With things progressing in digital health, it is important to stay on top of the game. There has been a lot of recent media attention surrounding digital health and that means your patients will be asking you questions.
Most people are optimistic about the benefits of having a My Health Record and feel that it allows them to take better control of their healthcare. It means they don’t have to remember the information themselves and it’s available when travelling or in an emergency.
Scott, a father of two from Coffs Harbour, recently attended a North Coast Primary Health Network consumer awareness event. He shared that he has had a My Health Record for some time now and states that “it makes appointments a lot easier.” He finds that it helps him when he is filling out paperwork, seeing more than one doctor and keeping track of his children’s medical records.
One of the most worrying topics for consumers is that of privacy and security. The Australian Digital Health Agency has many safeguards in place to protect the information held in the My Health Record system. These include:
- Strong encryption
- Firewalls
- Secure login/authentication mechanisms
- Audit logging
Record holders have the ability to set their own privacy and security features such as access codes to specific documents or their whole record. Patients control who sees their record and when, as well as being able to see who has accessed it by viewing their audit log within the record.
Professor Meredith Makeham, family General Practitioner and Chief Medical Adviser to the Australian Digital Health Agency said, “My Health Record empowers Australians by giving them secure access to their own healthcare information and supports them in managing their health conditions.”
The period to opt-out of having a My Health Record will be open until 15 October 2018. Individuals can visit www.myhealthrecord.gov.au or phone 1800 723 471 to opt-out or seek more information.
For provider support with My Health Record, contact [email protected] or phone (02) 6618 5400.
HealthPathways has recently added a My Health Record pathway that can give you the information you need as a practitioner about My Health Record.
Click here to visit the HealthPathway for My Health Record.
For a list of all localised pathways see:
Mid and North Coast Localised Pathways
Username: manchealth
Password: conn3ct3d
For further information about HealthPathways email [email protected] or [email protected].