[LINK] Question about bush reliability for accessing health records via the internet

[David Boxall]

On 20/04/2016 1:47 PM, Jan Whitaker wrote:
> Hi guys
> I'm having a discussion in a private group about the reliability of internet connections for 'country doctors' so that they could rely on the MyHealthRecord for travelling seniors.
>
> Here's the article that started us off:
> <http://www.nbmphn.com.au/Community/My-Health-Record/Ray-Lorraine-Gardner.aspx>http://www.nbmphn.com.au/Community/My-Health-Record/Ray-Lorraine-Gardner.aspx
>
> I said I thought these people were being misled. I've been told by someone in health care (who is also on-side about the problems with the MyHR itself, so not all bad) that bush GPs would have commercial grade internet access.
>
> My question: is there such a thing in the outback? And is it really reliable to put your trust in having that as your only source of health information in emergencies when travelling?
>
> Thoughts?
> ...
I put the question to the Facebook Rural & Regional group. This is what 
came back:
===================================
Well I can comment... I think our country surgery has satellite but 
there is no ADSL, no NBN, no NextG and even better no mobile phone 
reception. Also remember in rural areas we have a high turn over of 
doctors, most overseas trained with gaps filled by locums. Before we 
worry about the Internet access the Gp's need training in ehealth as 
part of their registration.
===================================
apart from the reality of data access issues there is also the issue of 
security. I will never have a ehealth, mygov or any other government 
account due to the inherent issues with privacy and security.
===================================
Ehealth is more secure than entrusting staff in remote medical environments.
===================================
Having personal access to ehealth records makes no difference to 
security or privacy, the information is there whether you are accessing 
it or not. I actually just signed my husband up for ehealth this morning 
as I needed to prove he was prescribed a medicine as our regular chemist 
is closed until Tuesday and needed to get a couple of days supply. All 
his script and doctor visit history was immediately available as soon as 
I signed it up. The information is already online. Same deal with 
centrelink, ATO etc. It's all there whether you are accessing it or not. 
I've been using online accounts for government departments for years and 
never had any issues.
===================================
After travelling for five years, we carried a hard copy of our health 
records, then ehealth was introduced and wow, did that make things 
easier, especially when on special medication. So many doctors surgeries 
would simply not issue me with this medication and you got the feeling 
you were being treated like a drug addict..never had a problem since 
being on ehealth.

-- 
David Boxall                         | ignorance more frequently
                                      | begets confidence than does
http://david.boxall.id.au            | knowledge
                                      | --Charles Darwin (introduction
                                      |  to 'The Descent of Man' 1871)