AMA attacks e-health record plan

THE Gillard government's $466 million e-health record "won't work" , the Australian Medical Association says

THE Gillard government's $466 million e-health record "won't work" , the Australian Medical Association says.

The AMA says it could be dangerous if patients were able to hide information about abortions or their use of anti-depressants.

 AMA vice-president Steve Hambleton told an e-health conference doctors would not trust the new record if it did not contain all relevant patient information, and there was a risk of serious medical mishaps if information was kept secret.

And he says only doctors should alter information in the e-health record, which will be offered to patients from July 1, 2012.

"It should only be able to be changed by doctors who understand the implication of what is recorded, and this can certainly be done in consultation with the patient," he said.

The AMA's concerns fly in the face of Health Minister Nicola Roxon's promise that the e-health record would be personally controlled by patients.

Ms Roxon told the same e-health conference in Melbourne: "We understand that privacy is a key concern, and we are designing this project to take heed of privacy from the ground up.

"This will be a truly personally controlled record. That's why we're establishing new consent settings for sensitive information and auditing that doesn't currently exist for any of our records."

Dr Hambleton said if a patient wanted to hide the fact they were using anti-depressants, they might suffer serious adverse reactions if another medication was prescribed. A woman who tried to hide the fact that she had an abortion might leave midwives and obstetricians unaware she was at greater risk of cervical incompetence if she later became pregnant, he told The Australian.

Consumers Health Forum chief Carol Bennett said Dr Hambleton's views risked scuttling e-health.

"Consumers won't engage if there is an attitude that comes from the dark ages that doctor knows best," she said.

"Consumers have got to be in the driving seat or they won't adopt it."

Australian Reproductive Health Alliance chief Mary Merin-Ryan said privacy and confidentiality about abortion were paramount in developing the e-health record.