records.

If a suspected or confirmed data breach occurs that is likely to result in serious harm, PSM will act in accordance with the Notifiable Data Breaches Scheme under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), including notifying affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

Access to and Correction of Your Information

You may request access to personal information we hold about you at any time.
PSM will verify your identity before providing access to ensure that information is released only to authorised persons.

Access may be refused only in limited circumstances permitted by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) or the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW)—for example, where disclosure would unreasonably affect another person’s privacy or pose a serious threat to life, health or safety.

PSM aims to respond to access or correction requests within 30 days, where practicable.
There is no fee for access unless the request is complex or resource-intensive; any applicable fee will be reasonable and discussed with you before processing.

Accuracy and Retention of Information

PSM strives to keep all personal and health information accurate, complete and up to date.
If you believe our records are incorrect or incomplete, please contact us so we can correct them promptly in accordance with APP 13.

Personal information is retained for the period required by law (for example, at least seven years after the last contact for adults, or until a child turns 25).
After that period, records are securely destroyed or permanently de-identified.

Progressive Sports Medicine (PSM) recognises that your personal information is important to you.

If you have any questions, concerns or complaints about how your information is handled, please contact us using the details below.

You can reach us:

• By mail: 121 Norton St Leichhardt 2040
• By phone: (02) 8540 8019
• By email: info@progressivespecialists.com.au (attention: Privacy Officer)

Our Privacy Officer will acknowledge your enquiry or complaint within 7 days and aim to provide a written response within 30 days. If a matter is complex or requires external review, we will keep you informed of any delay.

PSM reviews and updates this Privacy Policy regularly to reflect changes in law or practice operations.
The current version was last updated in October 2025 and is available on our website.