Push for person-controlled electronic health records

The National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission (NHHRC) on 30 April outlined its support for person-controlled electronic health records for Australians.

In a supplementary paper to its Interim Report, the Commission recommends:

• By 2012 every Australian should be able to have a personal electronic health record that will at all times be owned and controlled by that person;
• The Commonwealth Government must legislate to ensure the privacy of a person’s electronic health data, while enabling secure access to the data by the person’s authorised health providers;
• The Government must introduce unique personal identifiers for health care by 1 July next year;
• The Government must develop and implement an appropriate national social marketing strategy to inform consumers and health professions about the significant benefits and safeguards of the proposed e-health approach; and,
• The Government must mandate that the payment of public and private benefits for all health and aged care services be dependent upon the provision of data to patients, their authorised carers, and their authorised health providers, in a format that can be integrated into a personal electronic health record.

To read the paper, Person-controlled Electronic Health Records click here. Feedback can be sent to talkhealth@nhhrc.org.au but must be received by next Friday – 8 May.