
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) welcomes the rollout of the My Health Record (My HR) system, which will result in safer and more effective healthcare.
Commenting on the system, RACP President Associate Professor Mark Lane said:
“Having a personal digital health record offers many benefits that are potentially lifesaving for a patient. We believe My HR will make the health system safer and more effective.”
According to the RACP, patients and the health system stand to benefit from:
• reduced frequencies of medication error and adverse drug events
• reduced errors due to illegible handwriting and lost paper records
• better management of patients with complex illnesses who need to see many health care providers
• more targeted treatment of renal and other chronic conditions in remote Indigenous communities
• reductions in duplication and overuse of medical imaging and pathology requests.
“Australia’s healthcare has lagged behind in digital innovation for too long,” Associate Professor Lane said.
“Having health information more readily accessible to more health professionals will enhance the prospects for better integrated healthcare and make the health system function more effectively.
“My HR also provides a significant impetus for improvement by enhancing opportunities for health professionals (including GPs, specialists and diagnostic professionals) and for hospitals to increase their involvement in digital health.
“The ability to review the information contained in the My Health Record ensures that patients have the potential for much greater engagement with the management of their diseases.
“Patients will always have the option to control who has access to information and to what information is contained in their My Health Record, as well as strong legal protections against misuse of their information.”
The College supports clarification of any ambiguities or misconceptions around access rules to ensure that patient confidence in My HR is maintained. In particular, in order to enhance community engagement in My HR, outstanding concerns being raised currently regarding privacy protection of sensitive data need to be addressed.