Summary
Date: 7 December 2015
The RACGP submission addresses the two topics the Committee has selected to focus on at this time - the collection, linkage and access to health data and reform proposals that may improve overall health outcomes.
The role of healthcare professionals in documenting healthcare consultations has evolved from the requirement to record and manage medical records at a local level, to contributing and transferring information fit for a range of clinical and administrative purposes. This has inevitably resulted in the move away from paper records to electronic healthcare records (EHRs).
Electronic Healthcare Records (EHRs) improve accessibility, legibility and useability of healthcare data. However, as the volume of information within EHRs and the number of data sources and databases grows, it has become increasingly difficult to manage the consolidation and display of data, which impacts on the quality of information held and visibility of this information in local clinical systems.