Increasing numbers for My Health Record

Minister for Health Sussan Ley says the number of people with a My Health Record has now surpassed four million, which comprises 17% of all Australians.

“With a My Health Record, both a patient and their healthcare professional can gain immediate access to important health information online,” Ley said.

“This can improve coordinated care outcomes, reduce duplication and provide vital information in emergency situations.

“It also enables us, as a consumer, to become more active in managing your health and provide links between the multiple services many of us may need through our lives.”

Ley said that following the recent relaunch of My Health Record, there has been a steady increase in registrations.

“In the past four weeks alone, there has been an average of 2,200 new registrations every day, or one new My Health Record created every 38 seconds,” she said.

“With changes to the General Practice incentive, healthcare providers are increasingly contributing and viewing online health information about their patients. We are now seeing one upload of clinical health information from a healthcare provider every 21 seconds.”

Ley said that every day, one in five GPs will see a patient for whom they have little or no information at all. With My Health Record, they will increasingly have access to some basic information about a patient.

“This may be a Medicare claim or pharmacy prescription, or clinical information uploaded by other healthcare providers such as a specialist, hospital and pharmacy.

“A My Health Record puts the power in the hands of health consumers to decide with whom they share their health information,” Ley said. 

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