The following has appeared on a DoHA Web Site.
http://www.yourhealth.gov.au/internet/yourhealth/publishing.nsf/content/home
08 Jun 2011
PCEHR Draft Concept of Operations Consultation
Submissions on the Draft Concept of Operations – Relating to the introduction of a PCEHR system closed on 7 June 2011.
Consultation will commence shortly on the PCEHR Legislations Issues Paper—which will invite feedback and promote discussion on the proposed legal framework which will underpin the PCEHR system.
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The following reports have appeared around the close of the consultation period.
Industry expects better from e-health program
- Karen Dearne
- From: The Australian
- June 11, 2011
CONSUMERS, medical providers and IT experts have widely condemned the Gillard government's plans for setting up the $500 million personally controlled electronic health records program.
Their responses to the draft plan - released in April by Health Minister Nicola Roxon - became public this week, and most slammed it as impractical, unsafe and a waste of money.
This negative view of the so-called ConOps draft is worrisome as it's meant to provide the technical nuts-and-bolts for the PCEHR, with patient enrolments set to begin next year in July.
The Consumers Health Forum of Australia says: "Personal control means more than simply having access and setting controls. Consumers want to participate in the management of their records."
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Medicos wary of e-health draft concept of operations
- Karen Dearne
- From: The Australian
- June 07, 2011
PEAK information technology, medical and consumer groups have slammed the draft concept of operations for the $500 million personally controlled e-health record (PCEHR) and are demanding an urgent review before work continues.
"If substantial amounts of taxpayers' money are spent (on e-health) with little outcome, future funds will go to other programs," the Australasian College of Health Informatics has warned.
"Therefore, the PCEHR must work and must be sustainable."
The college says the draft does not "consider benefits in any depth nor how they may be practically achieved".
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http://www.6minutes.com.au/news/racgp-calls-for-gp-control-over-pcehr
RACGP calls for GP control over PCEHR
- By Michael Woodhead on 8 June 2011
The PCEHR will pose clinical and medicolegal risks unless GPs are given responsibility to manage and update its contents, the RACGP says
In its submission (see link) to the government, the College says it strongly supports the PCEHR program, but it has major concerns about the initial concept of operations plan.
The College says there is a risk of ‘information overload’ and poor quality data if the PCEHR is able to be updated by patients and unspecified ‘other healthcare providers’.
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http://www.zdnet.com.au/gps-need-funding-for-e-health-data-quality-339316432.htm
GPs need funding for e-health data quality
By Suzanne Tindal, ZDNet.com.au on June 8th, 2011
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has recommended that GPs be allocated more funding from Medicare to balance out extra time they will need to spend managing a patient's electronic health record.
The government hopes to have personally controlled electronic health records (PCEHR) up and running by mid next year. Different medical providers will contribute to the record, which will not be stored together, but use indices to link information.
The college warned in a submission to a Concept of Operations for the scheme that as the record will draw on data from multiple sources, contradictions or incorrect information could make its way into the record.
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PCEHR draft operations out in August
- Karen Dearne
- From: Australian IT
- June 09, 2011
A REVAMPED version of the draft concept of operations for the $500 million personally controlled e-health record will be issued in August, after the federal Health department was swamped by late submissions.
A total 144 submissions have been received following an extension of the deadline by one week to June 7. Only 11 submissions had been received by the original deadline.
A Health spokeswoman told The Australian more than 40 per cent of the responses came from consumers.
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PCEHR deadline too tight, says MSIA
- Karen Dearne
- From: Australian IT
- June 08, 2011
THE Medical Software Industry Association says the "extremely tight" July 2012 deadline for the start of the $500 million personally controlled e-health record program risks patient safety as there is little time to ensure new software is free of bugs.
The MSIA highlighted glaring holes in Labor's e-health proposal in its submission to a government consultation on the PCEHR.
"The timeline to develop, test and deploy software to support the PCEHR is extraordinarily short," it warns. "Many different changes are required in many different settings, and there will be safety issues unless great care is taken to ensure software is fit for clinical use."
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http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/news/ama-warning-on-ehealth-records
AMA warning on e-health records
7th Jun 2011
THE Federal Government has been handed a fresh warning against any move to tie doctors’ participation in the personally controlled e-health record (PCEHR) system to MBS rebates.
A proposal to restrict MBS rebates to only those services carried out by doctors signed up to the Government’s PCEHR system had been recommended by the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission (NHHRC).
But in its submission to ongoing consultation on the PCEHR blueprint – set to close this week – the AMA warned against any such move.
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I expect we will see the public release of all the submissions in the next few weeks.
It seems that there are a range of organisations who are a bit concerned about the current shape of the proposal - so getting substantial change will be very important.
One item of major concern is the following paragraph from the announcement.
“Consultation will commence shortly on the PCEHR Legislations Issues Paper—which will invite feedback and promote discussion on the proposed legal framework which will underpin the PCEHR system.”
I fear this might suggest that the Legislatory Framework has already be arrived at - including issues like governance and so on - before they have really absorbed the submissions. If that turns out to true it will be very sad and very worrying.
If you want to get some insight as to just how planning for the PCEHR is progressing I think this interview will help clarify just how far we have to go!
http://ehealthspace.org/news/video-preparing-pcehr
Video: Preparing for the PCEHR
Posted Wed, 08/06/2011 - 11:54 by Mark Jones
Marianne Shearer, CEO, Melbourne East General Practice Network sat down with ehealthspace.org editor Mark Jones to discuss how her organisation is preparing for the PCEHR. Melbourne East is one of the first wave sites.
Just click on link above.
David.
