By the end of June, 397,745 patients had registered for a PCEHR, and that number was only reached after a huge surge in sign-ups during the month, according to figures obtained by The Australian.
A staggering 313,196 patients registered in June, adding to the total of only 84,549 patients who had registered before the month began.
The government had held out hope of reaching the target right up until the last month, with Health Deputy Secretary Rosemary Huxtable telling a budget estimates hearing last month that the target was "still in sight".
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Ageing said it could not say how many GP practices had contributed to the boost in June registrations.
The government spent $6.5 million in June in an advertising blitz, promoting e-health records, Medicare Locals and the GP hotline.
A further $3.5 million will be spent on the advertising this financial year.
By the end of June, 4324 healthcare organisations had registered for the PCEHR system, covering 4805 healthcare professionals, the department told Rheumatology Update’s sister publication Australian Doctor.
The system has been dogged by controversy since its launch in July 2012.
This has included medical indemnity insurers cautioning doctors from taking part, for fear of hacking threats, and anger from GPs that they would not be sufficiently reimbursed for the extra work involved in creating and updating the health summaries for the records.
More recently, some GPs have also apparently refused to hand over e-health identifier numbers to practice managers for fears they would then have to sign up to the PCEHR system.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Antonio Bradley
Quelle/Source: Rheumatology Update, 05.07.2013
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