The ADHA Will Do Almost Anything To Have You Use The #myHealthRecord And Not Use Other, Possibly Simpler, Routes To Your COVID Info.

This popped up a week of so ago.

Media releases • My Health Record

My Health Record has all COVID-19 information including proof of vaccinations

Published 17 January 2022

The Australian Digital Health Agency is reminding people that My Health Record has proof of COVID-19 vaccinations.

Agency Acting CEO Paul Creech said more and more Australians were using My Health Record and consumers should take advantage of theirs to help manage the impact from Covid-19.

“COVID-19 test results come from pathology providers and the majority of pathology providers in Australia routinely upload test results to My Health Record,” he said.

“We’ve seen huge demand since last July, with more than one million views a month by consumers across Australia.”

“Previously, people needed to wait seven days to view their test results, however for COVID-19 test results, consumers can read them as soon as they are uploaded to their record and in the majority of cases this would be sooner than they would receive an SMS.” 

Mr Creech said My Health Record provides people with:  

• an immunisation history statement that shows all vaccinations recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register, including COVID-19 vaccinations.
• a COVID-19 digital certificate that shows only COVID-19 vaccinations, which is available once you have had your first two doses of a vaccine approved for use in Australia.  

My Health Record has a new dashboard with everything COVID-19-related in one place - your COVID-19 vaccination details and test results, medical conditions, relevant medicines and allergy information (eg anaphylaxis), plus links to the COVID-19 vaccine clinic finder and side effect checker.

See an example at: mhr-covid-19-dashboard-example-a3.pdf (digitalhealth.gov.au)    

You can also download your COVID-19 digital certificate from your My Health Record to a digital wallet.  

How to find your immunisation information 

Accessing immunisation information in My Health Record can be done easily, whenever and wherever, via desktop or mobile.

If you are having problems linking to My Health Record via myGov, there is a FAQ page that can help on digitalhealth.gov.au. 

The My Health Record Help line is 1800 723 471. It is available 24 hours, 7 days a week.  

Use of My Health Record can ensure healthcare providers have visibility of pre-existing conditions and medicine history at the time of immunisation because this may be useful in assessing potential allergic reactions or side effects.  

It’s important to have up to date contact information in My Health Record for notifications, including changes in people’s immunisation information. 

You need to have linked your My Health Record to your myGov.

To get started: 

Check what information is already in your My Health Record so you can talk to your healthcare providers about uploading missing documents or adding a shared health summary. 

Most Australian pharmacies use software systems that automatically upload information about a consumer’s dispensed medicines to My Health Record and with immunisation information being automatically uploaded from the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR), it makes it easier for you and your doctors to ensure you get the best care. 

COVID-19 vaccination data flows into My Health Record from all states and territories after it has been reported to the AIR. Providers can access this through their clinician information system or National Provider Portal.  

People can set up notifications so they stay across changes in their record, including changes in their immunisation information. They should make sure their contact details in their profile are up to date.  

If you are not seeing immunisations in your record, check your Medicare Information Settings. There is a yes/no setting to include immunisation information in your record. If yours is set to no, change it to yes and the immunisation information will flow into My Health Record.  

COVID-19 Pathology test results and My Health Record 

Remember to ask your pathology lab to upload your COVID-19 test results if they haven’t already. 

Many Australians will start travelling again this summer.  

While away from home you can take any request form to one of these collection centres and they will be able to share results with your doctor and My Health Record.  

Location	Labs that can upload all test results to MHR
WA	Path West  Western Diagnostic Pathology
ACT	Laverty Pathology
NSW	Laverty Pathology
NT	Western Diagnostic Pathology
QLD	Mater Pathology, QML Pathology
SA	Abbott Pathology, SA Pathology
TAS	TML Pathology
VIC	Dorevitch Pathology

See a list of all pathology and diagnostic imaging providers that can share diagnostic reports with My Health Record.  

Each month more and more consumers are viewing their own information, with nearly 1.6 million pathology report views by consumers in November 2021. There has been a 580 per cent increase in pathology views by consumers in the past year.   

There were more than 23.2 million people with a My Health Record in November 2021 and more than 95 per cent of those records have data in them.  

There were 311 million medicine documents in the system, uploaded by GPs and pharmacies.  

There were 202 million clinical documents in the system, uploaded by providers like hospitals, pathologists and radiologists.  

Media contact

Mobile: 0428 772 421 Email: media@digitalhealth.gov.au   

About the Australian Digital Health Agency

When it comes to improving the health of all Australians, the role of digital innovation and connection is a vital part of a modern, accessible healthcare system. Against the backdrop of COVID-19, digital health has seen exponential growth in relevance and importance, making it more pertinent than ever for all Australians and healthcare providers.

Better patient healthcare and health outcomes are possible when you have a health infrastructure that can be safely accessed, easily used and responsibly shared.

To achieve this, the National Digital Health Strategy is establishing the foundations for a sustainable health system that constantly improves. It underpins and coordinates work that is already happening between governments, healthcare providers, consumers, innovators and the technology industry.

For further information: www.digitalhealth.gov.au.

The Australian Digital Health Agency is a statutory authority in the form of a corporate Commonwealth entity.

Here is the link:

https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/my-health-record-has-all-covid-19-information-including-proof-of-vaccinations

What this blurb does not mention is that there are other and simpler ways!

How to get proof

Find the best way to get proof of your COVID-19 vaccinations for your situation.

If you’re 14 or older, you need to get your own proof of COVID-19 vaccinations using either:

• your Medicare online account through myGov
• the Express Plus Medicare mobile app.

There are different ways you can show proof of your COVID-19 vaccinations:

• a COVID-19 digital certificate
• your immunisation history statement
• an International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate for overseas travel.

How you get proof depends on your situation. This includes if you need to create a myGov account, link services or enrol in Medicare.

Use our tool to find out the easiest way to get proof of your COVID-19 vaccinations, based on your situation.

We also have information about how to get proof of your COVID-19 vaccinations in Easy Read format.

Lots of details here:

https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/how-to-get-proof-your-covid-19-vaccinations?context=60091

Note hardly a mention of the #myHR!

As far as results for PCR tests are concerned – most who take the tests will SMS you with the result if you wish!

Here we have another blurb showing how life can be as simple, or simpler, with no #myHR in sight!

David.