Immunisation status among the top 5 healthcare documents Australians want access to
Published 15 June 2020
Ten million Australians now have their immunisations in their My Health Record and people can’t get enough of them.
Research undertaken by the Australian Digital Health Agency (Agency) earlier this year showed that the top 5 things people want to access are their test scans and results, notes from their GP, information on medicines they have been prescribed, Medicare information and their immunisation status.
To respond to this demand, the Agency fast tracked information from the Australian Immunisation Register to go into the My Health Record in April for those records which had not been updated.
At the end of April, of the 22.75 million My Health Records nearly 70% had information in them; including nearly 10 million with immunisation information that is critical to keeping Australians safe against preventable infections.
People can elect to remove immunisation documents anytime they wish by using privacy controls in the My Health Record.
President of the South Australian branch of the Australian Medical Association and Agency Clinical Reference Lead Dr Chris Moy said My Health Record lets you quickly and easily check your immunisation status and talk with your GP to ensure you are up to date on all immunisations.
“Immunisations protect you from transmitting disease to vulnerable people who can’t respond nearly as well to vaccination – newborn babies, people with compromised immune systems or the elderly,” he said. “And it reduces the burden on our healthcare system by avoiding preventable diseases such as influenza and measles which might otherwise require hospital care.
“This is why knowing if your immunisations are up to date is important – for your health, for that of your family and for anyone you come in contact with.”
Key My Health Record statistics – April 2020
- 22.75 million My Health Records
- 15.6 million records with data in them
- 1.95 billion documents uploaded
- 65 million clinical documents uploaded – by hospitals, pathologists and radiologists
- 128 million medicine documents uploaded – by pharmacies and GPs.
- The most recent information is available here.
Media contact
Australian Digital Health Agency Media Team
Mobile: 0428 772 421
Email: [email protected]
About the Australian Digital Health Agency
The Agency is tasked with improving health outcomes for all Australians through the delivery of digital healthcare systems, and implementing Australia’s National Digital Health Strategy – Safe, Seamless, and Secure: evolving health and care to meet the needs of modern Australia in collaboration with partners across the community. The Agency is the System Operator of My Health Record, and provides leadership, coordination, and delivery of a collaborative and innovative approach to utilising technology to support and enhance a clinically safe and connected national health system. These improvements will give individuals more control of their health and their health information, and support healthcare providers to deliver informed healthcare through access to current clinical and treatment information. Further information: www.digitalhealth.gov.au