Twelve years after the introduction of My Well being File, Australians are struggling to entry their medical info, whereas clinicians report irritating difficulties importing and discovering very important well being particulars akin to pathology outcomes and diagnostic exams.
The most recent annual report from the Australian Digital Well being Company reveals simply 2.69 million of the 23 million folks registered for a My Well being File accessed it in 2020-21. Whereas this is a rise of 14% from the earlier 12 months, it was largely pushed by folks accessing Covid-19 vaccination information and Covid-19 check outcomes.
The chief govt of the Shoppers Well being Discussion board (CHF), Leanne Wells, mentioned whereas upgrades to My Well being File to incorporate entry to vaccination info and Superior Care Plans have been welcome, day-to-day well being information from consultations, emergency division visits, hospital discharges, pathology, and diagnostic testing have been nonetheless lacking from many information. That is regardless of greater than $2bn being spent on the system because it launched in 2012.
“This stuff symbolize the very important well being info that must be shared between well being service suppliers, nevertheless, customers report that their expectations are usually not met when these are usually not seen, or are solely seen on provide from some, however not all, suppliers,” Wells mentioned.
“CHF analysis on client experiences with digital well being … reveals that customers have excessive ranges of willingness to share their well being info with and between well being care suppliers.
“Nonetheless, the dearth of sharing and entry to related well being info causes frustration and issues about security and high quality of care.”
Wells mentioned well being suppliers have been merely not importing these paperwork. She mentioned importing information was not at all times easy and clinicians, particularly GPs, had constantly raised points concerning the system design.
A PhD candidate with Monash College’s faculty of Public Well being and Preventive Drugs, Alex Mullins, led analysis into physicians’ and pharmacists’ use of My Well being File within the emergency division.
“From my analysis we all know that My Well being File is a helpful device for pharmacists,” she mentioned.
“Over 18% of sufferers who current to the ED are having their file accessed by pharmacists.
“Clinicians are seeing advantages in utilizing the system, which can clarify why there was a big enhance in use by ED medical doctors, nurses and pharmacists over the previous two years.”
However general use continues to be low, she discovered. Mullins’ evaluation of hospital log information revealed lower than 2% of sufferers who current to the emergency have their My Well being File accessed by a physician or nurse.
Challenges up to now have included many clinicians failing to see advantages of My Well being File use.
Mullins mentioned some clinicians want additional coaching on accessing the information, and that incomplete info within the affected person file additionally meant the data was not at all times helpful.
When outdated or irrelevant info is included within the file, this might additionally result in belief points, Mullins mentioned. Some hospitals even have their very own file programs which clinicians discover simpler to entry, she mentioned.
“Areas for enchancment embrace each technical enhancements to the system itself … and extra information flowing into the system, and enhancements with respect to clinician engagement with the system,” Mullins mentioned.
“Top quality information that's accessible and match for objective is significant and the entire healthcare ecosystem performs a task in enhancing this.”
Steven White has labored in digital well being for nearly twenty years, so he “signed up as quickly as I used to be in a position” to My Well being File.
He has continual well being situations for which he usually wants blood exams and hospital visits.
He has labored over time to assist make My Well being File extra accessible for clinicians in a significant public well being service.
Commenting on his expertise as a affected person and never on behalf of his employer, White mentioned regardless of being a affected person at every of the three greatest well being providers in Melbourne, “the quantity of documentation that will get uploaded to My Well being File is minimal”.
“Most customers, myself included, had hoped that My Well being File would ultimately grow to be a complete well being file, however I doubt that’s ever going to be the case,” he mentioned.
“Simply getting a discharge abstract to add to My Well being File is one thing actually tough.
“I’ve at all times felt that My Well being File is form of like Uber. If there was just one driver for Uber, and just a few prospects, it might be basically ineffective.
“It’s solely as soon as there’s a vital mass of each suppliers and customers actually making a use of it that it may be helpful,” he mentioned.
“That, and having an excellent digital design.”
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