Doctors are skeptical about the introduction of the universal health record system, e-Health, which has a planned launched date of July 1.
Initially there were privacy and hacking concerns about the electronic database that stores the entire medical history of a patient. However, as July 1 approaches it seems that the e-Health system is far from ready.
Dr Lillian Goodman is a Bellevue Hill based GP. She said that doctors have been left in the dark about the execution of e-Health. “It’s supposed to start on the 1st of July but I don’t think anyone knows much more about it.
“I know we are supposed to organise our patient’s records and but we have not been officially told about it. I don’t know how patients will be able to access their records from my computer; I imagine there must be some special template or software to do it on so it’s accessible. But so far it’s a week away and we have heard nothing.
“I’m just going to have to wait and see what happens on the 1st of July.”
Maroubra based GP Dr Cedric Meyerowitz is critical of aspects of the current model namely giving citizens the option to not subscribe to the e-health system and the ability to access and change their own records.
He said, “The aim of the universal medical record is for the patient’s health outcomes and to save money. I believe if Medicare pays your bills then every single patient should be forced to participate in this health system. If a patient decides they do not want to go on that then the patient should have all their rights to Medicare abolished.”
“The government made a further mistake by allowing the patient to have a look at their record and change things. What happens if the patient starts changing their medical history? Then the whole thing will fall apart”.
The National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) promises that the record system will healthcare Australian wide more effective and efficient, leading to a reduction in overall health care costs.
While Dr Goodman and Dr Meyerowitz don’t dispute the benefit of a universal health record they don’t foresee a benefit in the near future.
Dr Meyerowitz said: “At this stage the system is doomed. It’s going to take 15 or 20 years before it’s going to work.”
By Kate Horowitz
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