The ACT public health system’s new Digital Health Record rolled out across all ACT public health services this week.
Health minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the Digital Health Record is one of the biggest projects ever undertaken in the ACT public health system, and the implementation has gone well.
“Considering the scale of the DHR project, teams have done an incredible job in implementing the new system,” she said. “As expected with any project of this size, there have been some teething issues. Staff have been fantastic in coming forward with feedback and working together to find solutions to issues as they arise.
“In the first week, more than 8,000 workers logged on to use DHR. While this is a very exciting time, some staff members are understandably feeling anxious as they learn a new system. Healthcare workers have shown great professionalism in adapting to the DHR while continuing to provide care for patients.
“While staff are using DHR for the first time, our hospitals and Walk-in Centres experienced an increase in wait times, and there has been an impact on services in some areas. This is expected to improve as staff become familiar with the system and issues are worked through.”
Since Monday morning, ACT Health has answered more than 300 calls and emails from members of the community. Most calls were about MyDHR, the consumer portal for the Digital Health Record.
“Most calls from Canberrans related to login access or questions about information in their MyDHR,” Ms Stephen-Smith said. “ACT Health has worked to respond to these phone calls quickly, aiming to keep wait times to a minimum and to return calls within the same day if required.”
Following this first week of implementation, ACT Health will continue with a public information campaign to inform Canberrans about the benefits of the DHR, the security measures in place, and how to access MyDHR.
“There are huge benefits to having one record across the ACT public health system,” Ms Stephen-Smith said. “From now on, when you go to an emergency department, Walk-in Centre, or outpatient appointment, your doctor, nurse, or allied health professional will be able to access instantly any relevant information from your previous interactions with the ACT public health system.
“I want to thank everyone involved for their enthusiasm, collegiality, and resilience in the lead-up to and through go-live,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
