In 2019, all Australians will have a My Health Record created for them, unless they choose not to.

My Health Record is an individual’s online summary of key health information and can be viewed safely and securely anywhere, at any time.

The Minister for Health announced an extension to the My Health Record opt out period until 31 January 2019. The opt out portal and help line will remain open and available until then, and records will be created for every Australian who wants one after 31 January 2019.

Using My Health Record, individuals and their medical practitioners have access to information including shared health summaries, prescribed and dispensed medicines and hospital discharge summaries. My Health Record is particularly useful when travelling interstate, in an emergency or managing chronic conditions with multiple doctors.

Personally controlled settings allow the user to decide who has access to the information and what they see. My Health Record protects individual data using multi-layered safeguards including encryption, firewalls and secure logins.

The Australian Parliament recently passed legislation to strengthen privacy protections in the My Health Records Act 2012. The new legislation means that individuals can opt in or opt out of My Health Record at any time, and permanently delete their record. A summary of the changes is available here.

For more information, visit myhealthrecord.gov.au or call the help line on 1800 723 471.