Personally controlled electronic health records

The Australian Government’s personally controlled electronic health (eHealth) record system was launched on 1 July 2012.

People seeking healthcare in Australia can now register for an eHealth record – a secure, electronic summary of your important health information.

While the national infrastructure for the eHealth record system is now complete, Australia’s eHealth record system continues to be rolled out in carefully managed stages. Medicare data, including MBS, PBS, Australian Organ Donor Register and Australian Childhood Immunisation Register data, was recently incorporated into the eHealth record system.

Healthcare organisations can now also register to participate in the eHealth record system and authorise doctors, nurses and other appropriate users within their organisation to view patient records through the secure online provider portal.

Information to help healthcare organisations register with the eHealth record system is available on www.ehealth.gov.au Only healthcare organisations need to register. Individual health professionals will be authorised by their organisation (e.g. hospital or GP surgery) to access the eHealth record system.

Why should I get an eHealth record?

Having an eHealth record can make getting the right treatment faster, safer and easier:

• faster, because doctors and nurses and other healthcare professionals won’t have to spend time searching for past treatment information;
• safer, because healthcare professionals can view your important healthcare information, including any allergies and vaccinations and the treatment you have received;
• easier, because you won’t have to remember the results of tests you’ve had, or all the medications you’ve been prescribed.

Will my eHealth record be secure?

Protecting Australian’s private health information is a priority. The eHealth record system is protected by existing and new legislation.

Strict privacy and security measures have been applied to the eHealth record system. eHealth records are protected by:

• audit trails – for the first time patients can see who has looked at their medical record and when (not possible with paper records)
• technology and data management controls
• and security measures such as encryption, secure logins and passwords.

Expected benefits of the eHealth record system

As people register for an eHealth record and as healthcare organisations connect to the system, the better connected Australia’s health system will become and the better it will serve all Australians.

Deloitte undertook economic modelling to estimate the expected benefits to the community of the eHealth records system.