Australians who do not want their personal health records stored on a national database have until October 15 to opt-out.
The My Health Record is an Australia-wide catalogue of personal health information that can be viewed by patients, doctors and medical staff.
Records can include:
- Prescription history
- Emergency contacts
- Specialist and referral documents
- Allergy information
- Immunisation history
- Diagnostic imaging reports (such as ultrasound or X-ray results)
- Pathology reports (such as blood tests)
- Hospital discharge information
- Medicare claims history
- Indigenous, veteran and Australian defence force status
- Organ donor status
Steve Hambleton from the Australian Digital Health Agency said every Australian who has not opted-out by October 15 will have a My Health Record.
"If you haven't deliberately opted out by the end of 2018, you will have a My Health Record," Dr Hambleton said.
Mr Hambleton said as part of My Health Record, users can decide what is there and who can see it.
"Patients control access to the record, so they can switch off their entire record and make it only available using a pin code, or use that process with individual documents," Dr Hambleton said.
If you wish to opt-out of the My Health Record click here.
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