MHR's confidentiality needs to be further strengthened to prevent abuse of the system

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MHR's confidentiality needs to be further strengthened to prevent abuse of the system

The federal government has made every effort to address additional concerns regarding My Health Record and patient privacy through additional legislative amendments.

My medical record has been the subject of much debate. Health care professionals and patients expressed concern that this would result in a violation of sensitive health data.

These concerns were partially resolved earlier this year with stricter privacy provisions that allowed Australians not only to withdraw from the system, but also to cancel their files permanently.

However, concerns remained, particularly with respect to vulnerable groups such as victims of domestic violence and adolescents, who may wish to protect certain health information from partners or abusive parents. Labor and the Australian Greens have called for a Senate inquiry to explore these concerns, with its recommendations provided last month.

Minister Hunt today announced other legislative changes to the provisions of My Health Record regarding security and confidentiality.

"We reviewed the recommendations of the Senate inquiry, listened to the concerns of various groups and users of My Health Record," said Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt.

RACGP President Dr. Harry Nespolon met with Minister Hunt earlier this year to discuss general practitioners' concerns about My Medical Record and patient privacy, prompting the federal government to improve this aspect of the system. .

Dr. Nespolon said newsGP He believes that Minister Hunt should be commended for listening to the RACGP's recommendations regarding the confidentiality and security of My Health Record and for proposing legislation designed to protect the community.

"The protection of sensitive health information is crucial to maintaining a doctor-patient trust, enabling us to provide the best possible care," said Dr. Nespolon. "Although the RACGP supports the creation of a national electronic health record, it must be set up in a way that supports and protects the privacy of patients.

"The legislative changes announced today will help protect some of our most vulnerable patients, while providing for severe penalties for abuse of the My Health Record system.

"I am now looking forward to seeing this law pbaded and working with the federal government to continue to help improve the peace of mind of many GPs and their patients who use My Medical Record."

Changes that will be made to the legislation:

• Increased sentences for misuse of a medical record My health, rising from a maximum criminal sentence of 2 to 5 years in prison and maximum fines of $ 126,000 to $ 315,000 for individuals .
• If a person has restricted access to a child or may pose a risk to a child or a person badociated with the child, she may not be the authorized representative of a minor. If a person or situation presents a risk to life, health or safety, the Australian Digital Health Agency will not be required to inform that person of certain decisions.
• Employers will be prohibited from requesting and using medical information in My Employee Medical Record. Employers and insurers can not ask people to share their My Health Information.
• No health information or anonymized data will be disclosed to private insurers or other types of insurers for research or public health purposes.
• The system operator will not be able to delegate functions to organizations other than the Ministry of Health and the General Manager of Medicare.

Dr. Harry Nespolon, President of RACGP, said that Health Minister Greg Hunt should be congratulated for listening to the RACGP's recommendations regarding the confidentiality and safety of My Health Record.

The Senate inquiry also recommended improvements to the privacy protection of adolescents aged 14 to 17, but Minister Hunt said the current provisions of the legislation, which provide for parents' default access to these registers, will be reviewed rather than modified.

The date of withdrawal of My Medical Record will not be extended beyond November 15th, a decision for which work is essential.

"Australians need more time to understand the changes," said Catherine King, Minister Delegate for Health and Medicare. "These changes have been made there are only a few days left before the deactivation deadline."

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