Pivotal moment in e-health reform

From 1 July 2012, Australians will be able to register online for their personally controlled electronic health record (PCEHR), which will boost patient safety, improve healthcare delivery, and cut waste and duplication.

This takes the health system into the 21st century.

Below is a snapshot of what it will look like.

• Participation is voluntary and individuals will have a range of controls over the record.


• The PCEHR System will be underpinned by rigorous governance and oversight to maintain privacy and national standards and core national infrastructure.


• The PCEHR systems complements (not replaces) existing records and clinical communications.


• The PCEHR will bring key health information from a number of different systems together and present it in a single view.


• Information in a PCEHR will be able to be accessed by the individual and their authorised healthcare providers. With this information available to them, healthcare providers will be able to make better decisions about health and treatment advice.


• The PCEHR will not hold all the information held in a doctor’s records but will complement it by highlighting key information.


• In the future, as the PCEHR becomes more widely available, individuals will be able to access their own health information anytime from anywhere in Australia.

The National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) are putting the infrastructure and health information standards in place that will allow us to operate in Australia essentially as one healthcare community – a pivotal moment for e-Health reform.

The National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) has been tasked by the governments of Australia to develop better ways of electronically collecting and securely exchanging health information and is the lead organisation supporting the national vision for e-Health in Australia. For further information on NEHTAs work go to www.nehta.gov.au

Keep up to date with eHealth developments across Australia: www.ehealthinfo.gov.au