The Australian Digital Health Agency has launched its first mobile consumer app to access health information in My Health Record.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING
Available on both iOS and Android devices, the My Health app has a user-friendly interface where users can quickly view medical information history, vaccination history and upcoming immunizations, hospital discharge summaries, pathology results and other data. They can also track allergy and reaction information and advance care planning documents. Additionally, they can instantly share documents with others right from the home screen.
Based on a press release, a co-design approach was taken to develop the app; interviews, surveys and user testing were conducted with consumers and medical professionals to shape the app experience.
To provide consumer health information, “Strong” data protection mechanisms are built into the app, the agency said. It is also fully integrated with end-to-end encryption with the MHR platform.
Furthermore, the application seamlessly connects with MHR, leveraging ADHA’s innovations Health API Gateway; this allows new health data in the MHR to be automatically downloaded to the My Health app.
WHY IT MATTERS
ADHA’s newest mobile app provides convenient access to health information, which ultimately gives people “greater autonomy over their health journey” and supports them in actively managing their health. Such access, according to CEO Amanda Cattermole, is one of the hallmarks of a modern healthcare system.
THE BIGGEST TREND
The My Health app was developed in response to growing consumer demand for a more convenient way to securely and instantly access key health information in the MHR. In 2022 alone, it saw a 292% year-over-year increase in consumer views of MHR. Additionally, it was also observed that around 75% of user interactions with MHR are done on mobile devices. Adelaide based consultant Chamonix IT Management Consulting was tapped to develop the mobile app in 2021 through a competitive tender process.
of Strengthening the Medicare Task Forcewhich was formed to identify the most urgently needed investment in Australia’s primary care sector, rrecently suggested modernizing the “clumsy” MHR, among other recommendations he forwarded to the government. He wanted to see the platform used by both healthcare providers and patients at the point of care “to improve clinical decision-making.”
In other related news, by next April, the clinical information systems associated with the MHR will begin to align with a new Security Requirements Conformance Profile. The security profile, which will be implemented in five tranches over two years, is in line with best practice standards set out by the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s Essential Eight cyber security threat mitigation strategies.
ON THE RECORD
“We know from our research that almost two-thirds of Australians regularly use their mobile phones to access, share and manage their health information, so releasing a consumer-facing app is not only a logical technical development, but also a direct development. response to consumer demand for access to health information when and where they need it,” said Cattermole.
