Digital Health Tools

Digital Health Tools

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Your right to privacy

Your health information should only be shared if you say it is ok, or in an emergency. This is one of the Australian Health Care Rights.

You can expect health workers to keep information private. They should ask you before they share information with anyone, including your family.

Health care workers should only access your records if it is needed to treat you or manage your health care. This includes digital health records.

If you think a health care worker or service has not met your right to privacy, you can make a complaint. Learn about making complaints at Feedback and Complaints.

Jump to: Digital health records | Using apps to manage your health | Build your digital health literacy 

Digital health records

There are 2 main record systems you will use in the ACT:

  • Digital Health Record (MyDHR) – used in ACT public health services
  • My Health Record – used by any Australian doctor, hospital or pharmacy

You need to know about both systems as information is not shared between them. Some information is only on one system, and some is on the other.

For example, On MyDHR, you can only get test results from ACT Pathology, which is the ACT’s public health pathology provider. Most results from private pathology providers (e.g. Capital Pathology or Laverty Pathology) are available on My Health Record.

Most private health services, like your GP, will have their own electronic record system. Usually these do not have a website or app for you to see your record. You can ask for a copy of your record.

Digital Health Record vs My Health Record at a glance

Digital Health Record (ACT)

My Health Record (Australia-wide)

Website: Login at www.mydhr.act.gov.auWebsite: Login through MyGov: my.gov.au
App: MyDHR [Android] [Apple]App: 1800MEDICARE (formerly my health) [Android] [Apple]
What can you view?

Detailed information about your care in Canberra Health Services, like:

  • After visit/discharge summaries
  • Test results from ACT Pathology
  • Medical imaging reports from public services
  • Your care team
  • Letters from health services
  • Future appointments
What can you view? 

Summaries of key health information like:

  • Vaccination records
  • Prescription records
  • Medicare claim history
  • Test results from private providers*
  • Medical imaging reports from private providers*

*check that your doctor has not written or ticked “do not upload to My Health Record” on the test form.

What can you add or change?

  • Make some appointments for services
  • Emergency contacts and next of kin
  • Personal details like your name and pronouns
  • Advance Care Plan
  • Advance Agreements for mental health treatment
  • Your access needs, e.g. using a wheelchair
  • Proxy access for other people to see your records
  • Add your GP so they get information about your care.
What can you add or change?

  • Emergency contacts and next of kin
  • Your current medicine list
  • Your Advance Care Plan
  • Proxy access for other people to see your record
More information

Read the Digital Health Record frequently asked questions.

For help with MyDHR, call 02 5124 5000 or email [email protected]

More information

Learn more about My Health Record on the Digital Health Agency website.

For help with My Health Record, call 1800 723 471.

If you don’t have a Medicare card (e.g. international students) and you want to use My Health Record, you will need to register for MyGov and an Individual Healthcare Identifier. You will need this to get vaccination records and electronic prescriptions while in Australia.

Accessing Medicare claims and information on MyGov

You can only view some Medicare information in the 1800 MEDICARE app. If you need to change your Medicare information, you will need to use the MyGov website or download the MyGov app from Apple or Google Play. You can use MyGov to:

  • Get an electronic version of your Medicare card or Health Care Concession Card
  • View vaccination records and your full Medicare claims history
  • Make a Medicare Claim
  • Register for MyMedicare by adding your GP
  • Register for Organ donation
  • Enrol your baby in Medicare

Giving other people access to your records

You can give a person you trust access to your records to help you manage them. This works differently in each system and changes once you turn 14 years old.

In DHR, your trusted person is called a proxy. There are 3 levels of access you can give them.

  • Full access: Your chosen person can see all your records and send messages on your behalf. Even if someone has full access, you can ask your doctor to keep an appointment private.
  • Read only access: Your chosen person can see all your records but can’t send messages on your behalf.
  • Scheduling/messaging only: Your chosen person can send messages and see your visits to health services, but nothing else.

For children under 14 years old, parents or legal guardians can nominate themselves to be given full proxy access with proper identification.

In My Health Record, your trusted person is called a nominated representative. There are 3 levels of access you can give them:

  • Full access: They can view all documents, including those you have marked as ‘restricted’. They can add information to your record.
  • Restricted access: They can view all documents, including those you have marked as ‘restricted’. They cannot add information to your record.
  • General access: They can view all documents, except those you have marked as ‘restricted’. They cannot add information to your record.

For children under 14 years old, parents or legal guardians can apply for full access.

Before you turn 14, your parents or guardians have control of your records.

At age 14:

You now have control of your records. You can get your own Medicare card with your parent’s permission. You can also stay on your family’s Medicare card and apply for a copy for you to use.

  • In My Health Record (National):
    • Your parents will automatically lose access to your record. You can nominate them or someone else you trust to help manage your record if you want.
    • If you didn’t have a My Health Record, you can make one.
    • You can also cancel your record if you want to.
  • In the Digital Health Record (ACT):
    • If you do not have a MyDHR account, you can make one.
    • If you want your parents to see your records, you can use the app or fill in a form to give them proxy access.
    • If your parent or guardian has made a MyDHR account for you, their access to your health information will change. They will see less information from your health records when they log in to their own account

At age 15:

  • You can get your own Medicare card without your parent’s consent.
  • Your parents will lose access to your MyDHR. You can add them as a proxy if you want to.

At age 16:

  • You are now legally able to make most health care decisions without your parent or guardian’s consent.

Learn more:

Using apps to manage your health

There are lots of apps that can help you with things like:

  • Finding information – these apps have information and tools to help you understand and manage your health.
  • Tracking symptoms – symptom trackers let you record when you have a symptom and things that may have caused it so you and your doctor can understand your illness
  • Building good habits – habit trackers let you record things like your diet, exercise and water intake to help you build good habits.
  • Medicine reminders – to help you take your medicines on time, and track when you miss them.

Healthdirect has a list of apps for specific health topics, like children’s health, living with chronic conditions and mental health. All of these apps come from trusted Australian organisations.

You can get tips on finding trustworthy health information online and how to spot misinformation on Finding Good Health Information.

Pharmacy apps

Many pharmacies now use apps where you can save your prescriptions, see when you will run out and order medicines or products. Some apps also have “carer mode” where you can save and manage medicines for your children or a loved one.

Ask your pharmacy if they have an app and what you need to do to set it up. You may need to show ID to link the app.

Some useful apps

  • Healthdirect – information and tools to help you check your symptoms, find health services and learn about your health.
  • First Aid – created by the Red Cross, this app teaches you basic first aid and what to do in an emergency. It saves important information offline
  • Bearable – log your symptoms, medicines, mood, sleep and other factors. Helps you understand what habits and treatments affect your health. Note: subscription needed for some features.
  • Foodswitch – scan food barcodes to get nutrition information and suggestions for healthier choices.
  • MedTimer (Android only) – a medicine reminder app that keeps your information private and offline on your device.

What to look for in an app:

If you are looking for an app to help manage a specific condition, ask your doctor if they have any suggestions. When looking at an app, ask yourself these questions:

  • Is the app evidence-based?
  • Are there good reviews? Are they current?
  • Where does the app save your private information? Do any third parties have access to the information in the app?
  • Is it clear who made the app and are they trustworthy?
  • Are there any costs? Does the app need a subscription?
  • Who funds the app? Some health apps are sponsored by businesses that may promote certain products or use your data.
  • Is it easy for you to use?
  • Does it do what you need it to do? Sometimes you need to test a few apps.

Only download apps from official app stores like Apple or Google Play. Both stores have information about in-app payments and data safety on their store pages.

The Australian Digital Health Agency keeps a list of apps that meet Australian laws and regulations so they can work with My Health Record and e-prescriptions. The e-Safety Commissioner has more tips on how to protect your personal information.

Build your digital health literacy

Learn how to use My Health Record, e-prescriptions and the 1800MEDICARE app with these free e-learning modules.

Older people can make an appointment with COTA ACT’s Get IT mentors for 1-on-1 help with digital skills like downloading apps, using QR codes and accessing government services.

Good Things Australia has a free library of videos, online courses and guides on a wide range of digital skills.

Last Updated on 12 March, 2026.