My Health Record and Young Carers
My Health Record is an online summary of health information that lets you control your own health information securely, in one place. This means important health information is available when and where it is needed, including in an emergency. You can ask your healthcare providers to add your new information to the My Health Record for ease of access at ongoing appointments.
Depending on your age as a young carer, you can be set up in My Health Record as a nominated representative or an authorised representative for the person you care for.
A nominated representative can view or help manage another person’s My Health Record. As a nominated representative, you can help the person you care for manage their health information, see previous tests and prescribed medicines. If you have full access, you can upload documents such as advance care planning documents.The person you care for (the record owner ) can invite you to become a nominated representative and they will choose the access you can have. The levels of access include general access, restricted access or full access.
A nominated representative must act in accordance with the will and preferences of the person being cared for.
An authorised representative is a person who is responsible for managing someone’s record if they are not able to make decisions for themselves. An authorised representative has complete access and control over the record, as if it were their own. They must act according to the will and preferences of the person they represent.
There are important benefits of creating a My Health Record as a carer. Some are below:
- Fast access to key health information in an emergency
- Secure and convenient access to health information
- Safer, faster more efficient care for the person you care for
- Less need for you, as a carer, to remember key aspects of medical history and medications
- Improved management of health information
- Informed self-management of health conditions
