Health Records !

There is no doubt that the Federal governments initiative to collate every Australians health records onto a personal health file is a good idea.  It would enable us to make a complete record of our previous medical history available to the doctor treating us and that information would be only available if we consented to it being shared. Nomatter whether it was a general practitioner or a specialist, the decision to allow or withhold would remain in our hands.

Sadly, despite a one billion price tag already spent and four years into launching this programme the results are dismal. Only seventy-five thousand records have been compiled - and only three hundred doctors are bothering to tap into " My Health " - as this programme is titled.

Even worse, we are seeing SNAFU's that are throwing a doubt into the minds of many people who were enthusiastic supporters of this idea.   Families have been getting letters from the IT company tasked with compiling the data to advise that they are starting a health file on family members - who have been dead for over twenty years.

There is a very reasonable explanation for this happening.  It seems that the Health departments records are incomplete and there has been no record of such a death recorded.  At least such indignant replies from families serves to set the record straight, but it does throw a doubt in many minds that this is a bureaucratic nightmare.

Perhaps what we set out to achieve is simply " a bridge too far " !  The intent was to have on record everything from childhood vaccinations to the records of every GP visit over a lifetime, supported by X-Rays, Pathology reports and hospital summaries.   It will be near impossible to round up all that scattered information on each individual and we may be better to set an achievable guideline.

The obvious starting point is to create a " My Health " record as each baby is born and progress from that to children attending baby early learning centres and hence to the school system.  Each and every health event should be added to this record as a matter of course.  The medical fraternity should be encouraged to automatically add every encounter with a patient directly to that ongoing health record. In that way we would develop health records that progress with the citizen for their entire life.

The health record of older Australians should at least start with their next doctor visit.  Most people have incomplete memories, but they should be urged to add to that record and forgotten items would be included when they emerge by chance.  Perhaps a referral to a specialist to whom that same patient had been treated years earlier.  Such records would be patchy, but gaining constant additions would increase the value to a treating doctor.

It seems to be a matter of separating the possible from the impractical. All medical people keep a record of the patients they treat and it is a mere click of a mouse to transfer the details of each days consultation to the " My Health " national file on those patients.  When that person is sent for a blood test or other procedure, as a matter of course any earlier treatment would be added to the file.  In that way, a growing and useful record of a persons health would become available to all who needed that information.

Properly explained, the medical profession would see the value of such a system and would give it their support.   It seems that delving too far into the past - and the inaccuracies that brings - is bringing a good idea into disrepute !