HEALTH INFORMATICS
The government’s investment in expanding the My Health Record and shifting to an opt-out participation model by the end of 2018 will accelerate its benefits for clinicians and patients, says Meredith Makeham*, Chief Medical Adviser of the Australian Digital Health Agency.
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My Health Record expansion set to reduce pressure on hospitals T
he adoption of digital health services and technologies is a driver for transformational change in the way Australians approach their health and care. It has the potential to significantly improve patient health outcomes, improve the safety of our systems for people, and improve both the patient and clinician experience in their interactions with healthcare services. In hospital settings, we are seeing a revolution in the way health information is shared, stored and utilised, and My Health Record will play an increasingly big role in this transformation in the future. Uptake of the My Health Record system among private and public hospitals is proceeding well and has seen a large increase over the past year. In Queensland every public hospital has now signed up to the scheme, while more than 90% of hospitals in NSW and the Northern Territory have also come on board. The number of people with access to the system has also grown substantially, with over 4.8 million Australians now having a My Health Record.
hospitalhealth.com.au
WINTER 2017
THE AUSTRALIAN HOSPITAL + HEALTHCARE BULLETIN
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