The College has lodged a Submission  in response to the CRIS into general practice data and eCDS, noting that the current processes for sharing and accessing data are complex, disjointed, and inconsistent, include multiple stakeholder groups with competing interests, and that the “public good purposes” role of aggregated health data and insights from analysis would benefit from a nationally consistent approach supported by robust governance and the implementation of the necessary legislative, regulatory and ethical frameworks. 

The College has advocated that any proposed regulatory framework must consider potential negative impacts related generally to privacy issues. It also needs to consider potential perverse consequences on rural and remote general practice, which is currently grossly underfunded and struggling to remain viable. 

Whilst the College agrees that general practice data has the potential to assist in improving health outcomes for patients if that data is of good quality, appropriately deidentified and aggregated, and shared, this needs to be underpinned by a patient centred system which ensures the sharing of data supports improvements which benefit patients and communities.