What Is My Health Record and How Does It Work in Australia?
My Health Record is Australia’s national digital health record system. It allows you and authorised healthcare providers to access selected health information, including medicines, allergies, pathology results and hospital discharge summaries.
You can access My Health Record through myGov, manage who can view your information and check which healthcare organisations have accessed your record.
This guide explains how My Health Record works, what information it contains, how to access it and what changed in 2026.
Key takeaways
• My Health Record is an online summary of key health information, not your complete medical file.
• Most Australians have a My Health Record unless they opted out when records were created under the opt-out model or have subsequently cancelled their record.
• You can access your record through myGov and through the 1800MEDICARE app once it is linked.
• Information may include medicines, allergies, immunisations, pathology and imaging reports, hospital discharge summaries, referrals and Medicare information.
• You can manage privacy settings, restrict access to your record or individual documents, and review who has accessed it.
• From 1 July 2026, many pathology and diagnostic imaging providers are required to upload eligible reports to My Health Record by default, unless an exception or approved extension applies.
What is My Health Record?
The Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing describes My Health Record as Australia's secure, consumer-controlled national electronic health record system. The Australian Digital Health Agency operates the system on behalf of the Australian Government.
The purpose is to make selected health information available in one place so you and healthcare providers involved in your care can access useful information across different healthcare settings.
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) emphasises that My Health Record is an online summary of health information. Healthcare providers still maintain their own clinical records separately.
What information can be in My Health Record?
The information available depends on what has been uploaded by healthcare providers, Medicare and you. It can include:
• shared health summaries and other clinical summaries
• medicines, prescription and dispensing information
• allergies and adverse reactions
• immunisation information
• pathology reports, such as blood test results
• diagnostic imaging reports, such as X-rays, CT scans and ultrasounds
• hospital discharge summaries
• referral and specialist letters
• care and support plans
• Medicare and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme claims information
• organ donor information
• advance care planning documents and emergency contacts
• personal health notes you add yourself
The Australian Digital Health Agency provides a current overview of what can be stored in My Health Record.
Does My Health Record contain my complete medical history?
No. My Health Record should not be treated as a complete medical history. A document may not appear because it was never uploaded, the provider does not participate in that type of sharing, an exception applies, you asked for information not to be uploaded, or you removed or restricted a document.
Your GP, specialist, hospital and other healthcare providers continue to keep their own records. If a healthcare professional needs a particular report or piece of history, they may still need to obtain it from the original provider.
How do I access My Health Record?
The main way to access My Health Record is through myGov. The Australian Digital Health Agency sets out the process:
• Sign in to your myGov account, or create one if you do not already have one.
• Link My Health Record from the list of available services.
• Verify your identity using your Medicare details or another available verification method.
• Open your record and review your profile, privacy settings and available health information.
Linking Medicare to myGov first can make the process easier. If you are not eligible for Medicare or Department of Veterans' Affairs benefits, you may still be able to create a My Health Record using an Individual Healthcare Identifier (IHI).
Can I use My Health Record without Medicare?
Yes. People who are not eligible for Medicare can still register for My Health Record if they have an Individual Healthcare Identifier.
The Australian Digital Health Agency explains how to set up a record without Medicare or DVA benefits.
Who can see my My Health Record?
Healthcare provider organisations involved in your care can generally access your My Health Record under the system's default access settings. You can change those settings if you want more control over which organisations or documents can be accessed.
According to the Australian Digital Health Agency's privacy and access guidance, you can:
• restrict access to your entire record using a Record Access Code
• restrict access to individual documents
• remove documents from your record
• change or revoke a healthcare organisation's access
• give a trusted person access as a nominated or authorised representative
• set notifications for certain activity on your record
• review your access history to see when organisations or authorised people have accessed or updated your record
For more general information about digital healthcare privacy, read Is Telehealth Private? How Your Health Information Is Protected in Australia.
Can I see who has accessed my record?
Yes. My Health Record keeps an access history. You can review activity including the date and time of access, the healthcare organisation or authorised person involved, and the type of action taken.
The Australian Digital Health Agency explains how to view your My Record Access History after signing in through myGov.
What happens in an emergency?
In limited emergency circumstances, an authorised healthcare provider may use Emergency Access to override some access controls when access is considered necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to life, health or safety.
Emergency Access is recorded in your access history. Information you have removed from your record and your personal health notes are not made visible through Emergency Access.
What changed with My Health Record in 2026?
A major change took effect on 1 July 2026. Under the Share by Default reforms, pathology and diagnostic imaging reports prepared by, or on behalf of, pathologists and radiologists must generally be uploaded to My Health Record unless an exception applies or the provider has an approved extension.
The Australian Digital Health Agency confirms that the Share by Default requirements for pathology and diagnostic imaging commenced on 1 July 2026.
Most pathology reports can now be viewed once they are uploaded. Some types of results remain subject to a five-day delay before they are visible to the patient. Your requesting healthcare provider still receives the report directly.
The Australian Government has also announced that medicines-related information from online prescribing services is intended to become another Share by Default category. Consultation on those requirements is underway, so this should not be treated as fully implemented yet.
Can I ask for information not to be uploaded?
In some circumstances, yes. The Share by Default framework includes exceptions, including where a patient asks that particular health information not be shared to My Health Record.
You can also manage information after it has been uploaded by restricting access to a document or removing it from your record. If you are concerned about a particular test or document, ask the healthcare provider about your options before the information is uploaded.
Can I delete My Health Record?
Yes. You can cancel your My Health Record if you no longer want to have one. The Australian Digital Health Agency provides this option through your record settings and also offers support through the My Health Record helpline.
If you later change your mind, you can register for a new My Health Record again.
What is the 1800MEDICARE app?
The 1800MEDICARE app is an Australian Government app that can be used to view key information from My Health Record once your record is linked through myGov. It was previously called the my health app.
Depending on the information available in your record, the app can help you:
• view health information and test results
• manage My Health Record privacy and access settings
• view immunisation information
• store emergency contact details
• access electronic prescriptions and an Active Script List where available
• manage records you are authorised to access for someone else
For an explanation of electronic prescriptions, read What Is an eScript? Electronic Prescriptions Explained for Australians.
My Health Record vs Medicare vs MyMedicare: what is the difference?
The names are similar, but they serve different purposes:
• My Health Record: stores selected health information in a national digital health record.
• Medicare: helps cover the cost of eligible healthcare services and records Medicare claims and • benefits.
• MyMedicare: lets eligible patients voluntarily register with their regular general practice and preferred GP or care team.
These systems can interact in some ways, but they are separate services. Registering for MyMedicare does not create or activate a My Health Record.
When can My Health Record be useful?
My Health Record can be particularly useful when:
• you are seeing a new doctor or healthcare provider
• different healthcare providers are involved in your care
• you want to check recent pathology or imaging reports that have been uploaded
• you need to confirm immunisation information
• you want a central place to review selected medicine, allergy or hospital information
• you receive care away from your usual healthcare providers
• important health information may need to be available during an emergency
It is still important to tell a healthcare professional about relevant health information rather than assuming everything they need will already be visible in My Health Record.
What should I check in My Health Record before an appointment?
Before seeing a new healthcare professional, it can be useful to check whether your record contains:
• your current medicines and allergies
• recent pathology or imaging reports
• hospital discharge summaries or specialist letters
• immunisation information
• a shared health summary if one has been uploaded
• the correct emergency contacts and profile details
If something important is missing, bring the information separately or ask the relevant provider how it can be shared.
For a broader appointment-preparation checklist, see What Information Should You Have Ready for a Doctor Appointment?.
You remain in control of your My Health Record.
My Health Record can make selected health information easier to access across Australia, but it is not a complete medical record and it does not replace conversations with your healthcare providers.
You can review what is in your record, change privacy and access settings, see who has accessed it and decide whether you want to keep using the service.
My Health Record and Grove Health.
Having access to your health information can help you prepare for a telehealth consultation.
Before your Grove Health appointment, it can be helpful to have details of your current medicines, allergies, relevant medical history and any recent test results available.
If you have a My Health Record, you may be able to use it to review some of this information. However, My Health Record is not a complete medical history, and you do not need to create or activate one to attend a Grove Health consultation.
Your healthcare practitioner will ask about information relevant to your care and let you know if anything else is needed.
Preparing for a telehealth appointment?
Having your medical history, current medicines and relevant test results ready can help you make the most of your consultation.
Grove Health provides telehealth consultations with Australian-registered healthcare practitioners.
Learn how Grove Health works and what to expect from your consultation.
This article provides general educational information and is not a substitute for individual medical, legal or privacy advice. My Health Record features and requirements can change. For current account, privacy or access information, use the Australian Digital Health Agency or myGov.
Sources
• Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing - My Health Record
• Australian Digital Health Agency - My Health Record
• Australian Digital Health Agency - How to access My Health Record
• Australian Digital Health Agency - Privacy and access
• Australian Digital Health Agency - Better access to health information
• Office of the Australian Information Commissioner - About My Health Record