Santa has joined the Australian Digital Health Agency this year to urge Australians to give themselves the gift of better health care by using their My Health Record.
"I've been using mine for years now and encourage the elves to do the same," Santa said.
"Like making a list and getting it right, having your health information in one place means you don't forget the important things."
"I travel a lot at this time of year and if I do get sick, I don't need to tell my health story over and over again," Santa said. "It's all in my digital record including my vaccination status. Besides, there simply isn't enough room in the sleigh for more paper. With digital records, I don't need to carry around physical documents."
Agency Chief Clinical Adviser Dr Steve Hambleton said "Santa knows the last thing we want is for him to suffer an adverse reaction because any new medication interacts with what he is already taking."
"If you're taking medications that help you have better health, it's important all your healthcare providers know the name and dose of those medications. This is particularly important if you're admitted to emergency or unable to remember details. Plus, Santa's regular GP can be updated online, for when he returns home. Surface mail takes too long, especially at this time of year."
Santa suggested that for anyone not connected with their digital record, the Christmas holiday break could be a great time to get connected.
"Most Australians already have a record but they aren't always taking full advantage of it," he said. "While many Australians have 'gone digital' to adapt to COVID-19 check-in requirements, not all have yet recognised the full benefits of their own digital health record - which generally contains a health summary and COVID-19 pathology results as well as the digital immunisation certificate. If the record doesn't have all a person's health records, a quick chat with their regular doctor can sort that out."
Santa said better health was the perfect Christmas gift, so Australians should talk to their friends and family over the holidays, to make sure their loved ones are also using their digital records so that their health information is available as and when they need it
"Follow up your health checks, don't put your health on hold," Santa said. "Good health is the gift you unwrap throughout your life."
