APP compliance refers to the management of personal health information of a government organisation or a private agency openly and transparently, under the 13 legally enforceable principles under Australia’s Privacy Act 1998 called the Australian Privacy Principles (APP).
These 13 principles that govern APP entities that collect, use, and disclose sensitive health information are as follows:
APP 1: Transparent management
APP 2: Anonymity and pseudonymity
APPs 3-5: Collection of personal information
APPs 6-8: Use and disclosure of health information
APP 9: Government-related identifiers
APPs 10-11: Data quality and security
APPs 12-13: Access and correction of health information
Wherever reasonable and practicable in healthcare, these privacy principles guide APP entities like Heidi to hold accountability by lawful and fair means.
APP Compliance: Heidi Never Stores Recorded Audio
What Does It Mean that Heidi is APP-compliant?
Heidi is considered a health tool vendor or a business partner for healthcare providers, so it qualifies as an “APP entity”. It processes health information on behalf of a healthcare provider, like or hospitals, and this means that it must meet or operate on the same privacy standards expected of them.
Heidi treats health information as sensitive information, so the threshold for the disclosure, handling, and collection of data is higher than for ordinary personal data. Being compliant with all 13 APPs across the entire data lifecycle means clinical processes are protected against the loss, misuse, and unauthorised access of data.
Personal Information is Secure
Heidi takes active and risk-based measures to ensure personal information is protected at every stage of use. This includes secure infrastructure, strong access controls, encryption in transit and at rest, and continuous monitoring for misuse or unauthorised access.
Clinicians remain in full control of how long consultation information is stored within Heidi systems, and Heidi only processes information necessary to deliver the service safely and effectively.
Australian PII Remains Protected
Heidi processes health information from the consultation solely to support its core clinical purpose: generating accurate, real-time clinical documentation for clinicians. No secondary or unrelated use occurs.
Heidi complies with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), which continue to protect Australians’ personal information which is handled in line with these obligations at all times, with no sale, marketing use, or sharing beyond what is required to deliver the service.
Data Handling is Transparent
Heidi implements information management that is open and transparent. It maintains a clearly expressed and up-to-date policy around data privacy. This policy explains what is being collected, why, and how it is stored, who has access, and how individuals can request access or restriction for their data.
In the quest to make care accessible while supporting Australian clinicians, Heidi has helped bridge gaps in urgent care. The results that Heidi brought have made a huge impact:
Telehealth is just one of the many fields Heidi can streamline. Heidi continues to deliver timely, more human care thanks to the APP compliance it maintains.
How Does Heidi Maintain Compliance with the APPs?
To keep healthcare operating under secure guardrails, Heidi operates under a Privacy Agreement or Data Processing Addendum (DPA) that aligns with the APPs. The legal framework establishes a lawful basis for processing permissions and assigns specific roles for responsibilities.
Below are further details on how Heidi upholds compliance with the APPs.
Heidi conducts regular privacy audits
Heidi maintains internal policies and conducts routine reviews to ensure documentation practices reflect real clinical use. These records support audit readiness and demonstrate accountability for risk-related decisions.
For bigger changes, such as data sharing in alignment with new EHR or AI tools, Heidi conducts privacy impact assessments regularly.
Heidi obtains valid consent
Heidi ensures patients are fully informed about the necessity of providing their information, including clear collection notices and the legal repercussions of withholding it.
Heidi documents technical safeguards
Data quality is guaranteed through layered security measures, which include authentication, access controls, secure device policies, and encryption, among others. Clinicians control how long transcripts and drafts remain in Heidi. A secure process for disposing of old patient records is also in place.
Raise Security Standards in Your Organisation with APP-compliant Heidi
At Heidi, we are committed to assuring you that the data of your patients is well-secured. We have returned more than 18 million hours and counting to frontline clinicians in support of compliant documentation in Australia.
Got any additional concerns? We’re open to hearing more from you.
Why is APP compliance important for healthcare artificial intelligence?
Patient privacy is central to clinical trust, and any AI solution in healthcare must help health systems uphold that trust. The APPs are a privacy framework that protects how personal health information is collected, used, and stored in Australia. Since AI systems handle this sensitive data at pace and at scale, compliance with the APPs ensures transparency and fairness in every step of the patient experience.
How does Heidi’s APP compliance fare against other AI tools?
By design, Heidi is grounded in clinical safety, which is why it meets or exceeds APP requirements. Heidi doesn’t store audio, and it earns trust by meeting standards clinicians set for patient care. Not all AI tools in healthcare follow the same depth of compliance work, and you can find the updated comparison in our blog.
What can I share with my patients in relation to Heidi’s compliance with the Australian Privacy Principles?
Even with the emergence of AI-powered healthcare tools in Australia, data governance is led by you and your teams. Patients in your care deserve to be informed that their data stays private and secure under your control. With APP-compliant Heidi, you can share patient explainers and other resources that will come in handy in practice.
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APP Compliance - Heidi Patient Safety Series | Heidi AI
