Western NSW Medicare Local (WML) and Narromine Shire Family Health Centre are encouraging residents in the town and surrounding communities to register for a Personally Controlled Electronic eHealth Record (PCEHR) by holding a registration day tomorrow.
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WML staff will help register community members for a free eHealth record with doctors then uploading a summary of their health information into the system.
"Any visitors can attend the registration day and get an eHealth record and have their own GP upload their health summary later," a WML spokeswoman said.
An eHealth record is an electronic summary of a patient's key health information drawn from their existing patient records. Information can be uploaded by an authorised healthcare professional which is typically a person's regular GP.
Information that can be uploaded includes medications, test results, discharge summaries, allergies and details of any immunisations.
Narromine Shire Family Health Centre GP Dr Kumara Mendis reports of its doctors seeing the benefits of the Narromine community registering for an eHealth record
"Having a central online location where patients can control and access all their health information, is a great advantage for the public and doctors in the community," he said.
"Doctors will be able to see their patient's medical history and test results from all the different health services that the patient visits. "This registration day will help anyone in the community take ownership of their medical history."
WML deputy chief executive officer Stephen Jackson said it had been promoting meaningful use of the eHealth record system across the region.
"WML is working with local general practice, specialists and pharmacies to assist them in registering their patient/customers in the eHealth records," he said.
"We have been focusing on getting the health practitioners comfortable with the system until recently, but now shifting to get the general public on board."
The WML eHealth Team will use the "Assisted Registration Tool", a program which allows the eHealth team to promote and activate eHealth records for the public at community events and road shows.
"This tool enables WML staff to guide the public through the process of registration and activation of their own eHealth record," Mr Jackson said.
"We have also been promoting the eHealth record through other WML services and community events such as the GP After Hours clinic, the Connecting Care Program, Western Interagency Expo and the Orange Field Days, with many more events on the horizon."
Narromine Shire Family Health Centre has teamed up with the WML to deliver the "hassle- free" service to the community.
WML staff will be on site in the practice from 9am on Thursday, February 6, to register community members for an eHealth record, called "a 10-minute quick and easy process".
The WML spokeswoman said an appointment with a GP was not required to register for a free eHealth record.
"All community members, not just patients of the practice, are welcome to register themselves for an eHealth record or to find out more information," she said.