Share for Care goes live at end of November

23 November 2011

Share for Care goes live at end of November

West Coast residents are encouraged to actively ‘opt-in’ to the Share for Care system before the first upload of health information into the system takes place at the end of the month.

The Share for Care system is a way to safely share a summary of a person’s General Practice-based electronic health information with other health care providers outside a person’s general practice on the West Coast.

Share for Care allows approved health workers access to a summary of a person’s health information when caring for them. This will improve the care people receive across the health care system, for example at the pharmacy or at the hospital’s Emergency Department.

“People have to sign a form to opt-in to Share for Care. There is a choice to opt-out but that also requires a form to be signed,” David Meates, West Coast DHB Chief Executive says. Forms can be completed and returned to a person’s general practice.

People who want to be excluded from the system also need to complete the ‘Opt-out’ form and return it to their general practice before November 30 to ensure their records will not be available to anyone other than the health provider who holds them (such as their GP).

If neither an opt-in nor an opt-out form is completed, health records will be available only in an emergency outside the general practice.

Mr Meates says a secure system is in place to ensure records are protected from being casually or inappropriately accessed and more personal information, such as notes made by a doctor or practice nurse, are not included in the information shared.

“We are urging people to take a moment to fill in the opt-in form so there is smooth access to their records when needed.”

• Opt-in and opt-out forms are available at all pharmacies, general practices, medical centres, DHB facilities can be downloaded online at www.shareforcare.health.nz, www.westcoastpho.org.nz or www.westcoastdhb.org.nz
• More information is also available from general practices and pharmacies.

ENDS

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