Patients will be able to access x-ray reports for limbs as soon as they are uploaded to My Health Record, as new reforms geared towards speeding up the transmission of diagnostic information come into effect from this month.

CT scans, mammograms, MRI and PET scans and ultrasounds will be available after a five-day delay, down from the previous seven day standard.

The changes form part of the federal government’s pledge to modernise My Health Record, and come ahead of a legislative requirement this July which will mandate pathology and diagnostic imaging results to be uploaded to My Health Record by default.

Most blood and urine tests should have been immediately uploaded to the health record since October 2025.

The Albanese government first promised to speed up access to diagnostics in 2023, with Health Minister Mark Butler lamenting that only one in five reports were uploaded to the nation’s digital health platform, while the others disappeared into the “digital ether”.

“Patients find this so frustrating, because every lost test result means another day off work, another waiting room, another procedure and yet another gap fee. What a waste of time and money, for patients and for the health system,” he said in September 2023.

The ‘Health Legislation Amendment (Modernising My Health Record—Sharing by Default) Act 2025’ [link here] passed parliament at the start of last year, paving the way for patients to receive their own results faster.

Setting expectations as information flow resets

Throughout consultation on the changes, the AMA has highlighted the practical risks of fast tracking tests results to patients, warning this could result in misinterpretation of results and increased pressure on practices before a clinician had even reviewed a scan.

Ahead of the March changes, it observed the government had landed on a “modest set of reforms” which do balance patients’ desire for information with clinician concerns and feedback.

“Published guidance for consumers also emphasises delays are based on test type, not the result, and do not indicate an adverse finding. The retained delay for most imaging is intended to allow the treating team time to review results and plan care before consumer viewing,” the AMA said. 

Nevertheless, the reforms would “shift the timeline” of conversations between doctors and patients, the group said.

“Practices can minimise disruption by setting clear follow‑up expectations when ordering imaging (including when results will be discussed and what to do if symptoms change).

“It helps to remind patients that the report needs interpretation — the scan is a chapter, not the whole book.”

The AMA’s position statement on diagnostic imaging, published in May 2025, argued diagnostic images should always be accessed by patients in the context of professional care [link here].

“Safety concerns can arise when patients are provided access to diagnostic imaging results ahead of consulting with their specialist,” it said.

The department has created consumer resources about the changes, recommending patients discuss all reports with their healthcare provider [link here].