Since way back when patient access to results has been delayed so the clinician can review the results and discuss anything that may be worrying with the patient to avoid panic, scares or worse!
End seven-day ‘lock’ on patients seeing tests results in My Health Record: Mark Butler
Viewing results without a doctor's explanation is low risk, says the health department's consultation.
19 October 2023
Health officials will weigh up whether pathology and imaging results in My Health Record should still be “locked” from patient access in the first week after they are uploaded.
The seven-day delay was introduced back in 2014 so that patients were less likely to look at results on their own before a doctor had explained them, according to the federal Department of Health and Aged Care.
There are a few exceptions — such as tests for respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, and results for HbA1c and INR tests.
However, Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler said earlier this year that the delay were “a barrier to good clinical practice, cause untold frustration for Australians”.
He called for them to be scrapped in all but exceptional circumstances.
The health department opened a consultation on potential changes last month, where it argued that immediate access to imaging and pathology reports would “empower consumers to better manage their own health and protect others in the community”.
More here:
The concern has always been a patient seeing a result reading “cancer” or some such and not being able to find out quickly and easily what it means for them!
Frankly I think this is a real concern and that some care and moderation is needed with a few results.
With the exception of “life-threatening” reports I see no issue with instant access as long as the exception management works well and that people are not terrified by something that they do not understand!
What do others think?
David.
1 comment:
Scope creep - same as "share health data by default"
It's a standard practice - pretend to build in all sorts of protections and safeguards then gradually revoke them. That's what their new architecture is all about - grab as much as possible and combine in the big federal government database in the sky. They call it research.
Post a Comment