My Health Record (National Electronic Health Card System in Australia)

2022: A failed IT project in Australia. The system of electronic medical records for $2 billion turned out to be unnecessary

On June 5, 2022, a study was published that shows, more than 10 years after the introduction of the My Health Record electronic medical record system in Australia, less than a quarter of all citizens have it, and medical records doctors do not see the benefits of using the national online database. data

According to the annual report of the Australian Digital Health Agency, from 2020 to 2021, out of 23 million people registered with the My Health Record system, only 2.69 million people got access to it. Although this is 14% more than in 2019, this was mainly due to access to records of Covid-19 vaccinations and Covid-19 test results.

A failed IT project in Australia. The system of electronic medical records for $2 billion turned out to be unnecessary

The chief executive of the Consumers Health Forum (CHF), Leanne Wells, said that despite updating and upgrading the My Health Record system, which includes access to vaccination information and pre-treatment plans, many accounts still lack records of daily medical consultations, emergency department visits, hospital discharges, pathology and diagnostic research. This is despite the fact that since the launch of the system in 2012, more than $2 billion has been spent on it.

{{quote 'These items represent vital health information to be shared by health care facilities, however consumers report that their expectations are not met when this information is not visible or only visible when received from some but not all health care facilities. CHF study examining consumer experience in digital health... shows that consumers have a high level of willingness to share their health information with and between health facilities. However, the lack of sharing and access to relevant health information is causing frustration and concerns about safety and quality of care, Wells said. }}

Wells said health care facilities simply don't upload those documents. Uploading the records wasn't always easy, she said, and doctors, especially therapists, constantly raised questions about the system's design. Among the problems that have arisen is that many doctors do not see the benefits of using My Health Record.

According to Alex Mullins, PhD candidate at Monashi University's School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, some doctors need more training in accessing records, and incomplete records in medical history also mean that information is not always helpful. When outdated or irrelevant information is included in a card, it can also lead to trust problems with the system, Mullins says. Some hospitals have their own record-keeping systems that are easier for doctors to work with, she said.^[1]

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