This appeared a few days ago.
My Health Record an expensive 'white elephant', critics say
A decade after its launch, only 12 per cent of My Health Record accounts are being accessed.
June 20, 2022
A federal government health initiative is now 10 years and has cost upwards of $2 billion. But in the eyes of many, it’s a white elephant and a failure.
Who remembers the cybersecurity and privacy concerns that plagued the introduction of My Health Record, the system that aimed to give healthcare providers up-to-date information at the touch of a button – especially important for older Australians with health issues? And the furore that resulted in new legislation in 2018 to allow you to opt in or opt out at any time?
My Health Record was ‘born’ in 2012 after then health minister Nicola Roxon announced the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR) as a “key building block of the National Health and Hospitals Network”.
Going live on 1 July 2012, the PCEHR was part of the government’s policy to develop a lifetime electronic health record for all Australians. Its name changed to a more user-friendly My Health Record, but that did not alter the reputation it had already gained of being not user-friendly.
A decade later, and many are asking if My Health Record has been another government white elephant. The Australian Digital Health Agency’s latest annual report reveals that only 2.69 million of the 23 million people registered for a My Health Record accessed it in 2020-21.
That figure is actually an increase of 14 per cent on the previous year, but that increase was largely driven by people accessing COVID vaccination records and test results.
Why is it that only 12 per cent of registered My Health Record users are actually accessing their records?
A major factor appears to be a serious lack of actual records. Leanne Wells, CEO of the Consumers Health Forum (CHF), said day-to-day health records from consultations, emergency department visits, hospital discharges, pathology and diagnostic testing were still missing from many records.
“These items represent the vital health information that should be shared between health service providers, however, consumers report that their expectations are not met when these are not visible, or are only visible on supply from some, but not all, providers,” Ms Wells said.
While most patients appear to be more than willing for their health information to be shared with and between healthcare providers, the providers are, in general, not doing so.
“The lack of sharing and access to relevant health information causes frustration and concerns about safety and quality of care,” Ms Wells said.
Asked why health providers were not uploading relevant documents, Ms Wells pointed to issues with system design that made uploading records a less than straightforward process for clinicians and GPs in particular.
Alexandra Mullins, a PhD candidate with Monash University’s school of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, conducted a survey in an attempt to identify the barriers prevented a greater uptake in My Health Record usage.
The results of the research, published by the National Library of Medicine, identified several factors, including outdated content, a lack of trust, a low perception of value, no patient record and multiple medical record systems.
Study participants said training and a simple raising of awareness were needed to improve My Health Record use in the emergency departments – a need stressed by physicians.
More here:
https://www.yourlifechoices.com.au/health/my-health-record-an-expensive-white-elephant-critics-say/
At the end of the article the author describes giving the #myHR a try and not being much impressed!
Here is the abstract of the paper referred to above:
Health Inf Sci Syst 2021 Apr 16;9(1):19.
doi: 10.1007/s13755-021-00148-6. eCollection 2021 Dec.
Physicians' and pharmacists' use of My Health Record in the emergency department: results from a mixed-methods study
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Abstract
Purpose: This study aimed to explore pharmacists' and physicians' perceptions of use, barriers to use and the healthcare outcomes associated with use of Australia's national personally controlled electronic health record-known as My Health Record-in the emergency department.
Methods: A mixed methods approach was deployed, including surveys and individual semi-structured interviews. All physicians and pharmacists who work in the emergency department at Cabrini Health (a non-for-profit healthcare provider in Victoria, Australia) were invited to participate. Due to the timing of elective blocks, physician trainees were excluded from interviews.
Results: A total of 40 emergency medicine clinicians responded to the survey. Over 50% (n = 22) of all respondents had used My Health Record in the emergency department at least once. A total of 18 clinicians participated in the semi-structured interviews, which led to the identification of three themes with multiple sub-themes regarding My Health Record: (1) benefits; (2) effectiveness; and; (3) barriers.
Conclusion: Participants reported My Health Record use in the emergency department delivers efficiencies for clinicians and has a heightened utility for complex patients, consistent with previous research conducted outside of the Australian setting. Barriers to use were revealed: outdated content, a lack of trust, a low perception of value, no patient record and multiple medical record systems. The participants in this study highlighted that training and awareness raising is needed in order to improve My Health Record use in the emergency department, a need stressed by physician's. Further observational research is required to explores meaningful MHR use at scale.
Here is the link:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33898021/#_blank
The conclusion says it all I reckon with a large range of problems identified.
All in all the #myHR continues for be an epic and expensive fail! You have to wonder when the light will dawn!
David.
P. S. For a bit of amusement you can read more here:
Big data in Healthcare- Where is Australia placed?
Aditi Sarkar Author
Shaghil Bilali Editor
Highlights
- An analysis of big data can provide insights for improved decision-making and making strategic business moves
- Improved patient outcomes, managing mass diseases, and predictive analysis in healthcare are some of the applications of big data in healthcare
- More than 90% of Australian residents have a My Health Record, an electronic patient record system
See the full article here:
For myself I have no idea what the author and editor are thinking or
on about! Let me kow if you have a clue!
D.
3 comments:
The reasoning given by the CHF and the “participant” reflects common business language - polite, positive and constructive ways of saying it’s rubbish without hurting feelings. The trouble is such approaches result in prolonged agony for all involved.
The other aspect is this current advertising- tying e-scripts with Telehealth, Covid results and the My Health Randoms. Promoting Telehealth on the national airways would seem to be cornering the DoH. Are they not in discussions with the GP community on a sustainable model going forward?
And why all this advertising? During the Kelsey years such advertising was claimed by the Department to be a waste of time and money
During the Kelsey years everything was a waste of time and money.
I do like the “My Health Randoms” sums it up nicely.
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