This appeared last week:
Media Release: My Health Record increases pathology and diagnostic imaging connections with Victorian and Queensland services
11 July 2018
Pathology and diagnostic imaging services such as blood tests, x-rays, ultrasounds, and MRIs help healthcare providers make diagnoses and monitor their patients’ progress. An increasing number of healthcare providers and their patients are now benefiting from convenient, safe, and secure access to these reports via My Health Record where they may not have access to these reports before.
Today, the Australian Digital Health Agency announced new My Health Record system connections by Victorian Cytology Service (VCS) Pathology, and Queensland based Mater Pathology, Mater Medical Imaging, and Paradise Ultrasound.
VCS Pathology Executive Director Professor Marion Saville said the company has over 50 years of experience serving Australia’s population, providing large-scale services and solutions supporting public health programs.
“VCS has built and now operates national register platforms and services in Australia and abroad to support major screening and immunisation programs, as well as operating a large pathology laboratory. The company understands the importance of providing secure and reliable access to quality information via an electronic health record.
“I am proud of the VCS Digital Team who were able to successfully complete the project to connect to the My Health Record ahead of schedule, with VCS Pathology being the first Victorian laboratory to achieve this outcome,” Professor Saville said.
More than 5.9 million Australians have a My Health Record, which contains a summary of key health information such as shared health summaries, discharge summaries, prescription and dispense records. My Health Record allows Australians to share secure health information including test results with authorised health care providers at the point of care.
Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) President Dr Simon Judkins said providing quality care in a modern health system relies on accessible and accurate clinical and patient information.
“My Health Record offers the potential to improve the interaction of patients and physicians, the quality of patient care, as well as improving efficiency of health care delivery,” Mr Judkins said.
Agency CEO Tim Kelsey said that all pathology labs and diagnostic imaging practices in Australia are being encouraged to connect to My Health Record because these services support improved health benefits and provide increased clinical usefulness within the system.
“More than 100 pathology labs and 80 diagnostic imaging practices are now connected to My Health Record, and there are over 1.6 million pathology and 151,000 diagnostic imaging reports already uploaded to the system.
“These uploaded reports are helping Australians by improving access to their health information and to reduce unnecessary tests and scans,” Mr Kelsey said.
People with a My Health Record can access their latest pathology and diagnostic imaging reports one week after they are added to the system. This timing gives their healthcare provider time to check the report and contact them about the results if needed.
For people who do not want a report added to their My Health Record, providers can tick the ‘do not send to My Health Record’ box on the request form. People can also instruct their doctor or the pathology or diagnostic imaging service not to upload the report.
In addition, individuals can set document access controls within their My Health Record, and remove pathology and diagnostic imaging reports from their record at any time.
In some circumstances certain pathology reports may not appear in an individual’s My Health Record, even if they have not withdrawn consent for upload, in accordance with legislation. For example, reports may not be uploaded on a person’s AIDS or HIV status if there are disclosure restrictions set by state or territory legislation.
Further information
The full list of health care organisations connected to the My Health Record system is available on this web page.
ENDS
Media contact
If you follow the link at the bottom of the release you discover that actually recording preferences for uploading results, or not, is still a work in progress – especially as far as electronic test ordering is concerned.
You also see the ADHA has realized there are some sensitive test results that may need to be handled more sensitively – AIDS testing is mentioned. I wonder about other STI’s?
I still believe there needs to be a call centre to answer questions from patients who see results and are worried….and can’t contact their doctor.
The uploading of results may yet turn out to be a bad idea. Having such results in a secondary shared record confuses the purpose of the myHR. Is it meant to be a complete record – won’t ever be – or an emergency record – in which case test results are rarely needed ahead of medications and allergies etc.
Time will tell I guess.
David.
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