Articles and Case Studies

Must I report this privacy breach?

12 Jun 2019

by Karen Stephens

Under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme, if a privacy breach occurs in your practice and it’s likely to result in serious harm, then you must notify the individuals involved as well as the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

Here’s a handy flowchart to help you assess each situation and make an informed decision about reporting the privacy breach.*

* This information is based on the Privacy Amendment (Notifiable Data Breaches) Act 2017 which came into effect on 22 February 2018.

Download a PDF of this flowchart for use in your practice.

Read our article – Information security: prevention is better than cure – which outlines practical steps you can take to protect the information you hold.

Karen Stephens
Risk Adviser, MDA National

Confidentiality and Privacy, Medical Records and Reports, Regulation and Legislation, Anaesthesia, Dermatology, Emergency Medicine, General Practice, Intensive Care Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ophthalmology, Pathology, Practice Manager Or Owner, Psychiatry, Radiology, Sports Medicine, Surgery, Physician, Geriatric Medicine, Cardiology, Plastic And Reconstructive Surgery, Radiation Oncology, Paediatrics, Independent Medical Assessor - IME

Library

Reportable Deaths and Coronial Matters

MDA National's Daniel Spencer (Case Manager - Solicitor) and Karen Lam (Medico-Legal Adviser) discuss when a person's death should be reported to the Coroner and what to do if the Coroner requests a statement or report.

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Death Certificates

When a doctor can write a death certificate (where the death does not need to be reported to the Coroner), considerations when writing the death certificate and how to complete it accurately.

Videos & Webinar recordings

15 May 2025