My Health Record is a national electronic health summary established by the Australian Government. Every Australian will have a My Health Record unless they chose not to have one and opt out by 31^st January 2019.

It contains key health information drawn from existing electronic records of multiple healthcare providers involved in a patient's care. Doctors and hospitals will be able to use information stored in My Health Record when they need it especially at important times such as in an emergency. The sharing of this information also removes duplication and connects the health system, helping healthcare providers enhance the management of their patients’ health.

Health information that can be uploaded into the My Health Record by health care providers, such as an individual’s GP, may include a shared health summary containing allergies, immunisations, medications and medical conditions. Individuals will also be able to upload information themselves including emergency contacts, personal health notes, other medications such as vitamins and advance care plans.

Hospital discharge information, Specialist letters, Pathology and Diagnostic imaging may also be added to the record. CESPHN will be working closely with healthcare providers to support the meaningful use of the My Health Record. This will include supporting GPs to upload shared health summaries, Pharmacies to upload dispense records, hospitals, Aged Care facilities, specialists and other health providers to all use the system to benefit patients.

Online training for the My Health Record system is available.

This online training supports self-paced learning to help healthcare providers to become familiar with and confident in using the My Health Record system. The online training is a combination of existing and new material and will continue to be updated, incorporating feedback from users as the My Health Record system continues to evolve.

The first module of the training introduces healthcare providers to the key principles of the My Health Record system and familiarises them with its features and functions. The training covers a range of topics including:

• The types of clinical documents held in an individual’s My Health Record;
• Consent and how it relates to viewing and uploading of clinical information;
• Accessing an individual’s My Health Record in the event of an emergency; and
• Ensuring quality data is uploaded to My Health Record.

Following completion on an introductory module, there are specific learning modules available for healthcare providers in each of the following healthcare sectors/settings:

• General Practice
• Community Pharmacy
• Hospitals
• Specialist Practice
• Allied Health
• Residential Aged Care

The training includes simulations on how to view and upload information to the My Health Record system using some common clinical information systems, as well as the My Health Record Provider Portal.

This resource will be particularly useful for general practices participating in the Practice Incentives Program eHealth Incentive, which includes a requirement for general practices to upload shared health summaries to the My Health Record.

For more information, visit myhealthrecord.gov.au.

Please note that you will be required to register to access the online training. Registration is very quick and will automatically log you in to be able to immediately access the training.

We encourage you to read the information below, which has been written specifically for local healthcare providers about the My Health Record initiative:

Information for Allied Health

• My Health Record in Community Pharmacy 
• Fact Sheet for Pharmacists
• My Health Record Guidelines for Pharmacists
• My Health Record in Allied Health
• Fact Sheet for Allied Health Professionals
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - patients

Information for Consumers

• My Health Record brochure to consumers

Comprehensive information for providers is available on the My Health Record website or by calling the provider helpline on 1800 723 471 (option 1).

If you have any questions in relation to training and support activity taking place in our region to assist local healthcare professionals, please contact the My Health Record team via email at myhealthrecord@cesphn.com.au; we will respond to all enquires as quickly as possible.

Information Security Guide for small healthcare businesses

Your healthcare business or practice has access to valuable digital information entrusted to you by healthcare consumers, suppliers and employees. The information and systems your business uses to access and store this information are critical to its ability to operate.

If criminals compromise your computer systems or steal important business information, your business may suffer significant financial loss, possible legal liability, reputational damage and your customers’ personal information may be misused for fraudulent purposes. Some cyber attacks may cause you to lose access to critical business systems or Internet bandwidth making it difficult to run your business.

The Information Security Guide for small healthcare businesses has been developed by the Australian Digital Health Agency (the Agency) and the Australian Government's Stay Smart Online service. The Agency promotes the use of safe and secure digital health services and systems to improve health outcomes. The Stay Smart Online service provides advice to help people and small businesses protect their personal and financial information when using computers and other internet connected devices.

Download: Information and Security Guide for small healthcare businesses