eHealth Learning Centre now online

Federal Health Minister The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP has launched a new website to support the rollout of the personally controlled electronic health record system, ehealth.gov.au

This site includes the national eHealth record Learning Centre – a new online tool to help both health consumers and professionals learn about the personally controlled electronic health record system, to be introduced from July this year.

All members are encouraged to visit the Learning Centre and familiarise themselves with key features of the proposed eHealth record system.

From 1 July, patients will be able to 'opt in' to using the personally controlled eHealth record, and some of their vital medical history may be accessible to you through a provider portal.  Your access to this portal is subject the patient's consent, and you and your practice meeting the technical and procedural requirements for logging in, such as: 

Each healthcare professional who wishes to add information or to access records through the provider portal will need a Healthcare Provider Identifier - Individual (HPI-I)

To register, each healthcare organisation will need a Healthcare Provider Identifier - Organisation (HPI-O) and a NASH certificate

Your organisation (practice) will need to purchase or upgrade to a clinical system that is conformant with the eHealth records system

You may need a NASH (National Authentication Service for Health) key if you are using the provider portal rather than a conformant clinical system (as yet no dental software is conformant)

Register with the eHealth record systems operator

update workflows, permissions and role definitions in your healthcare organisation to take advantage of the eHealth records system

Training material and supporting documents are being developed now to assist healthcare professionals and organisations through this process, although nothing specifically about dental participation appears at this stage. As soon as these materials are complete they will be available in the professionals' section of the eHealth Learning Centre.

An information sheet will appear as an insert in the ADA News Bulletin (probably in June), so look for more details on recommended action there.