Digital Health is the electronic management of health information to deliver safer, more efficient and better quality healthcare. The Commonwealth’s digital health initiatives include My Health Record, Telehealth, Secure Messaging, electronic transfer of prescriptions and the Healthcare Identifiers Service.
For digital health information and support please contact the WNSW PHN Digital Health Team.
My Health Record 
My Health Record allows Australians to have a secure, online summary of their health information that can be viewed by treating healthcare providers including doctors, nurses and pharmacists across Australia.
My Health Records will not replace existing medical records. Healthcare professionals will continue to take and review clinical notes. The national My Health Record system provides an active online record that follows your patients as they move through Australia's health system, capturing important clinical and treatment information at different points in time. More information can be found at www.myhealthrecord.gov.au
- My Health Record website ePIP information
- RACGP My Health Record Resources
- Digital Health on Demand Training for Healthcare Professionals
- Training Resources for Clinical Staff - includes training videos, printed guides and fact sheets
- Online Training for My Health Record
- My Health Record News - What's New
- My Health Record Assisted Registration: A guide for Healthcare Provider Organisations
- Managing your My Health Record
- My Health Record Readiness Checklist
- My Health Record Identification Framework for Healthcare Providers
- My Health Record for Healthcare Professionals
Telehealth Services
Telehealth services use information and communications technologies to deliver health services and transmit health information. It encompasses diagnosis, treatment, preventive and curative aspects of healthcare services and typically involves patients, care providers or educators in the provision of these services.
Visit our resource page for further information and website links.
Electronic Prescriptions
Electronic prescriptions form part of the broader digital health and medicines safety framework. They enable the prescribing, dispensing and claiming of medicines, without the need for a paper prescription. Prescribers and patients can choose an electronic prescription as an alternative to a paper prescription. Paper prescriptions will still exist.
Under the National Health Plan for COVID-19, the Australian Government has accelerated the delivery of electronic prescribing. From the end of September 2020, all Pharmacists and Prescribers should be in a position to start supporting electronic prescriptions. Click here for more information
An amendment has been made to the Health (Drugs and Poisons) Regulation 1996 (HDPR) to support the Commonwealth Government’s National Health (COVID-19 Supply of Pharmaceutical Benefits) Special Arrangement 2020. The amendment:
- enables a prescriber to send a digital image of a prescription to a dispenser
- gives a temporary exemption from the requirement to send paper copies of some prescriptions to dispensers
- recognises digital images of prescriptions sent and dispensed under the special arrangement since 26 March 2020 as complying with the HDPR.
To deliver electronic prescriptions, you need to ensure necessary upgrades to both pharmacy and prescriber software can be achieved quickly. Click the links below to access a one-page interactive checklist to help you transition your Pharmacy or Practice to become Electronic Prescriptions Ready.
To request further assistance in becoming electronic prescription ready, please contact the Digital Health Team.
Claire Trott
Digital Health Manager
Phone: 0427 582 158
Email: claire.trott@wnswphn.org.au
Brenton Jones
Digital Health Support Officer
Phone: 0418 861 918
Email: brenton.jones@wnswphn.org.au