MHR
About My Health Record in ED
As healthcare in Australia moves into an electronic age, emergency department (ED) clinicians need to be aware of recent developments in digital health to help achieve the best outcomes for their patients.
What is My Health Record?
A My Health Record is an electronic collection of patient health information. A record is available to all Australians registered for Medicare or holding a Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) card.
The content in My Health Record is growing as more public and private health services and healthcare professionals connect and upload patient information. In time, this will improve the way healthcare providers manage care for their patients.
Health services will have different levels of readiness when it comes to connecting to and using My Health Record. Familiarising yourself with how to access the My Health Record from your ED is a key step to integrating the system into everyday clinical practice.
As more consumers and healthcare providers contribute to My Health Record, it will become a useful source of clinical information to inform clinical decision making.
Relevant points to remember
- My Health Record may not be a complete reflection of every interaction a patient has with healthcare services.
- Information may be current at a particular point in time; therefore, My Health Record should be used to supplement additional sources of patient information.
- My Health Record is not a complete substitute for thorough clinician-to-clinician handover, but it can be a useful resource in supporting the transition of patient care to and from hospital.
Busting Common Myths
Myth: My patient won’t have a My Health Record.
Fact: Over 90% of Australians chose to have a My Health Record created for them in February 2019.
Myth: Patients’ insurers and employers can access their My Health Record.
Fact: Legislation prohibits any entity from accessing, or even requesting access to, My Health Record information for insurance or employment purposes.
Myth: Patient information is not secure.
Fact: The My Health Record system meets the strictest cyber security standards. It has robust multi-tiered security controls to protect the system from malicious attack. The system has been built and tested to Australian Government standards to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information within an individual’s My Health Record.
Myth: All law enforcement and government agencies can access My Health Record information.
Fact: Under My Health Record legislation, information cannot be released to law enforcement agencies without the patients consent or a court order in limited circumstances.