Here are a few I have come across this week.
Note: Each link is followed by a title and a few paragraphs.For the full article click on the link above title of the article. Note alsothat full access to some links may require site registration or subscription payment.
General Comment
No doubt the bignews of the week has been the release of the ‘Final’ Concept of Operations forthe PCEHR.
Two other bits ofnews - the announcement of the Draft Telehealth Standards and the DoHA datawarehouse have rather slipped between the cracks!
Setting up thesewarehouses to be data-mined for quality, performance and cost information mayindeed turn out the be a much larger step than most are recognising right now!
The DraftTelehealth Standards are found here:
There is a lot ofinformation - but it is not clear to me exactly what is being standardised at atechnical level. Comments welcome on this one!
Certainly thecontrol and governance of this information needs to be very closely watched.
Lots of otherinteresting stuff - including the rather sad note that one of our medicaltechnology companies has hit a rather nasty bump on the road. This country producesonly so many major successes of a technical kind and it is to be hoped thisship can be quickly righted.
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DoHA gets data warehouse in order
Enterprise data warehouse project will help facilitate theNational Health Reform initiative
- Tim Lohman (Computerworld)
- 16 September, 2011 09:36
Australia’s National Health Reform (NHR) initiative hastaken a step forward with the announcement that it will shortly begin theenterprise data warehouse (EDW) overhaul component of the initiative.
The NHR initiative seeks to unify the Commonwealth, statesand territories in a nationwide health and hospital system overhaul.
The EDW program, one of many elements, will ensure the datacollection and storage facilities for a range of key health-related data setsare in place to support the NHR.
The EDW will also provide access to key common and agencyspecific data collections; provide the tools for a range of data analysis,modelling and forecasting activities; and ensure activity based funding-relateddata transfer between the relevant national, state and territory agencies. Thedata sets involved in the data warehousing program are sizable.
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Ceasefire over e-health standards
NEHTA standards head made redundant.
The Department ofHealth and Ageing has agreed to resume the funding required to develop thetechnical standards that underpin its $466.7 million personally controlledelectronic health record initiative.
The department had reportedlycut funding to an e-health standards development program by Standards Australiaover the current financial year.
Negotiations aroundfunding for Standards Australia's work continued well into August. A spokesmanfor the national body said an agreement had since been reached.
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Gillard government's health records rollout'lacking in standards'
- Karen Dearne
- From: The Australian
- September 13, 2011
THE MedicalSoftware Industry Association has warned that the Gillard government's $500million e-health records rollout is a "standards-free zone" that willlead to massive costs and risks sinking local e-health providers.
The revised conceptof operations for the personally controlled e-health record system, currentlyunder implementation at 12 lead sites, was released by Health Minister NicolaRoxon in Canberra yesterday.
But the documentreveals that a swag of technical standards needed for the build are yet to bedecided. Instead, private contractors will have to rely on"specifications" developed by the National E-Health TransitionAuthority, which will ultimately progress these for acceptance by StandardsAustralia.
An MSIA spokeswomansaid there was little point in having a dozen projects and a nationalrepository for patient records if the work was being done without reference toappropriate standards.
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6minutes Online Video - the PCEHR
- 15 September 2011
The final plans forthe personally-controlled e-health record (PCEHR) have been released by healthminister Nicola Roxon. However, medical groups such as the AMA say thegovernment has not listened to the practical suggestions put forward by doctorsfor the scheme, which is due to start in July 2012. Michael Woodhead reports onwhat the scheme will look like.
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E-health push to give stars false IDs
- Natasha Bita, Consumer editor
- From: The Australian
- September 16, 2011
CELEBRITIES,politicians and victims of domestic violence will be given fake identities toprevent hacking into their medical records stored in the federal government'snew electronic health database.
The government hasdecided to let patients who "fear exposure due to the public nature oftheir work" use pseudonyms when they sign up for the $467 million e-healthsystem, which will begin storing medical records in a central database fromJuly next year.
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AMA pours cold water on PCEHR, again
Posted Mon, 12/09/2011 - 16:46 by Josh Gliddon
The AustralianMedical Association (AMA) has renewed its concerns about the structure of thePCEHR following the federal government’s launch of the final version of theConcept of Operations today.
In particular, theAMA has raised concerns about the ability for patients to excise aspects oftheir medical records from the record as something that could have seriousconsequences in an emergency situation. The AMA has repeatedly questionedaspects of the PCEHR’s operation in public and private forums.
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PCEHR needs fine-tuning: RACGP
Posted Thu, 15/09/2011 - 11:40 by Josh Gliddon
The RoyalAustralian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has welcomed the finalConcept of Operations document for the personally controlled electronichealthcare record (PCEHR), with a caveat.
The peakorganisation for GPs stated not all of its concerns had not been addressed, theplan did provide the clarity needed to get the record underway.
“The RACGP ispleased that the final plan for the PCEHR has been released and whilst not allour previously raised issues have been addressed, it is important thatAustralia gets underway with the implementation of the PCEHR,” said Dr John W.Bennett, chair of the RACGP National Standing Committee – ehealth, in astatement.
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Slow uptake better for e-health: Roxon
By Josh Taylor,ZDNet.com.au on September 13th, 2011
Slow uptake of thegovernment's planned personally controlled e-health records (PCEHR) will bebetter for the system, according to Health Minister Nicola Roxon, who said thatit may not be able to cope with 100 per cent adoption on day one.
At the unveiling ofthe government's finalconcept of operations report for the PCEHR system in Canberra yesterday,Roxon refused to be drawn on what level of take-up for the opt-in system shewas expecting from the launch on 1 July 2012, instead saying that it will bebetter if fewer people sign up for the system on day one.
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Roxon defends opt-in system for e-health records
13th Sep 2011 AAP
FEDERAL HealthMinister Nicola Roxon has hit back at critics of the opt-in system for settingup individual electronic health records, saying people shouldn't have to makethe switch before they are ready.
Every Australianhas been assigned a 16-digit identification number, but they won'tautomatically get an e-health record when the system starts in mid-2012.
Instead, they'llhave to choose to participate.
Doctors say that'sa mistake, saying an opt-out system would be better.
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E-health rebates ruled out
- Karen Dearne
- From: Australian IT
- September 13, 2011
HEALTH MinisterNicola Roxon has flatly ruled out paying for doctors to create and maintainelectronic health records on behalf of their patients.
In a doorstopinterview at the launch of a model e-health display in Parliament Houseyesterday (MON), Ms Roxon replied "no" when asked if there would be aspecial Medicare rebate for doctors using a new $500 million nationwide patientelectronic record system due to start next July 1.
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No rebate for PCEHR adoption
- By Michael Woodhead on 13 September 2011
The government hasignored advice from medical groups on the PCEHR, with health ministerNicola Roxon ruling out any special rebate to cover the costs of adopting thenew system.
In an interviewyesterday she said GPs were already using computerised systems and would seethe value in switching to a new and better record system.
“The government'scommitments are to fund the infrastructure that's required so that the systemcan talk to each other. It's not to fund each and every bit of a generalpractice or a health practice of any type which is going to constantly updateitself and want to keep up with modern technology,” she said.
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No rebates for setting up e-health records
13-Sep-2011
Paul Smith
There will be no new MBS items to fund the time GPs spend setting upthe Federal Government’s $467 million e-health record system.
Yesterday saw therelease of the government’s final blueprint, detailing how the records willwork, the clinical information they will hold, the extent of a patient’scontrol over their content and the role of the GP.
GPs will be expectedto become the so-called “curators” of patients’ shared health summaries, thepart of the e-health record that will list diagnoses, medications, allergiesand basic biographical details.
But Federal HealthMinister Nicola Roxon, when asked by reporters if there would be specialMedicare rebates for setting up the records, said: “No. Look, we are notcontemplating that there will be a special rebate. I’m sure that over timethere’ll be all sorts of different options and requests and they will be consideredas they come.
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Issues still to be resolved on e-health recordsprogram
- Karen Dearne
- From: The Australian
- September 12, 2011
THE revised conceptof operations for the Gillard government's $500 million e-health recordsprogram fleshes out some details but many of the ticklish issues aroundfunding, governance and medico liability remain "out of scope".
Consultations threwup concerns that as yet, there are no arrangements for long-term management ofthe personally controlled e-health record (PCEHR) program and related services,that there is no ongoing funding beyond its July 1 startup date, and that thereis no money on the table to compensate doctors for the creation and maintenanceof uploaded patient information.
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Govt releases e-health plan for July 2012
Australians are astep closer to accessing their medical records from July 2012 after thegovernment issued the blueprint for national electronic health records.
The governmentreleased the concept of operations for the personally controlled electronichealth record (PCEHR) system on Monday.
Health and AgeingMinister Nicola Roxon said the plan would help build the core parts of thesystem in the move from paper-based records to secure e-health data.
"Ehealth willhelp us provide better care, save lives and save money," Ms Roxon said ina statement on Monday.
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HealthSystem To Benefit From After Hours Video Conferencing
By Computer Daily News | Monday | 2011-09-12
The Federal Government has released a new blueprint for the deploymentof its e-health project. The blueprint includes a timeline for the rollout ofits e-health program, as well as development of personally controlled e-healthrecords (PCEHR in Canberra-speak) and telehealth initiatives.
The Government has set out how it will meet 45 percent of efficientgrowth funding from July 2014, and 50 percent of efficient growth from July2017 at an initial cost of $467 million.
It plans to have the national infrastructure for the PCEHR in place inthe first quarter of 2012, with further enabling legislation ideally set topass in March or April.
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Roxon strips final veil from ConOps
By Beverley Head
Monday, 12 September 2011 15:25
Monday, 12 September 2011 15:25
Five months tothe day after releasing its draft concept of operations (ConOps) documentregarding the use of personally controlled electronic health records (PCEHR),the Federal Government has unveiled the final version. The ConOps explains howthe nation’s e-health system will be structured, how it will work, and whatsecurity and privacy principles will be embraced.
According to theminister for health and ageing Nicola Roxon; “The Concept of Operations will beused by our infrastructure partners to build the system to allow allAustralians to sign up from July next year.” Despite multiple concerns raisedduring the consultation phase the regime remains opt-in, meaning that onlythose Australians that want a PCEHR will get one.
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http://www.itnews.com.au/News/271708,health-allows-for-access-to-patient-records-in-emergencies.aspx
Health allows for access to patient records inemergencies
Healthcareproviders get unlimited "break-glass" access to patient records.
Healthcareproviders will have access to all clinical documents and records in anemergency situation under a revised concept of operations released by theDepartment of Health and Ageing today.
The "no access"provision was proposed in the draft document in May as one of three documentsecurity levels that allowed users to fine-tune access to their personallycontrolled electronic health record, due to be available from July 1 next year.
It came in additionto the "general access" and "limited access" levels, thelatter of which restricted access to some documents for nominated healthcareproviders.
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E-health gets last-minute access change
By Michael Lee,ZDNet.com.au on September 12th, 2011
The AustralianGovernment has finalised its plans for its personally-controlled electronichealth record (PCEHR) system with the release of a final Concept of Operationsreport, which contains significant alterations to how the proposed system willwork, including a change in how health providers will be able to access medicalinformation.
The final plans (PDF) for the health record system, which isexpected to be made available to the general public in July next year, werereleased by the Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon, today.
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E-health uptake will be gradual: Roxon
Federal health minister, Nicola Roxon, has hit back atcritics of the "opt-in" system for individual electronic healthrecords
- AAP (AAP)
- 13 September, 2011 08:27
Federal health minister, Nicola Roxon, has hit back atcritics of the "opt-in" system for setting up individual electronichealth records, saying people shouldn't have to make the switch before they areready.
Every Australian has been assigned a 16-digit identificationnumber but they won't automatically get an e-health record when the systemstarts in mid-2012.
Instead, they'll have to choose to participate.
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Southern Health rolls out iPads, BYOT, wirelessnetwork
Plans to expand wireless in the works
- Lisa Banks (CIO)
- 14 September, 2011 13:42
The rollout of iPads, a 'bring your own' technology (BYOT)policy and the trial of an internal wireless network have given SouthernHealth staff members greater access to patient information while on themove.
Southern Health CIO, Dr Philip Nesci, said that the largestpublic service provider in Victoria began to trial wireless internet at CaseyHospital earlier this year.
“We decided to go fully wireless in Casey Hospital,basically as a pilot to really understand not just wireless but technologiesand the impact they can have on personal care,” he said.
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Online mental health services a step closer
A committee ofmental health professionals, social media experts and carers has been appointedto oversee rollout of new services.
Access to onlinemental health services is a step closer after the federal government appointeda committee to oversee their rollout.
The committeecomprises a mix of mental health professionals, social media experts andconsumer and carer representatives.
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Electronic register could cut drug abuse
- Sue Dunlevy
- From: The Australian
- September 16, 2011
SOFTWARE undertrial that warns pharmacists not to dispense addictive medication to drugaddicts if they have been given such medication just days before could bringaddictions under control if introduced.
West AustralianCoroner Alastair Hope earlier this week called for a central register tomonitor the sale and use of the addictive medicines after a 40-year-old motherof seven died from an overdose of methadone while being treated for anaddiction to prescription drugs.
The Pharmacy Guildof Australia says it is working with the government on a real-time recordingsystem that captures data on the dispensing of controlled Schedule 8 drugs suchas codeine, methadone, oxycodone and pethidine.
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Doctors back push for drugs register
COLLEEN EGAN and ANDREW TILLETT, The West Australian September 14, 2011,5:14 am
Doctors need a livecomputer database system if they are to keep up with trends in the black marketprescription drug trade, according to the Australian Medical Association.
AMA WA presidentDave Mountain said yesterday there was "a significant number" ofpeople who made a living from visiting GPs and pharmacists for pills which theythen sold for $30 to $50 each.
Dr Mountain saidpainkiller oxycodone and sedative Stilnox were "flavour of the month"in Perth because they had a reputation as party drugs, often when mixed withalcohol and other substances.
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Cochlear facing six-year low in earnings
- Michael Bennet
- From: The Australian
- September 14, 2011
COCHLEAR'Svoluntary global recall of its unimplanted Nucleus 5 hearing device could seethe company post its weakest full-year earnings in six years as sales decline.
The world's largesthearing implant maker began the recall on Monday after an increase in thenumber of failures, and has ceased manufacturing the unit while it investigatesthe cause of the "shut down", which it says does not injure users.
While Cochlearplans to increase production of the device's predecessor, the Nucleus Freedom,the company could not forecast the financial impact of its first major productrecall or how long it would take for the device to re-enter the market.
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Kevin Rudd guru Joshua Gans slams NBN monopoly asdeal 'will harm consumers'
- Annabel Hepworth
- From: The Australian
- September 15, 2011
KEY planks of theNational Broadband Network business case are anti-competitive and will sendAustralia backwards, one of Kevin Rudd's "best and brightest"economic brains has warned.
In a blisteringcritique, economist Joshua Gans, who in 2008 was hand-picked to attend the thenprime minister's 2020 summit to discuss productivity, has criticised plans tosubsidise the rural NBN rollout through the prices that urban consumers pay.
The promise to puta cross-subsidy in place so that regional areas pay the same access prices forthe NBN as people in the city was a key promise to the regional independentsTony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott that helped Labor form a second-term government.
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Aging population could benefit most from NBN
Digital business partner says technology can improve qualityof life for aged care residents
- Hamish Barwick (Computerworld)
- 16 September, 2011 09:16
The opportunity to help Australia's aging population with relevanttechnology must be taken account for in the rollout of the National BroadbandNetwork (NBN), a KPMG digital business national managing partner has argued.
Speaking at an Enterprise Ireland trade mission in Sydney, MalcolmAlder, said that aged healthcare was a "burning issue" and theinfrastructure provided by the NBN would deliver technological advances thatcould help aged care.
Alder shared the findings of an e-health pilot that he was involved withat a rest home in Foster, NSW, this year.
"The staff had been there 15 to 20 years and were not overly computerilliterate," he said "The thought that a whole bunch of [e-health]technology was going to descend on them was scary."
However, when the staff discovered that the technology was going to maketheir life easier and the quality of the residents that they were caring forbetter, their attitude changed, he said.
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Uncertain future for AGPN and SBOs
- By Michael Woodhead on 15 September 2011
AGPN board membersare to become the founder members of a new Medicare Local National Body, but aquestion mark remains over the future role - if any - of the AGPN and GPdivision state-based organisations (SBOs).
A communiqué (link)from the AGPN Board says health minister Nicola Roxon has made it clear thatSBOs will not continue in their current form when the Medicare Local NationalBody is formed
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Diagnosis? Elementary, with help from ‘Watson’
15th Sep 2011 Mark O’Brien
THE IBMsupercomputer most famous for beating two former champions of American gameshow Jeopardy! earlier this year will soon be helping US physicians identifytreatment options, under an agreement announced last week.
US healthcarecompany WellPoint has signed a deal for the first commercial applications forthe IBM ‘Watson’ technology, which was designed to rival a human’s ability toanswer questions posed in natural language.
The system can siftthrough an equivalent of about one million books or roughly 200 million pagesof data, analyse the information and provide precise responses in less thanthree seconds.
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Objective-C, C#, D language: Winners inprogramming popularity
Java remains the longtime top-ranked language in the TiobeProgramming Community index
- Paul Krill (InfoWorld)
- 13 September, 2011 08:04
Objective-C, used for developing Apple iOS applications, climbs to No. 6 in the monthlyTiobe Programming Community index for most popular programming languages, afterbeing ranked at number 8 a year ago. Also posting gains, C# rose to No. 4, ajump of two spots a year ago, while PHP dropped from No. 4 at this time lastyear to No. 5.
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Why be a pirate? Use open source software instead
Business decision-makers who get their proprietary softwareillegally need to wake up and check out the free alternatives.
- Katherine Noyes (PC World (US online))
- 14 September, 2011 07:54
Close to half of all computer users around the world tend toget their software illegally, and business decision-makers are no exception.
That's one finding from a recent survey commissioned by theBusiness Software Alliance (BSA) lobby group, which reported the results in a blog post last week.
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Enjoy!
David.
