My Health Record

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The federal government has come under increased pressure to suspend the rollout of its controversial My Health Record system and is considering rewriting its legislation, after a Senate inquiry highlighted major privacy failings and as the number of Australians to opt out exceeds 1.1 million.
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Good luck with making it 'bulletproof' Doc.

Dr Phelps, a strident critic of My Health Record, told Fairfax Media she would be in Canberra on Thursday to meet with crossbenchers and seek their support for a suspension of the e-health system's rollout and the establishment of a new inquiry to ensure that it is bullet proof.
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THE AGE
 

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I am torn on this.

A large part of me says "no", basically because I don't trust this government to run a chook raffle, let alone something as complex as this. And I certainly don't have any faith at all in their ability to make the information secure.

On the other hand, I have major battles with my mental health and I am wondering on a health basis alone whether it may be in my best interests to agree to be part of it.

Decisions.
 
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sherb said:
I am torn on this.

A large part of me says "no", basically because I don't trust this government to run a chook raffle, let alone something as complex as this. And I certainly don't their ability to make the information secure.

On the other hand, I have major battles with my mental health and I am wondering on a health basis alone whether it may be in my best interests to agree to be part of it.

Decisions.
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I am going along with it. I am diabetic and in frequent contact with the health system. My care is split between my GP and the local hospital outpatient clinic. So it makes sense for me to have a centralised record. If you have a similar sort of split healthcare then it probably would be in your best interests to stay.

I'm not sold on the competance of governments to run the show either. But I can't see what harm it would do me if there was a security breach.
 
sherb said:
I am torn on this.

A large part of me says "no", basically because I don't trust this government to run a chook raffle, let alone something as complex as this. And I certainly don't their ability to make the information secure.

On the other hand, I have major battles with my mental health and I am wondering on a health basis alone whether it may be in my best interests to agree to be part of it.

Decisions.
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Simple decision for me sherb. I'm more than pleased to spend whatever time it takes to complete a patient history when I see a new medical practitioner. Much prefer that to allowing every Tom, Dick and Harry to have access to my private health details, including bodies other than health industry people. Let alone the prospects of hackers getting into the many and varied places where the information is held.

I want control of who sees the information.
 
sherb said:
I am torn on this.

A large part of me says "no", basically because I don't trust this government to run a chook raffle, let alone something as complex as this. And I certainly don't have any faith at all in their ability to make the information secure.

On the other hand, I have major battles with my mental health and I am wondering on a health basis alone whether it may be in my best interests to agree to be part of it.

Decisions.
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Sherb at my clinic, my doctor sends copy of any test results that I may have to current specialist (as do specialists send back reports to my GP) even optometrists. Hospitals have my records and also send reports back to the doctors. That seems enough for me, I opted out especially when I read that drug companies want access to My Health Record.

Maybe when the recommendations from the Senate enquiry are implemented, I may opt in but until then, staying out.
 
sherb said:
I am torn on this.

A large part of me says "no", basically because I don't trust this government to run a chook raffle, let alone something as complex as this. And I certainly don't have any faith at all in their ability to make the information secure.

On the other hand, I have major battles with my mental health and I am wondering on a health basis alone whether it may be in my best interests to agree to be part of it.

Decisions.
Click to expand...
Admiral Byng said:
I am going along with it. I am diabetic and in frequent contact with the health system. My care is split between my GP and the local hospital outpatient clinic. So it makes sense for me to have a centralised record. If you have a similar sort of split healthcare then it probably would be in your best interests to stay.

I'm not sold on the competance of governments to run the show either. But I can't see what harm it would do me if there was a security breach.
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It is never in your best interests to allow a government access to your records. By making it 'individual opt out', they have changed the way we think about it; instead of being an organisation hell-bent on collecting data which isn't their own, it is our responsibility to think about whether we want the government and extragovernmental organisations to possess our information. It isn't because they cannot manage or protect our information - although they self evidently can't, given the leaks of confidential information in the past from supposedly secure government departments - but because they shouldn't be collecting it in the first place, and that they will definitely share it with other entities.

They're making you look at it at the tree level (do you mind if your information is held by government) when you should be looking at it from the forest level: why does a government want medical information from every single person in their country?

It is surely enough to say that there is enough intrusion from our government into our lives as it is already, let alone this 'big brother'-esque system of surveillance.
 
After reading responses to my post, I'm leaning heavily towards the "opt-out" option........

Thanks to the posters who took the time to reply and offer their thoughts.
 
Gethelred said:
It is never in your best interests to allow a government access to your records. By making it 'individual opt out', they have changed the way we think about it; instead of being an organisation hell-bent on collecting data which isn't their own, it is our responsibility to think about whether we want the government and extragovernmental organisations to possess our information. It isn't because they cannot manage or protect our information - although they self evidently can't, given the leaks of confidential information in the past from supposedly secure government departments - but because they shouldn't be collecting it in the first place, and that they will definitely share it with other entities.

They're making you look at it at the tree level (do you mind if your information is held by government) when you should be looking at it from the forest level: why does a government want medical information from every single person in their country?

It is surely enough to say that there is enough intrusion from our government into our lives as it is already, let alone this 'big brother'-esque system of surveillance.
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Nah, seems a bit paranoidistic. Good information is needed for prudent and wise decision-making just as much as it is required for sinister and evil purposes. The act of collecting data is neither good nor bad, only what is done with it.
 
Admiral Byng said:
Nah, seems a bit paranoidistic. Good information is needed for prudent and wise decision-making just as much as it is required for sinister and evil purposes. The act of collecting data is neither good nor bad, only what is done with it.
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Don't get me wrong, I'm extremely paranoid.

But you are completely incorrect (and dangerously naive) about the notion that there is nothing wrong with the collection of data without your direct consent, especially by government.
 

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Gethelred said:
Don't get me wrong, I'm extremely paranoid.

But you are completely incorrect (and dangerously naive) about the notion that there is nothing wrong with the collection of data without your direct consent, especially by government.
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I have given my direct consent. I have considered the pros and cons, in my situation I decided the benefit is worth the risk.
 
Admiral Byng said:
I have given my direct consent. I have considered the pros and cons, in my situation I decided the benefit is worth the risk.
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You have, because you are aware of the changes and of the 'opt in' nature of this particular beast. But that is not how My Health Record functions.

Most people ignore government advertising. We are not an engaged populace. In reality, the majority of Australians will be deprived of the choice you've made, because the government know it.

That alone doesn't make me comfortable about their intentions for how they plan to use it. Does it you?
 
Gethelred said:
You have, because you are aware of the changes and of the 'opt in' nature of this particular beast. But that is not how My Health Record functions.

Most people ignore government advertising. We are not an engaged populace. In reality, the majority of Australians will be deprived of the choice you've made, because the government know it.

That alone doesn't make me comfortable about their intentions for how they plan to use it. Does it you?
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I don't think it is a safe assumption that everybody (or even most)who decides not to opt out is based on naivety or apathy.
 
Admiral Byng said:
What's the worst that could happen to me if some unauthorisd person read my file? Apart from the embarassment factor of them knowing stuff about me, can they actually harm me?
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Health insurance fraud is massive in the USA. You can sell health records for far more than you can sell credit card details.
 
sherb said:
After reading responses to my post, I'm leaning heavily towards the "opt-out" option........

Thanks to the posters who took the time to reply and offer their thoughts.
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Remember the census and how it was hacked? Trusting the same clowns with your health record would be insanity.
 
I've tried to opt out and I get a message saying 'you already have a My Health Record - go to mygov to disable it'

then i go to mygov and it's trying to set me up a My Health Record

i've been clicking around in circles
 
radiojake said:
I've tried to opt out and I get a message saying 'you already have a My Health Record - go to mygov to disable it'

then i go to mygov and it's trying to set me up a My Health Record

i've been clicking around in circles
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I rang them up to opt out, very quick and easy.
 
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