First we hadthis appear.
Subject: NEHTA - National ClinicalTerminology & Information Service - AMT monthly releases between August andDecember 2011
Date: Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:30:17 +1000
From: "NCTIS ServiceDesk"<nctis.servicedesk@nehta.gov.au>
NEHTA - National Clinical Terminology &Information Service - AMT monthly releases between August and December 2011
Since2007 the NCTIS has been issuing monthly national releases of the AustralianMedicines Terminology (AMT) incorporating new items registered with theTGA.
Whilethe AMT has been implemented in clinical systems in Australia, NCTIS has beenconsulting with software vendors and the terminology community about how we canincrease uptake. As a result of this consultation and our recent AMT licenseholder’s survey we have identified a range of materials that would assistpeople implementing AMT. These materials will be defined in an AMTImplementation Plan that will be published on NEHTA’s website shortly. The AMTImplementation Plan will set out pathways to implement AMT, includingintegration guidance and include timeframes for deliverables such as AMT v3.
Inorder to respond to the market and deliver material requested by implementersover the coming months, NCTIS is pausing AMT monthly releases until December2011. This decision has come following consultation with healthcareorganisations and vendors that have already completed large scale AMTimplementations, and have confirmed their operational use of AMT in clinicalsettings will not be impacted by this action.
We lookforward to continuing our work with you to use AMT throughout the healthcaresector to support consistent terminology in medications management. Should youhave any questions, comments or feedback, please direct these to terminologies@nehta.gov.au.
Regards,
NCTISService Desk
NationalClinical Terminology & Information Service
nehta -National E-Health Transition Authority
PO Box5190
WestEnd, Queensland 4101
Web: www.nehta.gov.au
Then a dayor so ago we had a follow-up.
Subject: Request for feedback - SNOMED CT-AU
Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2011 13:00:03 +1000
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Requestfor feedback on your dependency on SNOMED CT-AU release date
NCTIS released the first nationalrelease of SNOMED CT-AU in December 2009 and has been following a six monthlyrelease cycle since then. To support the national Personally ControlledElectronic Health Record, NEHTA is undertaking additional development of detailedclinical models and associated SNOMED CT-AU reference sets. At the sametime, we are also investing resources in the development of AMTv3 which willmore closely align with SNOMED CT-AU, and to develop other implementationresources to help vendors and implementers use AMT.
To allocate NEHTA resources tothis work, the NCTIS is considering delaying the November 2011 release. We arealso investigating aligning Terminology releases with other Specificationreleases, such as Specialist letters, to provide a more integrated release toimplementers. While we need to consult with users of NEHTA’s specifications andterminology to determine the viability of this, we can confirm that the nextSNOMED CT-AU will be no later than May 2012.
In order to evaluate thesignificance this may have we are now writing to license holders to determinewhether a delay would have an impact on any clinical application using SNOMEDCT-AU. We have already written to all license holders who downloaded any of ourlast three releases, and have not had received feedback that any clinicalapplication would be impacted, and the results of our recent user surveyindicate this is not the case more broadly with other license holders. However,we would like to confirm this directly with you.
If you have implemented SNOMEDCT-AU in a clinical setting and would be impacted by a delay in the Novemberrelease, please advise us by COB Tuesday 6th September at terminologies@nehta.gov.au or 07 3023 8400.
We look forward to continuing ourwork with you to use SNOMED CT-AU throughout the healthcare sector to supportconsistent terminology in clinical management.
Regards,
NCTISService Desk
NationalClinical Terminology & Information Service
nehta - National E-Health Transition Authority
PO Box 5190
West End, Queensland 4101
Web: www.nehta.gov.au
What NEHTAseems to be saying here is that we can’t actually walk and chew gum and so doyou mind if we stop chewing so we don’t fall over.
More amazinglyit seems after working for at least six years on the Australian MedicinesTerminology only now have they discovered a need to actually have animplementation plan!
Surely anorganisation that is being funded as well as NEHTA is can continue its ‘businessas usual’ functions while undertaking some planning and improved servicedelivery changes?
It isinteresting that Sept 1, 2011 the Health Minister announced some updates to thePharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Coverage:
See here:
Erbitux, Gilenya and Other Medicines Listed on thePBS
More than 400,000Australians will benefit from new subsidised medicines from 1 September 2011,including patients suffering multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis and variousforms of cancer.
.....
In all,twenty-one (21) new listings on the PBS come into effect from 1 September. Moredetail on these is available on the PBS website at www.pbs.gov.au.
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So alreadythe current AMT is way out of date!
Also rememberthat SNOMED-CT is also meant to be the terminology underpinning the PCEHR - butit is now on hold until the end of the year apparently. I suspect that willneed an implementation plan as well!
Bottomline is that under NEHTA’s management we see major initiatives such as clinicalterminology simply floundering and not being used as might have been hoped.
(Of coursewe all know there are a few fundamental issues with SNOMED-CT - I wonder howthat fits into this ‘pause’? See here:
I wonderwhen the powers that be will notice all this is not exactly going as planned?
Soon Ihope!
David.
