$485 Revamp for Australia’s Online MyHealth Records

Australia’s health records system has taken a leap forward thanks to an announcement from Health Minister Sussan Ley over the weekend, changing the currently floundering opt-in service to an opt-out service, much to the approval of health practitioners.
The $485 million upgrade to the current electronic medical health records system is proposed to create a seamless transition for patients between GP visits, pharmaceutical scripts and ordered tests. It is also being designed to be more user-friendly to both the public and medical staff, and will include training and support for clinicians participating in the trial.
It will remain a user-controlled system, with patients able to control all or some of the information that is accessible by clinicians (and by extension, the Government).
Pathology Australia was keen to highlight the benefits of receiving, viewing and storing a patient’s test results in one place as significant for both the patient and their treating doctors. The changes could also help reduce unnecessary repeat or duplicate pathology tests.
“A common plea we hear from consumers is the frustration they feel when they have to repeat key information about themselves, their medical history, and current medications to multiple clinicians” says Leanne Wells, CEO of Consumers Health Forum of Australia.
“All health consumers deserve the benefits that information technology can offer their healthcare, benefits that are now taken for granted in other sensitive areas like personal banking,”
“CHF also welcomes the announcement of a single national screening register for cancers and the inclusion of a new, more effective test for cervical cancer on the Medicare Benefits Schedule that involves less invasive and less frequent tests for women at risk.
“We understand the new register will initially support the National Bowel Cancer and new National Cervical Cancer Screening Programmes.
Australian Hospital and Healthcare Bulletin will be running a feature on the current state of eHealth and the emerging technology that will open new doors in healthcare options in our Winter issue, due out June 2015.