Patients from around Australia will benefit from 15 new projects that will utilise information from a consenting patient’s My Health Record to improve the delivery of their healthcare.
The $8.5 million Digital Health Test Beds program will trial new approaches in chronic health, palliative care and post hospital support.
Eastern Health and Monash University are undertaking a trial to help patients better manage their medication after they leave hospital.
More than 290 community pharmacies and 5,000 patients will be involved. The projects will connect community pharmacists to information from hospitals to help patients with their medicines in the transition from hospital to home.
These connections will allow healthcare providers to provide useful patient-specific information about medicines in the transition period from the hospital to the community.
We know when patients leave hospital on new medications they can find it confusing knowing how much to take and when.
Every year almost a quarter of a million Australians will be hospitalised from medication errors, which is more than the number hospitalised from car accidents.
This program aims to reduce unplanned and early readmission to hospital due to medication errors while utilising evidence based research.
The Turnbull Government is investing $374.2 million to expand Australia’s My Health Record for every Australian.
My Health Record is a secure online summary of an individual’s health information. Having a My Health Record means your important health information including allergies, medical conditions and treatments, medicine details and scan reports can be accessed through one system.
Healthcare providers such as doctors, pharmacists and hospital staff can securely access your record online when they need to treat you. For example, hospital emergency department doctors can access your records when you need urgent care.
Every Australian will be offered a My Health Record by the end of 2018 unless they choose not to have one during the three month opt out period that will run from 16 July to 15 October 2018.
As at 24 Jun 2018, 5.89 million Australian have already registered for a My Health Record, 12,763 healthcare organisations are registered including general practices, hospitals, pharmacies and aged care services, and 20.7 million prescription and dispense records have been uploaded.
There is widespread support for my Health Record from national health peak bodies including the Consumers Health Forum, Australian Medical Association, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Pharmacy Guild of Australia, and the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association.
Further information
Digital Health Test Beds program projects