Have questions about My Health Record (MHR)? We’ve got answers!
Click the on the FAQs below or read on for the full story.
What is it?
My Health Record (MHR) is an online summary of your key health information like vaccinations, medical conditions, allergies, medications, and test results.
Why would I want one?
When you have one, your health information can be viewed securely at any time through any device connected to the internet. When you move, travel or change doctors, all you need is an internet connection to access your records. It can help make sure you get the right treatment.
It is linked to your myGov account, which is a one stop shop for all your government services like Medicare, Australian Taxation Office and other services.
It’s a convenient way to record and track your health information over time.
Who will see my details?
MHR by default allows access to all healthcare professionals. However, you get to decide who has access to it and what is stored there. And you can set up alerts so you know when someone new accesses your record. Log in to MHR and choose the privacy settings that are right for you.
In an emergency, access can be granted to your MHR. In this instance, your personal privacy settings are overridden.
Employers, insurers or anybody else who does not have permission will not be able to access your MHR account. Police will only be able to access your records with a warrant granted by a court.
Will my parents know that I have visited a doctor?
Once you turn 14, parents/guardians are automatically removed and will no longer be able to access your information unless you allow them to do so.
If you are over the age of 14 and still using your parents’ or guardians’ Medicare card, they will no longer receive any information related to billing, script information, immunisation records, and other personal health information.
Did you know that anyone over the age of 15 can apply for their own Medicare card? Click here for more information on how to get your own.
Should I be worried about keeping my health information online?
MHR has sophisticated cybersecurity protections in place and undertakes regular security check ups.
However there is no way to protect against all possible threats. Changing the privacy settings in MHR allows you to control what information is available online.
What if I don’t want information uploaded to MHR?
You get to choose what information goes on your record. If you don’t want clinical information or test results added to your MHR, tell your doctor or nurse.
If you are worried about information that may already be up on MHR, you can log into your account, and remove any clinical information you choose.
What if I don’t want to have a MHR?
If you didn’t opt out by the 31st of January 2019, a MHR has been created for you. So you’ll need to cancel your record. If you want to cancel your record:
- log on to your MHR through my.gov.au
or - call the MHR Help Line on 1800 723 471.
All the information in your record will be permanently deleted.
It’s your health and privacy so take charge of your MHR!
