Healthcare Privacy & Security Guide

Six principles govern how Arcera is configured and operated in a healthcare environment.

Information capture is defined workflow by workflow. A typical reception workflow collects only what reception would need to action the enquiry.

• Caller name
• Callback number
• Appointment preference (new, existing, reschedule, cancel)
• Nature of the administrative enquiry
• Referral status, where relevant to the workflow
• Preferred clinician
• Preferred appointment time
• Whether the caller consents to a callback

Unnecessary information is not collected. The assistant does not request clinical history, symptoms, diagnoses, medication detail, payment card numbers or identity documents unless a specific workflow requires a field and the practice has approved it in writing.

Boundaries are configured explicitly and tested before go-live. Arcera does not:

• diagnose or interpret symptoms
• recommend, adjust or comment on medication
• provide psychological, counselling or crisis advice
• replace emergency services
• override practice policy or clinician instruction

Where a call indicates urgency or distress, the assistant follows the practice-approved escalation script, which directs the caller to emergency services or to a nominated staff member. Every workflow remains under practice control.

Arcera applies standard operational security controls. No certifications are claimed or implied.

Arcera aims to handle personal information consistently with the Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), as applicable to our operations, and to support the practice in meeting its own obligations as the treating entity.

Privacy requests from patients are directed to the practice as the responsible entity. Arcera assists the practice in locating and actioning records held on its behalf.

Arcera works alongside the systems a practice already uses rather than replacing them.

Supported integration methods vary by clinic, depending on the practice-management system, the permissions available and the software provider's approved integration method.

Where direct integration is unavailable, approved administrative handover workflows are used: the assistant captures a structured request and delivers it to the destination the practice nominates for reception to action. Direct booking is enabled only after the connection and handover process have been tested and approved by the practice.

1. Assessment

   Review of call flow, reception pressure points, administrative tasks, hours and practice systems.

2. Configuration

   Workflows, approved responses, information fields, escalation rules and handover destinations are built to the assessed scope.

3. Testing

   End-to-end call testing across normal, edge and escalation scenarios before any live traffic.

4. Staff Approval

   Reception and management review the responses and handover process, and sign off the configuration.

5. Controlled Implementation

   Go-live on the agreed scope, typically starting with one workflow or one call path.

6. Review

   Scheduled review of call outcomes, escalations, handover quality and configuration adjustments.

7. Optional Expansion

   Additional workflows are added only where the practice chooses to extend scope.

Where appropriate, practices may begin with a controlled implementation before wider deployment. This is an option, not a requirement.

A controlled implementation limits initial scope to a single workflow or call path, such as after-hours enquiries or busy-period overflow, with a defined review point before additional workflows are enabled.

How does Arcera protect patient privacy?

Through a minimum-information approach. Each workflow collects only the administrative fields required to action the enquiry, delivered only to destinations your practice nominates. Retention, access and recording settings are agreed with your practice during implementation.

Can calls be recorded?

Recording is a practice decision. It can be enabled, disabled or limited to selected workflows. Where it is enabled, caller notification wording and retention are agreed with your practice.

Can Arcera transfer calls?

Yes. Transfer rules are configured per workflow, so calls can be routed to reception, a nominated staff member or an external number according to the approved pathway.

Can reception take over a call?

Yes. Staff can take over or receive a transferred call at any point, and the assistant hands over with the information already captured.

Can we approve responses before launch?

Yes. Responses, escalation rules and handover procedures are reviewed and approved by your practice before the assistant handles a live call.

Can we configure different workflows?

Yes. Workflows are configured separately, so after-hours, overflow, new-patient enquiries and referral enquiries can each behave differently.

Does Arcera work after hours only?

No. After-hours is a common starting point, but the assistant can also cover business-hours overflow, lunch breaks, staff absences or a dedicated enquiry line.

Can Arcera answer multiple calls simultaneously?

Yes. Multiple approved enquiries can be handled at the same time, within your configured service capacity, with consistent responses across every call.

Can Arcera integrate with our existing software?

Where supported, yes. Where direct integration is unavailable, an approved administrative handover workflow is used so the enquiry still reaches your existing system or inbox.

How are updates managed?

Changes are made in configuration, tested, and released only after your practice approves them. The live configuration is version-tracked so the current behaviour is always a known state.

Who controls the assistant?

Your practice. Scope, hours, responses, escalation pathways, recording, retention and expansion are all practice decisions.

Arcera is configured around each practice's approved administrative workflows. The practice retains operational control over deployment, including scope, approved responses, escalation pathways, recording, retention and expansion.

Arcera is administrative in nature and is not a clinical system, medical device or diagnostic tool. This guide describes implementation and operational practice. It does not assert certification under any accreditation, standards or audit scheme.