Electronic Health Records: Not Just An American Problem
A few years ago, this blog discussed the failure of government-dictated Electronic Health Records (EHRs) in the United Kingdom.
In Australia, the Liberal-National coalition government has decided to scrap the nation’s Electronic Health Record, blaming the previous Labour government for the current one’s failings. Unfortunately, the government plans to replace it with a new one, instead of leaving well enough alone:
The Abbott Government will deliver a rebooted personalised myHealth Record system for patients and doctors that will trial an opt-out, rather than opt-in, option as part of a $485 million budget rescue package to salvage Labor’s failed attempts to develop a national electronic medical records system.
Opt-out rather than opt-in? Doesn’t that sound kind of like a mandate? It’s an odd choice for a government that espouses free-market principles.
