My Health Record update gives easier access to records

A My Health Record (MHR) update has given patients and healthcare professionals easier access to pathology and diagnostic imaging results, in what has been described as a bid to “better support clinical decisions” and improve usability.

The update, described by the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) as a “step-change” in the way healthcare providers and patients can “conveniently and securely view medical reports”, allows healthcare professionals to ‘group’ test results and reports based on date and relevance — helping them keep track of whether, when and where tests were performed and monitor patients’ results over time.

Additionally, clinical information system (CIS) applications that have implemented the MHR Document List can now automatically generate pathology and diagnostic imaging overviews — a function that previously had to be developed by CIS vendors.

ADHA Chief Medical Adviser Professor Meredith Makeham said the update “enhances the way we can view diagnostic imaging and pathology reports to gain a quick snapshot of a patient’s test result history”.

“The new overviews show you multiple reports within a specific date range on one page, and that improves the ability of healthcare providers to access important test result information that we need to inform clinical decision,” Prof Makeham said.

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