HealthEngine, Australia’s latest online healthcare marketplace, has today partnered with the Australian Digital Health Agency by integrating the My Health Record platform, enabling its millions of users to book appointments and access their medical history in one place.
Through the HealthEngine platform, the My Health Record system will enable patients to view and share their medical history with multiple doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare providers instantaneously. With 58.4%1 of appointments booked and attended in less than twenty four hours, patients cannot always access their preferred healthcare professional when needed. This integration effectively enables practitioners to attain a holistic view of a first-time patient’s health history, to prescribe tailored treatment and advice accordingly.
“We want to empower patients to take control of their health and an early step in achieving that is to make them aware of My Health Record and the benefits it offers,” said Darius Wey, Head of Mobile and User Experience at HealthEngine. “Unified electronic health records give Australians greater insight to their own health, which results in better access to care, and a simplified and more efficient healthcare industry.”
HealthEngine CEO and Medical Director, Dr Marcus Tan said, “My Health Record is an important piece of national health infrastructure and deserves to succeed for the benefit of patients and providers. At HealthEngine, we believe in the principle of open data sharing in a secure and trusted environment. This integration is a commitment to our work with the Australian Digital Health Agency in support of an initiative that is in the national interest.”
“We use smartphones to organise our lives — from banking, to work, communication, and socialising, so why not our health as well. We know through our existing database of over one million users a month, that there is strong demand for a service that combines booking capabilities and personal records.”
“Enabling our users even more with My Health Record has been a long-term goal of ours. We hope that our user friendly interface and additional services on top of My Health Record generates further adoption of e-health initiatives in Australia.”
HealthEngine worked with the Australian Digital Health Agency to successfully implement My Health Record to the standards set by regulators.
Dr Tan also said that the integration shouldn’t raise further security concerns, “All personal health data will be stored outside HealthEngine. Users will need a verified MyGov account and PIN to access their data through the app. This ensures information stays secure and in the right hands.”
1 RACGP General Practice Industry Report, September 2016
