My Health Record: doctor outlines pros and cons
The doctor has spoken: My Health Record can be a lifesaver but a “slow and clunky” pain to navigate.
Parramatta
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The doctor has spoken: My Health Record can be a lifesaver but a “slow and clunky” pain to navigate.
The government has extended the deadline for patients to withdraw from the system, which allows their health history to be viewed, until January 31.
Dr Annemarie Christie said an advantage was patients could control My Health Record and determine what information was visible but many had never opened it to check privacy settings or determined the data being uploaded.
“You can set an access code or other permissions to restrict access to your electronic file,’’ Dr Christie said.
“These can be temporarily overridden in a life-threatening emergency where you might not be able to grant access but where access to your information may help in saving your life.”
Dr Christie said the record allowed better co-ordination between health professionals and cut out the need for patients to remember long lists of medications.
Allergy records will reduce the risk of accidental exposure in hospital, and improve patient outcomes when changing doctors, she said.
However, Dr Christie said there were concerns about data being sold to third parties without patient permission and inaccuracies.
“If the data is incomplete or out of date, it may actually be more dangerous than having no data available,’’ Dr Christie said.
She also admitted the system could be slow and clunky, leading to long delays and systems crashing.
“If it is not quick and seamless, then clinicians will not use the system thus further compromising the quality and accuracy of the data,’’ she said.
She said the opt-out system required patients to have a good understanding of their health issues and be comfortable with technology.
“Not all patients will have this level of knowledge and access to services,’’ she said.
“Not all patients will make good decisions about what should and shouldn’t be in their health record.”
She also said unreliable access to internet in various parts of the country would compromise the use of the record.
If you have an existing My Health Record, cancel it at any time, including after January 31.
Shine Lawyers’ Michael Inger said the public needed to be assured that information was protected.
“There is always the risk that someone in bad faith may access such information,’’ Mr Inger said.
“Many people are concerned that such information may be supplied to third parties who will use the information for purposes that the person does not consent to.
“The con is that it may be detrimental to a person’s wellbeing to see such information.”
MY HEALTH RECORDS
● Almost 6.3 million Australians and about 26% of NSW’s population have a My Health Record
● Every person will have a My Health Record created after January 31, 2019
● The government does not need your permission to create this record — it will happen automatically. If you do not wish to have a My Health Record created then you need to opt out by visiting myhealthrecord.gov.au and click on Opt Out Now
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