CareSync Exchange is a secure electronic system used by the Department of Health to share patient health information safely between Victorian public health services.

It allows Eastern Health and other public hospitals to securely view and share your health information to support your care and treatment.

Clinicians at Eastern Health can see important medical information from your visits to other Victorian public health services. Similarly, clinicians at those services can access relevant information from Eastern Health to support your care if you attend their service.

CareSync Exchange helps health professionals coordinate your care more effectively. This means:

  • Faster, safer decision-making about your treatment
  • Less need for paper records, phone calls, or faxes between health services
  • Reduced burden on you to remember or repeat your medical history
  • Better continuity of care, especially if you attend multiple hospitals

CareSync Exchange may include information such as:

  • Your name, date of birth, contact details, and emergency contacts
  • Records of visits to public hospitals (inpatient, outpatient, emergency)
  • Clinical documents (e.g. test results, discharge summaries, medical letters)
  • Diagnoses, including when they started and a description

Your health information is only accessed by people who need it to do their job. This includes:

  • Doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff involved in your care
  • Health information staff who manage your records or respond to privacy concerns
  • Privacy and audit staff who check that the system is being used correctly
  • Technical staff who keep the system running safely (they do not look at patient records)

Private hospitals and GP clinics do not have access to CareSync Exchange.

Your information is not used for research, planning, or anything that is not about your care.

If you would like to see a record of when your CareSync Exchange information was accessed, you can request a User Activity Report.

This report shows:

  • The role of the user who accessed your information (e.g. doctor, nurse)
  • The date and time of each access
  • The type of activity performed (e.g. viewing a test result)
  • Any additional relevant details

The report will include access that has occurred across all participating Victorian public health services, not just Eastern Health.

To protect staff privacy, the reports do not include staff names. Only the staff member’s role, the access date and time, and the activity performed are shown.

 

How to Request Your Report:

Email CareSyncExchange@easternhealth.org.au with the following:

  • A clear request for your User Activity Report
  • The date range you would like the report to cover
  • A copy of your photo identification showing your full name (given name and surname) and date of birth, to confirm your identity. If your photo ID does not show these details, you may also provide a Medicare card.

You can learn more about how Eastern Health protects your privacy in our Privacy Brochure.

CareSync Exchange is managed under a Privacy Management Framework developed by the Department of Health. This includes:

  • Privacy obligations under Victorian law
  • Extra protections for sensitive health conditions and vulnerable individuals
  • Access conditions for clinicians and health services

CareSync Exchange also follows the Victorian Protective Data Security Standards (VPDSS).

To find out more, visit the Department of Health’s CareSync Exchange webpage or speak with a staff member.

If you have any questions or feedback about how we manage your privacy, please contact our Centre for Patient Experience. We’re here to help.