Clinical use of My Health Record surges

The Australian Digital Health Agency has reported that the use of My Health Record by clinicians is continuing to grow strongly following the announcement of Share by Default in May 2023.

Views of diagnostic imaging reports have increased by 866% and views of pathology reports by 642%, as of 2 August 2026. The agency says the growth underscores the value of shared health information, while clinician feedback shows the key challenge is accessing relevant information quickly and easily within existing clinical workflows.

The Australian Digital Health Agency is responding by improving the user experience and highlighting practical access pathways available now, while continuing the longer-term modernisation of My Health Record.

Australian Digital Health Agency CEO Amanda Cattermole PSM said strong growth in use was welcome, but access needed to work better for clinicians during busy consultations.

“Clinicians have told us they want relevant information to be easier to find within the systems they use every day,” she said. “We are listening and making informed changes to improve the experience of accessing My Health Record within clinical workflows.”

The Agency is also encouraging healthcare providers to take advantage of three pathways available now that support streamlined access to My Health Record:

• National Provider Portal (NPP): a secure online access point available to registered healthcare providers.
• Clinical Information Systems (CIS) to NPP: available through compatible practice management software, enabling clinicians to launch directly into the National Provider Portal without a separate login.
• Healthcare Information Provider Service (HIPS): an established access channel that already supports around half of all clinical views of My Health Record nationally.
   

Agency Chief Digital Officer Peter O'Halloran said these options provide practical solutions for healthcare providers seeking more intuitive access to information within the systems they already use every day.

“The National Provider Portal, CIS to NPP and HIPS provide clinician-friendly options to simplify access, particularly for clinicians whose software does not yet offer an optimised My Health Record experience,” he said.

The modernisation of My Health Record is also gaining pace in the transition from document-based information to more structured and shareable health data.

The agency says it is continuing to work with Australian healthcare consumers, clinicians, software vendors and healthcare organisations across the country to improve the way health information is shared and accessed through My Health Record.

Image credit: iStock.com/Meeko Media