Submission to E-Health Records – Discussion Paper 2015

The need for permanent opt-out

Dear sir/madam

I object to E-Health records on the following grounds:

Security

Privacy

Difficulty in getting a truly independent medical opinion

SECURITY

The internet is very insecure. Cybercrime is rife, and is rapidly growing. In Australia, the Australian Tax Office is hacked into, as is the Defence Force, all the banks, private companies, and Commonwealth and State Departments. The recent hacking into 4 million US federal employees files is just one of countless examples. E=Health records, are and will continue to be very insecure. Cybersecurity is a major and growing issue.

PRIVACY

E=Health records violate traditional doctor-patient confidentiality. With E-Health records, anyone with normal access to the system would be able to look at an individual’s record. This would include any number of medical practitioners, nurses, paramedicals, pharmacists, public servants both Commonwealth and State, and police. It is quite believable too that private companies may be able to pay for access, such as pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, and research organisations, - as happens overseas for example with the UK National Health Service.

All the above does not included all those who are able to hack into the system and get data, for criminal or other purposes.

The doctor-patient confidential relationship is totally destroyed by E-Health records.


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DIFFICULTY IN GETTING A TRULY INDEPENDENT SECOND OPINION

There is little point in getting a second medical opinion unless it is completely independent of the first opinion.

With E-Health Records, the second doctor will be able to look at whatever the first doctor’s opinion happened to be. The second doctor’s opinion will inevitably be biased by the first doctor’s opinion, and of little use to the patient.

E-Health records destroys the point and the usefulness of getting a second opinion.

CONCLUSION

In view of the above points, (lack of cybersecurity, destruction of doctor/patient confidentiality because of invasion of privacy, and the impossibility of getting a truly second opinion if needed) my strong submission is for there to be a permanent opt-out for those who have great doubts about E-Health records.

There is a great over-enthusiasm for this technology, and great reluctance to admit its problems.

E-Health records have adverse consequences for health care !

Healthcare recipient

Queensland