The Health Directorate’s new Digital Health Record (DHR) is already making a difference on the frontline, helping to manage the COVID-19 vaccination rollout.
Minister for Health, Rachel Stephen-Smith said the software, from the private company Epic, would be rolled out across Canberra’s public health services, including hospitals; community health centres; nurse-led walk-in centres; and the new walk-in health centres.
“The new Digital Health Record system was due to be completed in 2022-23 but the vaccination capability was brought forward to help roll out the ACT’s COVID-19 vaccination program to people who are eligible under Phases 1A and 1B,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
“Our hard-working ACT Health team has been able to bring the vaccination capability online early and have it in use from the very start of the ACT’s COVID-19 vaccination program – the fastest implementation of Epic’s vaccination capabilities anywhere in the world,” she said.
“The technology was fast-tracked to book appointments, guide nurses through pre-vaccine check lists, record vaccination details, report to the Australian Immunisation Register and provide digital confirmation to consumers about their vaccination status.”
Ms Stephen-Smith said eligible Canberrans would soon be able to make their own bookings for Government vaccination hubs and access their vaccine related activity through a secure ‘MyDHR’ web portal.
The Minister said the initial MyDHR portal would only include COVID-19 vaccination activity and the remaining functionality would come online when the Digital Health Record was fully implemented in late 2022.
“When the full Digital Health Record is implemented, the MyDHR portal will provide direct patient access to information and help consumers to make appointments and manage their interaction with ACT Government health services,” she said.
“It’s important for people to understand that MyDHR won’t create new information or store information anywhere it wouldn’t already be,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
