Patients Electronic Health Reforms

reforms, designed to empower patients, will be detailed today in a blueprint for the Gillard Government's controversial electronic health system.

Queenslanders who are among the first in Australia to trial the system will be able to use even an iPhone to access and control their health records, including medications, referrals and medical history.

But retrospective records will not be automatically uploaded to the massive health data networks when the program launches in July 2012.

The controversial measures, that bring all forms of health data together, have previously been slammed by privacy experts, concerned about hackers and misuse of the data.

The blueprint reveals that:

• Every Australian will have a "summary" health page showing allergies, medical history, medicines and immunisation.

• Patients will have a security access code to use with their existing 16-digit identification number to access their health documents.

• They will be able to see who has accessed their data and when, as well as read notes their doctor has made.

• Patients will opt-in to the system and can choose who they grant access to their data, and for how long.

As well as the summary health page, patients will have more detailed data attached to their 16-digit ID number such as diagnostic imaging results or specialist letters which they can choose to allow treating professionals to view.

Health Minister Nicola Roxon said developing the national electronic health system was "ambitious" but said she was confident it could be done.

She said it was about giving more power to patients.

"At the moment you have no access as a patient to your doctor's records," she said.

"You have no idea what they write, it is difficult to access information (with e-health) you will be able to see all that."

It is expected some medical professionals will raise concerns about the transparency possibly hindering doctors from making fully frank notes.

The e-health databases are expected to be managed by a number of providers, wiping out the risk of a central database.

Ms Roxon said the Government was still developing governance measures for the system, including penalties for misuse of the data.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/patients-to-access-doctors...