Dr Marg Perrott
The federal government's attack on confidential medical access for those under 16 is yet another example of the government's right-wing ideological offensive against people in need and the population in general.
On December 5 last year, Medical Observer Weekly carried an article entitled "Should teens under 16 have their own Medicare cards?". The article explained: "The government's proposal to give parents access to health records of children under 16 has been met with disbelief by GPs".
"... The federal government is developing legislation to give parents access on request to all information held by the HIC for their children under 16. In effect this will prevent children under 16 from obtaining their own healthcare in privacy."
According to Medical Observer, health minister Tony Abbott told a conference of GPs "parents have to take some responsibility for their underaged children. It's impossible to take full responsibility if you don't know what's going on in their lives." The magazine reported that, "the snicker from many in the audience and comments like 'get real Tony' were enough to let the minister know that from many GPs' point of view, that's not exactly how it works".
The government is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on research into preventing youth suicide. This research shows young people suffering severe emotional problems often consult GPS for seemingly unrelated problems, like acne, headaches or insomnia. The research also shows that, although GPs are the most commonly accessed source of help for young people in trouble, only 20% seek help from anyone other than their peers.
The research has agreed that the most significant barrier to young people accessing doctors is the fear that they won't have confidential interaction. The trust between doctor and patient is based on the guarantee that doctors will not reveal any information about the patient (including the fact that the person has visited the doctor) without the patient's consent.
Another frightening aspect of not engaging young people in the health system is the rise of sexually transmitted diseases in the last few years. Chlamydia infections, which can cause pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility, are now so common (about 10% of 15-20 year old female population) that women's health clinics and GPs are routinely testing young women. HIV/AIDS, Hepatitus C and gonorrhoea are all either increasing in frequency or not declining.
Young people desperately need to be able to access information about this sensitive area of health without fear of retribution from parents.
If parents are able to access Medicare records, they will know that the young person visited a doctor, and when. The records show the type of doctor, and the item number under which Medicare was charged,. In many cases — pregnancy testing, insertion of an IUD, ultrasound, abortion and sexually transmitted diseases — the item number will reveal what the consultation was about.
If the government gets its way, doctors will be severely restricted in doing our job. This legislation makes a mockery of the government's claim that it is trying to prevent youth suicide. It is outright discrimination against young people.
Everyone should be entitled to free, confidential health care should they need it. By proposing restrictions to Medicare for 14-16 year old patients, the government is undermining the basis of the confidential doctor-patient relationship.
[Marg Perrott works at the People's Medical Centre in the Illawarra and is a member of the Socialist Alliance.]
From Green Left Weekly, June 9, 2004.
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