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Occupational Therapy
Podiatry

Administration and Appointment Information

  • Standard Podiatry appointments are 20-30 minutes in duration.  

  • Standard Occupational Therapy appointments are 45 - 60 minutes in duration.  

  • Clients are expected to arrive at least 5-10 minutes before their appointment to ensure they find parking, they locate the practice (for new client’s), for toileting and to ensure they are present at the commencement of the session. This also applies to telehealth appointment to ensure all connections and technology are in working order.  

  • If clients are unable to attend their appointment, they should phone the clinic at least 48 hours before their appointment otherwise a cancellation fee will apply. TXT/SMS cancellations are not accepted. A full fee (plus GST) will apply for cancellations less than 3 hours or half the full fee (plus GST) for cancellation greater than 3 hours but less than 48 hours. Extenuating circumstances may be considered and need to be discussed with the treating practitioner. 

  • If parents, your child or their siblings are unwell or have just commenced taking antibiotics, parents/caregivers should refrain from bringing them to their appointment. Parents/caregivers are required to notify the clinic by phone should they need to cancel, reschedule or postpone an appointment due to unforeseen illness or health related matters as early as possible 

  • Earlysteps will TXT a courtesy reminder with the appointment date/time, the day before the client’s appointment. Clients SHOULD NOT rely on this TXT message and are responsible with keeping track of their own appointments. 

  • A parent or caregiver should be present in the clinic at all times. Parents/caregivers are welcome to sit in the reception area at the time of their child’s appointment. 

  • Parents/caregivers are responsible for taking their own children to the toilet. If siblings are present, they must be taken by the parent/caregiver to the toilet with the client. 

  • Children other than the client are welcome to attend appointments. However, they remain the responsibility of the parent/caregiver at all times. Please ensure that they do not play with equipment, interrupt sessions and keep noise to a minimum. Please note that where a client needs to use the toilet or the caregiver needs to visit a bank/Automatic Teller Machine (ATM), all children must accompany the parent/caregiver. 

  • At Earlysteps we are mindful that some clients have food sensitivities, intolerances, allergies and/or anaphylactic reactions. In order to prevent life threatening situations and to assist cleanliness at Earlysteps, there is to be no food or drink consumed in the Earlysteps premises. Secure drink bottles containing water are permitted. 

Currently being updated, including cancellation policy (new fee schedule commenced as of 1st November 2022)

Payments

  • Payments MUST be made on the day of the appointment via EFTPOS or Credit Card.  

  • Private Health Fund claims (via HealthPoint) are available onsite (please check with your health fund provider ahead of the appointment regarding your policy and reimbursement amount). Claims can be made at the time of the appointment, and clients or their caregivers will be expected to pay the gap amount in full. 

  • Medicare claims may be able to be made on site after FULL payment is received. A receipt will also be provided once full payment of the appointment fee is received for you to claim in your own time.  

  • Referrals under the Medicare schemes (such as ‘Chronic Disease Management’, ‘Helping Children with Autism’ or ‘Better Start for children with Disability') MUST be forwarded to the clinic 48 hours prior to the client’s appointment. This is to ensure paperwork is complete and can be processed in time for the appointment. Client’s who present the referral on the day of their appointment may not be able to claim through Medicare and are still responsible to make payment. Services will not be back dated. Earlysteps practitioners DO NOT currently provide services under the ‘Better Access to mental health’. 

  • NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) self-managed clients MUST pay for their service in full on the day of their appointment via EFTPOS or credit card. A receipt will be sent to you for your records.   

  • Receipts for clinic-based services will be emailed to clients or printed on the day of the appointment if requested. Receipts for community-based appointments (such as, school or home visits) will be emailed or posted with the clients next invoice when full payment is received.  

Communication 

  • Earlysteps offers several forms of communication including telephone, fax, paper or email. Email addresses are not readily provided and will only be given at the discretion of administration or the client’s treating practitioner. Emails will not automatically be replied to and are not an open form of communication. If there is anything you would like to discuss with the practitioner before your appointment or your matter is urgent, please contact the clinic by telephone so that matter can be attended to in a timely manner. 

  • Clients or their families are advised to keep all person-to-person communication with the practitioner until the time of their appointment and to notify the practitioner at the beginning of their appointment if there is anything in particular they would like discuss or to be covered. Any new requests made at or towards the end of the appointment will not be actioned and will need to be brought up again by the client or their caregiver at the beginning of their next appointment. 

  • Reports and letters will be provided to families in hard copy (electronic copies of letters/reports WILL NOT be provided unless in extenuating circumstances). 

  • Additional fees may be charged for letters and reports requested by the client or their family. 

  • Additional information regarding our services can be accessed using our website.

Collecting and Protecting Personal Information 

  • Information is collected during your (or your child’s) visit to Earlysteps to help provide the very best care. Information is collected to administer and manage the provision of health care services, including charging, billing and collecting debts. It is important that you provide us with as much information as possible to support your care. 

  • Information about you will be updated regularly. We aim to keep your information accurate and up to date at all times to make sure the best possible care and service can be provided. Please let a staff member know or contact us when your details change (such as residential or email address, phone numbers or local doctor). 

  • Earlysteps protects privacy by keeping personal information secure from unauthorised access, use or loss. 

  • Client information is stored securely and electronically in an offsite Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system managed by Earlysteps and a third party organisation. Information is also stored on the Earlysteps network. Your information is password protected and can only be accessed by staff involved in your care. 

  • Electronic questionnaires (including new client questionnaires and assessments) are gathered and stored using a third party organisation. Information is secure and password protected. This information can only be accessed by Earlysteps staff. If clients have any further questions related to this they can contact Earlysteps. 

  • All staff employed by Earlysteps have a duty to protect the privacy of personal information. Strict policies guide staff in the collection, use, release and disposal of personal information. This includes controls on password allocation for accessing Earlysteps computer and clinical management systems. 

  • We may disclose your information to organisations that provide services on our behalf. We take reasonable steps to ensure that these organisations are bound by privacy and confidentiality obligations when handling your personal information. 

  • Reports, letters or case-notes may be used at times internally (within Earlysteps) for training or quality assurance purposes by Earlysteps practitioners or students directly involved with the clients. Clients/caregivers are encouraged to discuss any concerns related to this with the primary practitioner or management. All practitioner and students will need to abide by Earlysteps strict confidentiality policies. 

  • We may use your contact details to ask you to join a research project or complete surveys being conducted by Earlysteps. 

  • Certain information relating to your visit may be forwarded to the Victorian Government Department of Health and Human Services (for example, NDIA), Department of Education and Early Childhood Development or client-management agencies (for example, Care Connect or Ronald McDonald Learning Program). 

  • In some circumstances, Earlysteps is required by law to release information. We may also be required to give information to bodies such as Child Protection or Victoria Police to assist with investigations. Information may also be provided to a court or tribunal when subpoenaed. 

  • Information can also be provided to your local doctor or specialist (such as, pediatrician). This may include summaries and treatment plans, particularly for clients receiving services through the Medicare schemes. 

  • We may also provide your information to third parties involved in your care who will treat your information in accordance with this document and other legal requirements. 

  • Other hospitals or centres that you visit may contact Earlysteps to obtain information so they provide you with the best possible care and treatment. We would ask for written authorisation before releasing any information to them. In an emergency situation however, we will release information about you or your child to facilitate your immediate care. 

  • General information about your or your child's condition may also be provided to your next of kin or a near relative listed in the new client questionnaire, unless you request otherwise. 

  • Apart from what is described above, no personal identifiable information will be released without your prior consent. 

2010 - present

2010 - present

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