Communication Policy

This policy explains how Advanced Performance Clinic communicates with you, how quickly you can expect a response, and what our channels are and are not suitable for. Read it alongside our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

How we contact you

We contact you using the details you give us. Our channels are email, telephone, and the telehealth video platform used for your consultation. Where a patient portal is available to you, secure messages within the portal are also used for matters relating to your care.

The email address you provide at intake is the address we use for appointment information, results-related correspondence and account matters, so please keep it current and tell us if it changes.

Response times

We aim to respond to general enquiries within 2 business days, and to account and billing enquiries within 5 business days. Clinical questions are passed to a practitioner, and the time to respond depends on clinical priority and practitioner availability. If something will take longer than expected, we aim to tell you rather than leave you waiting.

Our care team operates during business hours. Messages sent outside business hours, on weekends or on public holidays are picked up on the next business day.

What our channels are not for

Email, messaging and the patient portal are not monitored continuously, so they are not suitable for anything urgent. Do not use them to report a medical emergency, a suspected serious adverse reaction, thoughts of self-harm, or a rapidly worsening symptom.

In an emergency, call 000. For urgent but non-emergency care, contact your general practitioner, an after-hours medical service, or healthdirect on 1800 022 222. For mental health support, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Telehealth is not suitable for all health concerns, and your practitioner may recommend in-person assessment, urgent care, a general practitioner review, a specialist referral, further investigation, or no treatment, depending on your circumstances.

Confirming who we are speaking to

Before we discuss your personal or health information, we confirm your identity. We will not discuss your information with another person, including a family member or partner, unless you have authorised it or the law requires or permits the disclosure. If you would like someone to act or receive information on your behalf, tell us and we will record that authority.

Security of what we send

Standard email is convenient but is not a fully secure channel. Where we send you sensitive information by email, we keep it to what is necessary and, where a secure alternative is available to you, we use that instead. You can ask us to use a particular channel for your correspondence and we will accommodate that where we practicably can. Our Privacy Policy sets out how we protect your information more generally.

Marketing and your preferences

We only send marketing communications where you have opted in, and opting in is never a condition of receiving care. Every marketing message includes an unsubscribe link, and you can opt out at any time without affecting the communications we send about your care and your account.

Communications about your appointments, results, account and safety are not marketing, and we will continue to send them while you are our patient because they are part of providing your care.

To change your contact details or your communication preferences, email us at [email protected].

Recordings

We do not record consultations unless you have been told and have consented. Your practitioner makes written clinical notes as part of your record, which is standard practice. You may request access to your record as set out in our Privacy Policy.

Concerns about our communication

If we have been hard to reach, slow to respond, or have contacted you in a way you are not comfortable with, please tell us. You can raise it with us under our Complaints Policy, or email [email protected] directly.