Diagnostic imaging providers and pathology laboratories are an important part of Australia’s health landscape, providing services to many Australians each year.
My Health Record provides a vital source of information for healthcare professionals and their patients, enabling continuity of care across the healthcare system and in community care.
For staff in diagnostic imaging and pathology services, an increased awareness of the My Health Record will help staff understand when diagnostic imaging and pathology reports will be uploaded and how viewing clinical documents within the My Health Record can support improved patient care.
This section contains information for diagnostic imaging and pathology staff who want to understand more about My Health Record.
What’s in it for me and my patients?
My Health Record at a glance
These pages introduce diagnostic imaging and pathology information in My Health Record for consumers and clinicians.
- Consumer information: Pathology and diagnostic imaging reports
- Diagnostic imaging reports for healthcare professionals
- Pathology reports for healthcare professionals
Increasing efficiency
Having access to a patient’s key health information can help you operate more effectively by allowing you to:
- quickly gain a picture of the health history of your patient
- reduce the time you spend looking for and receiving information about your patients from other healthcare providers (e.g. previous test results).
Sharing information
Once your service is registered and using appropriate software, pathology and diagnostic imaging reports will be automatically uploaded to My Health Record.
The reports will be immediately available to doctors and any other healthcare professionals who have access to the My Health Record system.
The reports will be listed in the My Health Record system and your patient will be able to read the report after one week (except for COVID-19 pathology reports which are available after 24 hours). This gives doctors time to check the report first and contact the patient about the results, if needed.
This page also includes a list of clinical information systems that have been updated to support communication of an instruction from the requestor, or the patient, that the report associated with the request form should not be uploaded to their My Health Record.
Access to key health information
By accessing the My Health Record system through your organisation’s clinical information system you can access information about your patients such as:
- shared health summaries (which include medications, medical history, allergies and immunisations)
- event summaries (including information about a significant healthcare event)
- MBS and PBS history
- medication prescription and dispense records
- previous hospital discharge summaries
- previous diagnostic imaging and pathology reports, and
- advance care planning documents and custodian information
Register and set up access
There are two ways through which authorised healthcare providers can access an individual’s record in the My Health Record system.
1. Conformant software
Accessing the My Health Record system through conformant clinical software enables healthcare providers to upload, view and download information from an individual's My Health Record.
Click here for more information on access via conformant software
2. National Provider Portal
If a healthcare provider does not have access to conformant software, they can view an individual’s My Health Record through the National Provider Portal at: https://portal.ehealth.gov.au. The healthcare provider will be able to view and download information from the individual’s My Health Record, but will not be able to upload any clinical information.
Click here for more information on access via the National Provider Portal
Establish roles, responsibilities and policies
Prior to registering your organisation you will first need to establish your team members’ roles and responsibilities as they relate to interacting with the Healthcare Identifiers Service and the My Health Record system.
While your registration is being processed, this is an opportune time to:
- establish policies and procedures to underpin your team’s use of My Health Record, and
- train yourself and/or your team in how to use My Health Record
View and upload clinical information
Please refer to the software guides used in your laboratory or radiology information systems to learn more about viewing and uploading information to the My Health Record in your organisation.
Once your service is registered and using appropriate software, pathology and diagnostic imaging reports will be automatically uploaded to the My Health Record.
It is important to note that if the patient or the requesting clinician does not want a report uploaded to the My Health Record, the diagnostic provider must take action to prevent the report associated with that request from being sent to the patient's My Health Record.
Changes are being made to many of the clinical information systems used to record pathology and diagnostic imaging requests to support communication of an instruction from the point of request to the diagnostic provider.
The requesting clinician can:
- check the “Do not send reports to My Health Record” check box in the practice management software, or
- check the “Do not send reports to My Health Record” check box on the paper request form, or
- write “Do not send reports to My Health Record” on the request form.
The patient can:
- check the “Do not send reports to My Health Record” check box on the paper request form, or
- write “Do not send reports to My Health Record” on the request form, or
- tell the staff at the pathology or diagnostic imaging centre that they do not want the report uploaded.
Note that "Do not send" on a request form applies to ALL tests on that request form. If a patient asked that a lithium result not go up, for example, other results such as FBE and LFTs on that request form would not be uploaded unless the doctor assists the patient with a separate request form.
Staff in the pathology laboratory or diagnostic imaging practice need to be aware of how to action a request to ‘Do not send’.
Learn how to:
Understand privacy, security and consent
Please refer to your local organisation’s policies and procedures.
Learn more about how to:
- Report a clinical incident
- Manage a data breach
- Data breach notification - steps to follow
- Security practices and policies checklist
- Recognise your privacy and security obligations
- Understand when you can view and upload information
- My Health Record participation obligations
- My Health Record system security
Access training and resources
Please refer to your software vendor or local organisation’s training resources for interaction with the My Health Record through your localised clinical information system.
My Health Record online training
This training introduces My Health Record and outlines its benefits, features and functionalities. It covers topics such as:
- the benefits of My Health Record for healthcare providers and patients
- the types of information that may be found in My Health Record
- the uses of My Health Record in a range of healthcare settings, and
- the privacy and security mechanisms that underpin My Health Record.
Pathology and diagnostic imaging providers wanting to familiarise themselves with My Health Record are encouraged to undertake the My Health Record in General Practice course. While the course has been written for general practice health professionals, much of the content is relevant to pathology and diagnostic imaging providers. The training platform is available from www.training.digitalhealth.gov.au
Provider Portal demonstration
This demonstration shows how to log into the Provider Portal (once registered and connected) and view the information that might be available in a patient's My Health Record.
Access Provider Portal demonstration
On demand training
Healthcare professionals can simulate use of the digital health functionality in a range of clinical information systems and also the consumer portal.
Webinars
The Agency has hosted a number of webinars to help build knowledge of My Health Record and its features and functionalities.
Education and training request form
The Agency can help organise face-to-face education and training for your practice.
Request education and training
Support and inform patients
Brochures and posters
The Agency has designed posters and brochures specifically about diagnostic reports and the My Health Record to use in patient waiting rooms.
Consumer portal guides
A range of step-by-step guides are available to support patients in interacting with their My Health Record, including uploading a personal health summary, setting privacy controls and a range of other functions.
There is also a Consumer Portal simulator available.
Get help and support
See the contact us page for who to call for help and support.
