The My Health Record: Are you in or are you out?

Time is nearly up.

November 15th looms. UPDATE: DEADLINE EXTENDED

Are you going to stay in…informed and willing?
Or are you going to opt out, reserving your right to be informed before consenting?

Opt-out set ups mean assumed consent. They rely on passive participants.

Maybe this is ok. Maybe it’s not.

You can always opt-in later, as an informed and active participant. Opting out means you have options. If you haven’t got the time or inclination to become an expert in My Health Record, take two minutes to opt out.
Or…next time you visit your GP, or other relevant care provider, your record will be activated.

If you passively allow that, your record will exist according to the default.

If you actively participate, you will need to access your record, via My Gov, managing the settings and ensuring accuracy in the data. Who can see it? What can they see? How are they using it?

There is one aspect of My Health Record that seems to have potential. The record, if you are an active participant, has provision for your Advanced Health Care Directive and your organ donation status. Informed decisions, recorded and accessible.

Perhaps this could also hold your Birth Map?

As an active participant, your My Health Record may be a powerful communication tool.

As a passive participant, you hand over your power. This could leave you far more vulnerable than having no record.

And whilst you’re opting yourself out, don’t forget to opt out your kids.

You can keep your own records, on paper, which you carry with you. Having no My Health Record does not mean no records. Records will still be created when you visit a health professional, or fill a script. They just won’t be in a massive, untested, interconnected database, potentially available to anyone.

Be active, or opt out.