Pathology and radiology companies will soon be mandated to upload all tests and scans to My Health Record – or lose out on MBS Payments, Health Minister Mark Butler told attendees at a recent digital health convention in Melbourne, promising to introduce the legislation soon.

In a Healthed poll this week, 65% of GPs expressed support for the move – but of those, 46% caveated that the government should improve the usability of My Health Record first.

What’s being proposed?

Minister Butler said all tests and scans would have to be “shared by default” in “near real time.”

“The ‘sharing by default’ framework will ensure that pathology and diagnostic imaging companies that do not upload the results of a test or scan will not get a Medicare benefit for that test or scan,” he said.

“Withhold a patient’s results and we will withhold the Medicare payment. It’s as simple as that.”

“To enable faster access, I am looking to remove the 7-day delay that prevents patients from seeing their results sooner,” Minister Butler said.

“While near real-time access will be the new standard, in some cases a clinically appropriate delay may remain if appropriate,” he added.

Widespread frustrations over My Health Record

Seventy percent of GPs in a Healthed survey last month said My Health Record was failing to achieve its objectives, with more than a third never using it to access or upload patient information at all, and many more only using it once or twice a week.

Hundreds of GPs in both Healthed surveys commented on the difficulties of searching and navigating in My Health Record, calling it clunky, slow, cumbersome and painstaking – to name a few.

Minister Butler acknowledged the woes of the system, but promised significant investment to change that, noting that “a few weeks ago, the Digital Health Agency put out a large tender to do just that: to fundamentally transform the interoperability capability of My Health Record.”

What your colleagues are saying

I support the proposal:

“This will ensure that patients’ results are readily available and prevents duplication of tests.”

“It will improve continuity of care and reduce costs of unnecessary testing.”

“So often the patient says they’ve had XYZ tests done but you cannot find them – particularly out of hours.”

“That way it’s easy for GPs to access results for new patients.”

“A good way to save time, better assist the patient and not repeat tests unnecessarily.”

“I also think that the usability of my health record should be improved, but I’m happy that the results are being uploaded because it makes them a lot easier to find than ringing several different pathology companies and then having them not give you all the results anyway.”

“It is the patients right to have access to their own health information and empowers them to make informed decisions.”

I do support the proposal, but the government should improve the useability of My Health Record first:

“MHR is a colossal time waster and needs to be scrapped or dramatically improved. Very user unfriendly.”

“Often unable to access when it is known an upload attempt has been made by the pathologist.”

“Patient confidentiality is a factor.”

“Data security in My Health Record is not proven to be comprehensive.”

“Simplifying access to results is helpful but the useability of My Health Record needs considerable improvement before it can perform this function.”

“It would improve patient care and take the onus away from the pathology company to fear litigation where there is breach of confidentiality as it would be mandated.”

I do not support the proposal:

“I do not use My Health Record for my own records and the format it uses is not very user friendly to obtain records from my patients’ hospital visits.”

“Too much Government interference.”

“There are patients who consult doctors other than their usual doctors just because they do not want them to know.”

“I do not have the confidence to know this can be done by pathology providers without significant extra administrative burden and cost.”

“I still have concerns about the confidentiality.”

“I do not find My Health Record useful, so there would be no benefit to my patients from MBS payments to pathology companies being withheld when they don’t upload results.”

“I find the idea of uploading pathology results on My Health Record absurd as patients have access to them and it increases their risk of misinterpreting results and worrying unnecessarily as they cannot understand medical jargon.”

“Pathology companies should have patient wellbeing and privacy in their best interests and shouldn’t be beholden to the government to release this information to patients in order to allow patients a rebate.”

“My Health Record is a 2 billion dollar lemon.”

“The pathology companies are already under stress to continue bulk billing for pathology services. This proposal would ultimately lead to patients being charged for the services.”

“This will increase costs to the patient who then may defer or decide against having recommended costs.”

“Many patients have opted out of My Health Record for privacy reasons. They do not want to be on a centralized database, potentially accessible by pretty much anyone and hackers!”

“Punitive measures don’t work as effective tools.”