Australians who do not want their medical records stored on a national electronic database can opt out of the scheme from July 16 to October 15 this year.

Alternatively, people will retain their My Health Record — an online summary of personal health information uploaded by care providers.

The Australian Digital Health Agency, which is administering the scheme, said individuals can cancel their My Health Record at any time, or create one if they previously opted out.

My Health Record is a computer-based system designed to collate all of a person's desired health records into one place, with the aim of making it easier to share this information with their various healthcare providers.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said it also enabled people to take control of their own health, by uploading documents themselves and sharing information like allergies and test reports with clinicians.

"My Health Record provides many benefits to patients, including reduced duplication of tests, better coordination of care for people with chronic and complex conditions, and better informed treatment decisions," Mr Hunt said.

Australian Medical Association president Michael Gannon said the current system meant patient records were often incomplete.

"Especially if the patient has recently seen another specialist or has been discharged from a hospital," Dr Gannon said.

"Less time chasing up paperwork means more time can be spent treating our patients."

More than 5 million Australians already have a My Health Record, a scheme which state and territory governments agreed to in August last year.

But there are concerns the system is susceptible to security breaches.

According to a report by the Australian Information Commissioner, 113 people were affected by unauthorised access of My Health Records by a third party in 2016-17.

The Consumers Health Forum chief executive, Leanne Wells, said there were still "issues and concerns that remain to be addressed" around patient privacy.

"Especially enforcing laws protecting security and privacy, and ensuring robust and transparent rules and processes to govern access by law enforcement or other government agencies," she said.