Information for consumers

The Viewer is a web-based application that displays key patient information from Queensland public hospitals and health services. It is used by Queensland Health clinicians and health professionals in managing patients in public healthcare services.

Eligible health professionals practising outside a Queensland public health service can also register for read-only access to The Viewer. This access allows health practitioners to view up-to-date information about their patients, enabling them to make better informed decisions about their care.

Health practitioners need to register for access to view your Queensland public health information through The Viewer. They will only be granted access once their personal and professional identity is verified, and they agree to the terms and conditions.

Queensland Health, Hospital and Health Services and Primary Health Networks (PHNs) across Queensland will help inform you of The Viewer. If you prefer your treating health practitioner did not have online access to your public healthcare information, you have the right to opt-out.

On this page

• Benefits of sharing your information
• Information available to health professionals
• Health practitioners eligible to access The Viewer
• Protecting your information
• Opting out from external access

Benefits of sharing your information

Having online access to patients’ hospital information allows health practitioners to make informed decisions based on the latest available clinical records. It should allow them to spend more time with you and less time requesting your information from public hospitals.

Sharing your public hospital records with your health practitioner will:

• ensure timely access to your public healthcare information
• lessen your likelihood of being referred for duplicate tests or being re-admitted to hospital
• reduce your need to recall and describe details of your recent treatments.

Information available to health professionals

Health professionals may only access records within The Viewer for the purpose of supplying care or treatment to their patient.

Through The Viewer, your health practitioner will be able to securely access read-only information including:

• blood test results
• medical imaging results
• details of medications you received and have been prescribed
• details of your diagnoses
• outpatient referrals and appointment information
• elective survey waiting list information
• care plans
• clinical reports
• advance care planning documentation
• procedure notes and reports.

The Viewer and My Health Record

The Viewer doesn’t replace My Health Record. The Viewer provides your health practitioner with access to information collected by Queensland public hospitals and health services.

My Health Record provides other health information such as treatment received interstate or from a private health provider.

The two systems are separate, but each will help your health practitioner to have a more complete picture of your health.

Health practitioners eligible to access The Viewer

The Viewer is accessible to clinicians and health professionals working in Queensland hospitals and health services. Outside the Queensland public health services, only eligible health practitioners can access a read-only version of The Viewer.

Eligible health practitioners must be practising in Queensland and can include:

• general practitioners
• specialists
• nurses
• midwives
• paramedics
• pharmacists
• optometrists.

Note: Health practitioners are unable to access The Viewer unless their personal and professional identity has been verified via the Health Provider Portal registration process.

Protecting your information

Health professionals must accept the terms and conditions of use when registering and accessing The Viewer either directly (Queensland Health staff) or via the Health Provider Portal (health practitioners external to Queensland Health).

Appropriate use of The Viewer is defined by the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011 and Privacy Act 2009.

All access is monitored, and an ongoing audit process is carried out to ensure appropriate use is maintained. Penalties apply to health practitioners for inappropriate access and use of information, including possible deregistration.

Opting out from external access

You have the right to opt-out of sharing your public healthcare information with your treating practitioners working externally to Queensland Health. You can choose to apply this to some or all health practitioner types.

If you choose to opt-out, your health practitioner will not be able to access your Queensland public healthcare information through The Viewer. They can continue to obtain your healthcare information through current processes.