e-Health revolution will give Australian patients access to their health records

Jul 20 2009

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) which represents than 27,000 doctors across Australia has criticised the government's plans for 'e-health' medical records reform.

The proposal suggested by the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission (NHHRC) would give Australians access to their health records online and medical professionals would need a patient's permission to access the data.

Having access to their own records is seen as vital to ensure consumer acceptance of the proposed e-health revolution and it would allow individuals to go online and update their records and add relevant information and doctors, specialists, pharmacists and other health professionals would all have to become "e-enabled" to access the data.

The 'e-health' medical record plan will mean doctors would have to link patient records to a national database and doctors who refuse to comply could lose lucrative Medicare payments.

The President of the AMA Andrew Pesce says such threats will not result in a quality system and it would be better to provide adequate incentives to recognise there will be an initial financial outlay and cost to developing properly working medical records.

According to the NHHRC an e-health system would save the government as much as $8 billion over a 10 year period and would make it easier to track the progress of chronic disease sufferers and medication prescribed and also store test results, scans and x-rays.

An automated system could also send out text messages or emails to remind patients to fill or renew prescriptions and new privacy laws will mean patients will decide who is allowed to access their records, other than in an emergency.

The new system health will mean a 0.75% rise in the Medicare levy to help finance a Dentacare scheme which would provide more affordable treatment and reduce the heavy public dental waiting lists.

Tax-incentives and top-up payments will be on offer to encourage medical professionals and student doctors to work and undergo training in rural areas, with along with cuts to university HECS fees.

While the health system shake-up promises to be the biggest in decades the Federal takeover of public hospitals, threatened by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd if states fail to improve public health services, has not been recommended.