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To be able to effectively use My Health Record, a person must have a sufficient level of digital, data and health literacy. They also need to be able to access digital tools. Making a decision about whether or not you should have a My Health
Record requires a person to make an assessment of their digital and health literacy, but it also raises important ethical questions about the merits of an opt-out model for the whole population.
In this webinar, we discuss among other topics what skills are required to use My Health Record, the level of digital inclusion in Australia and discuss the ethics of the decision to opting people with low digital or health literacy into the My
Health Record system.
Details
Date and Time: 3pm-4pm AEST, 13 September 2018
Recording: youtu.be/B-9Z7KpQqW0
Transcript chf.org.au/sites/default/files/transcript_-_webinar_5.pdf
Panellists
- Karen Gallagher, ADHA, General Manager – Implementation, My Health Record
- Dr Chris Moy, GP, Chair of the AMA Ethics and Medicolegal Committee
- Louisa Walsh, Consumer Advocate, Researcher at La Trobe’s Centre for Health Communication and Participation
- Mohammad Al-Khafaji, FECCA, Director – Strategy and Engagement
Resources
"As My Health Record becomes more interactive, as it becomes more person controlled and person centered, then there's this increased need to address the barriers of digital and health literacy."
- Louisa Walsh, Consumer Advocate and Researcher at La Trobe’s Centre for Health Communication and Participation
"Information availability is really key to literacy. My Health Record is a big change and a big shift in people being able to
be more involved in their care or for their carers or their family to be involved in their care because they've got information about themselves."
- Karen Gallagher, ADHA, General Manager – Implementation, My Health Record
Timestamped Q&A
3:06 - we think the typical patient and particularly those with little digital skill would get
much support from health professionals, doctors, nurses, et cetera, to encourage them to use MHR to best advantage?
3:33 - Chris, what's your view?
5:39 - What's the perspective of
the ADHA on this, Karen? Where do we go in terms of reaching out to people who may not be technically knowledgeable?
8:50 - Louisa, what's the perspective, do you think, from the consumers? I mean, is this sounding like the way to go?
11:51 - Mohammad, digital inclusion, is this a more difficult challenge for people from non-English speaking backgrounds? What do you think the experience has been so far in terms of accessing My Health Record?
14:50 - Aren’t there going to be a lot of people who don't read or speak English? What's going to
happen about their access to MHR?
15:58 - Chris, could I ask you, has the medical profession
looked at any risks from digital exclusion with electronic health records, there may be those who aren't digitally equipped who are going to be left behind? Is this an issue, do you think?
20:30 - Mohammad, is that point coming through to your communities that in fact for people who don't speak English, this may be a plus in that an MHR is
available if they end up in the hospital or at some other place?
23:31 - What do you think,
Louisa? You've looked into this, personally and as a health communication researcher.
29:48
- Karen, can we expect to see the continued developments that meet some of the issues that Louisa raises?
34:35 - Do each of you want to just give a quick idea of how you think health literacy will be affected with the rollout of MHR? Perhaps, I should start with the consumer. Louisa.
36:37 - Mohammad, do you think the My Health Record will help with health literacy and people learning more about healthcare how best to keep good health, et
cetera?
38:07 - "The discussion's all about the use of the consumer portal as a tool and
how it's not so easy to navigate. Third-party apps can provide a more user-friendly experience for people. What's happening in this space?"
41:10 - Do you think, Karen, that people, have the health literacy as a rule to make the best judgment on whether or not to stay with My Health Record?
46:09 -Louisa, any idea of just how many or what proportion of the population has a clear idea about risks as against benefits of My Health Record?
49:30 - Chris, what are the medical profession doing about MHR, how well are they understanding
it?
52:38 - Karen, can I ask is the My Health Record administration relying just on rising
critical mass? Say, if we take the hospital specialists' involvement, is there anything ADHA doing to drive that?
56:55 - One of the big ongoing claims made in support of MHR is that it should bring more knowledge and information towards the consumer Does this have the potential to, if you like, equal up the power imbalance at all?
1:00:33 – Last Words