Access to scanned medical information for Assessment Services 104-04120020

Assessors can access a customer's scanned medical information once an appointment is made for the customer using the Online Diary.

If a review of eMIFE information is needed outside this period, e.g. external appeal tribunals like the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), a manual trigger is sent by the Employment Services System (ESS) so the Assessor can again view the medical information.

Services Australia staff who access medical information as part of their duties can always access the eMIFE regardless of the status of the referral. eMIFE information is clearly labelled and a workflow warning prevents inappropriate or accidental access to medical information. Access to eMIFE information through both Services Australia systems and ESS are logged and recorded.

Customers may lodge medical documents for a Foreign Pension Invalidity claim for an International Agreement country. International Services (CIS) process this work.

All medical documents lodged by a customer living outside Australia for a Disability Support Pension (DSP) claim under an International Agreement are scanned by Records Management Unit (RMU) once the claim is finalised by CIS.

Paper copies of a customer's MIFE are no longer sent to Assessment Services as historical MIFE information is scanned into the eMIFE.

The scanned medical information is stored by the agency, and access is given to Assessors through a link from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR), Employment Services System (ESS).

All medical information lodged by customers and medical practitioners/medical specialists is scanned and held as an eMIFE.

Historical information in the paper version of the MIFE may also be scanned by the RMU if it is needed for an ESAt, JCA or a review. This can be requested through the Records Management service request webform.

The eMIFE may include medical information:

• lodged for new claims and reviews
• lodged to support customer exemptions from their mutual obligation requirements
• used to assess work capacity

It is essential that any medical evidence obtained or received during the ESAt/JCA are scanned or uploaded to the customer's electronic eMIFE.

A Government-contracted doctor (GCD) can see all the medical evidence scanned to the customer's record that an Assessor can see. The GCD requires all medical evidence used by the agency to complete the Disability Medical Assessment. GCDs do not have access to the Assessor secure notes facilities.