The secure online summary of key health information can be accessed by both providers and patients. They can view the system and add relevant information as needed.

For providers, My Health Record offers immediate access to important health data. It helps validate and verify clinical information such as adverse medication events or allergy details. It also reduces the need for duplicate tests and diagnostic imaging, provides immunisation details, and improves continuity of care over a patient’s life.

Patients benefit from quick access to key health information. This means less need to remember medical history and medications. It also improves management of relevant health issues and supports informed self-management.

For Ingleburn Medical and Dental Centre, the use of My Health Record has been invaluable.

 

Insights from the Assistant Manager on My Health Record’s Impact

Assistant manager Michelle Peters said it allowed healthcare providers to easily access important patient information.

“It offers us better coordination of care as we can also access a patient’s health data from other healthcare providers such as specialists and hospitals, which allows GPs to collaborate more effectively,” Ms Peters said.

“We can get lab results, diagnostic imaging reports and other test results quickly and easily, and we can find out what medications the patient is taking without having to rely on them to remember details like dosage and potential adverse reactions.

“My Health Record also includes discharge summaries from hospitals and referrals from other specialists.”

Practice manager Teresa Ly said authorised staff can access My Health Record during routine patient visits to review medical histories.

“By encouraging GPs to keep the data up to date with Shared Health Summary uploading we can help patients keep an accurate electronic record of their health,” Ms Ly said. “And having access to previous information in real time means we don’t have to go searching for it via other mediums.”

As for the extra work required to keep the records up to date, Ms Ly says it is time well spent.

“Any time working with My Health Record on our practice management software (PMS) offsets a much longer process of manually acquiring notes and information, such as phone calls, email correspondence and faxes,” she said.

“By promoting its use, we encourage our patients to take control of their health information. This improves patient engagement and involvement in their own care.

“At Ingleburn Medical and Dental Centre, we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend using My Health Record. It is a very useful tool to help maintain care across each of the patient’s providers while giving them transparency when it comes to their own health.

“And we also appreciate the assistance provided by the practice support staff at South Western Sydney Primary Health Network (SWSPHN) which ensures we make the best use possible of the tools we have available.”