A Melbourne-based university lecturer has been “completely shocked” to discover that a My Health Record account was set up in both her and her husband’s names without consent in 2016.

The couple tried to opt out of the scheme ahead of the deadline on Thursday but call centre staff members told them they both already had an account that was set up as part of a trial three years ago.

However, the trials from March to October 2016 were held in the Nepean-Blue Mountain region of New South Wales and in northern Queensland.

“He told me when it was created, he told me it was a government trial and then he seemed quite surprised that I was living in Melbourne,” the woman said. “I was completely shocked.”

The academic, who does not want to be named, said her medical records contained sensitive information about her mental health and admittance to a psychiatric hospital.

She was worried third parties could have accessed her health records.

“I’m quite open about [my mental health] but I certainly don’t want it sitting out there in a record, that people [could] start hacking,” she said. “I don’t want a situation where health insurance providers or [travel insurers] can access it.”

During the process of trying to opt out of the My Health Record, she tried to access the account. The website asked her a series of questions including the cost of her most recent specialist appointments and personal details about family members.

“It just gave me the absolute creeps,” she said.

A spokesman from the Australian Digital Health Agency declined to comment on individual cases.

He said there were four possible ways people could already have a My Health Record including – self-registration, assisted registration through a healthcare provider, participation in a trial and signing up for the scheme under its previous name – Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record.

However, the couple think it is most likely their accounts were a administration error and have since had them deleted.

“New laws to strengthen the privacy and security protections within My Health Record … allows a person to permanently delete their record at any time, including any backups,” the agency spokesman said.