The ‘digital front door’ for key health information, my health app, has new features to help Australians manage their health, medications and wellbeing wherever they travel over the holiday season.
The Australian Digital Health Agency (the Agency) has released a significant update to the user-friendly app to end the inconvenience and cost of misplacing electronic tokens or paper prescriptions, often called scripts.
Agency CEO Amanda Cattermole PSM said the latest update to my health app makes it a unique digital means of enabling Australians to manage electronic prescriptions alongside their individual key health information in a secure and convenient location.
‘Australians caravanning across the country or flying to family festivities should download my health app before they travel, so their health information and tools to support them are always in reach,’ Ms Cattermole said.
‘Whether you are a busy parent, an interstate traveller, or someone with chronic or complex health conditions, the upgrade to the my health app has been designed and tested with diverse consumer groups to ensure it is a health saver for everyone.’
Pleased to have health info accessible
For 71-year-old Leigh from Melbourne, history was made when he became one of the first Australians to receive open-heart surgery at the age of six in 1959.
Leigh has since undergone several heart surgeries over the years and takes regular medication to manage his atrial fibrillation, or irregular heartbeat.
‘I am so pleased to have an app that works well and has all the information in one place. I can’t wait till next year when we can hopefully see the mandatory sharing of pathology results, that’s going to be a game changer.
‘Where possible I prefer to use electronic prescriptions,’ Leigh said. ‘I take multiple medications, so if I can have that list of prescriptions in my health app, that would be fantastic.
‘I’ve found the app very easy to use. I can enter my six-digit PIN and I’m instantly in my record. It’s the easiest way to access your My Health Record. I like the fact I can get a summary of my scans.’
Agency Chief Clinical Advisor (Medicine) Dr Amandeep Hansra says the my health app is increasingly useful when people are in emergency situations.
‘Diagnostic imaging and pathology reports are being shared to My Health Record in growing numbers, which allows clinicians to access critical information that is not always available in their own organisation’s health records,’ she said.
‘Access to this information on their mobile phone through my health app will also empower consumers to take control of their health,’ said Dr Hansra.
New features
The upgrade to my health app provides enhanced usability and a fresh new look. Additional features include:
- the ability to manually add or edit medicines you are currently taking, allergies, and adverse reactions.
- options to add, update and view emergency contact information .
- options to link or delink an Active Script List (ASL) once registered with a pharmacy.
- updates to the organ donor status information.
For more information about my health app visit the digital health website or download my health app for iOS or Android from the App Store or Google Play for a healthy holiday season.
