Hey Philip S,
Radiologists have been able to provide digital copies of X-Rays on disc as well as the traditional films for quite a few years now, and the software that runs on your PC to view these x-rays also includes the ability to upload to a patient database.

So the technology for this kind of thing - a way for patients and medical professionals to avoid the hassle of dealing with films (waiting for them, collecting them etc.) has been around for a while.

And I believe it will make it easier for patients, and save time for doctors.

So I think the My Health Record idea isn't necessarily a bad idea.

It is sensible to have a streamlined system where people who do need to know can get access to medical info quickly.

But the security side of things and data sharing aspects seem to be of a concern, personal information needs to be secure and only given to those who need to know when they need to know and not retained.

They need to foolproof any potential misuse of this new system; even if the wrong people in government departments for example have access to national citizen health records there is a serious potential for misuse.

//I cannot see the problem with a national database, it could actually save lives.//

I dunno, sounds a bit sus to me:

"Police will also be able gain access to the information under certain circumstances"

WTF? Since when are the police part of the health system? What other third parties that have nothing to do with health will be poring over our data?

Would your really trust Peter 'The Killer Potato' Dutton and his goons with sensitive data like that?

I will shortly be sending a letter to health minister asking whether for clarification on whether or not I can refuse access to my medical records to those outside the medical system who have no business concerning themselves with such deeply personal information. If the answer is that I can't, I'll be opting out of the system entirely.

I opted out.

//it seems the only ones complaining have something to hide.//

Those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear, eh?

XD

How charmingly naive, kirby483. Now, where I have heard that idea before... oh yes, it was Goebbels.

Persuading people not to be concerned about privacy issues, Lesson 1: Don't quote Nazis.

kirby483 Quote "we have a stable government, a police force and army that will protect me" Ask the victims of the African gangs in some states how the police protected them.

Armchair Critic & Belly & kirby483 - Lets assume you are a young person you have an accident you are unconscious taken to hospital they take blood and other samples for pathology testing, you can't tell them not to put the info on the database, gee you have drugs and very high alcohol levels and gee they see you are HIV positive that all goes on the database, How does your future look now? Later the whole database is hacked and sold you could also be blackmailed depending on your job and situation.

As Toni Lavis says Police, you can bet will access it, drugs in system good luck with that.

Yuyutsu Quote "No doctor can enter your medical information unless you give them your medicare number." In your case it's not the doctor you have to worry about it is the pathologist etc that do the tests.

There are penalties for people misusing it, but just think, reported data breaches are nearly a daily event how many go unreported because of the damage to the company?

Hackers do not care about penalties.

What is the purpose of this base? I opted out too, as did my Doctor, is the information just another needless cost?has this government in an effort to cut costs put them on ?