The Northern Territory (NT) Department of Health in Australia will soon become the first pathology provider to link the online tests results it is sharing via My Health Record (MHR) with Lab Tests Online, a not-for-profit website funded by the Australian Government under the Quality Use of Pathology Program (QUPP). MHR is an online, electronic summary of one’s key health information.

The Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) announced in February this year that 9 out of 10 Australians have a MHR following the conclusion of the opt-out period. 

Why it matters

Pathology providers across Australia have started uploading reports (such as blood test results) to the online record. The aim is that by having direct access to their results, anyone with an MHR can keep track of the tests they have had, the dates when they had them and be able to monitor results over time.

The ADHA has recognised that as people have direct access to their test results – many of them for the first time – they need help to understand what the results mean. It has turned to Lab Tests Online to deliver this service.

All those in the Northern Territory receiving their results report on their MHR will now have a direct link to the opening page of the Lab Tests Online website. The front page of the website is being redesigned to accommodate this new audience. As part of the redesign, a predictive search function and quick links will be included to the most commonly searched tests to make navigation easier.

Lab Tests Online is working with a number of pathology providers to assist them in following the NT Health initiative and embed links in their reports.

What’s the trend

According to Lab Tests Online, there is a growing public appetite for information about pathology tests. Traffic to their website has increased at more than 50 per cent annually in recent years and reached 2.6 million-page views in 2018.