Quote Of The Year

Timeless Quotes - Sadly The Late Paul Shetler - "Its not Your Health Record it's a Government Record Of Your Health Information"

or

H. L. Mencken - "For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong."

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Can Someone Explain Just What This Document Is For And How Is It To Be Actioned?

This appeared last week from NEHTA.

eMedications Management Functional Framework v1.0 March 2015 Release

Created on Monday, 02 March 2015
The eMedications Management (eMM) Functional Framework outlines the key capabilities within medications management business systems.
It can be used to identify opportunities and gaps in medications management process automation, system integration, information quality and terminology standardisation.
This is the first official release following its conception as part of the Jurisdictional eMedications Management (eMM) Collaborations initiative.
We are pleased to announce that the eMedications Management Functional Framework v1.0 is now available for download from the following location on the NEHTA website:
The scope of the eMedications Management Functional Framework covers a range of capabilities from medications reconciliation to dispensing, including supporting functions such as supply chain, and dependent functions such as reporting and monitoring.
Important Information
Significant refinements since the last eMM workshop updates have been documented within the release note for the benefits of those participants. Other stakeholders will also gain an understanding of its evolution and ongoing maintenance by reviewing the latest updates. Download the release note as follows:
Feedback
We value your feedback and encourage questions, comments or suggestions about the eMedications Management Functional Framework. Please email the NEHTA Help Centre or call us on 1300 901 001.
Thank you for your continued support.
Regards,
NEHTA (Strategy, Architecture and Informatics Group)
Here is the link.
The core appears to be this diagram:
As far as I can tell all we have here are a list of functions (and some definitions in an Excel Sheet). The desired functions have been largely unchanged for the last 15 years. Just exactly what is added here and just why are we paying for this and similar documents?

David.

9 comments:

Bernard Robertson-Dunn said...

David,

I have no idea what that document is for.

It isn't an architecture. It isn't a model, either. As you say it's a list of functions in various groups. They are referred to as capabilities within medications management business systems. The claim is that "it can be used to identify opportunities and gaps in medications management process automation, system integration, information quality and terminology standardisation." Big deal.

What's missing is a description of the data that the functions work on/with. Without understanding the data, the list of functions has little or no value.

This is entirely consistent with NEHTA's view of architecture. All functions and technology, no data.

Considering that eHealth records are supposed to be about health information, there's something not quite right.

IMHO, without an appropriate description of the data, such a framework is useless. It might impress management, who don't appear to understand architecture, but I doubt that many others would see much value in it.

Anonymous said...

What has happened to strategy and architecture, this is even poor visio. That aside this is telling of some of the rot that has set in. No strategy, ( don't blame lack of a national strategy) and no architecture good practice to be seen!! Just a lot of silly and random stuff all clinical validated of coarse. Someone more Daffy and Donald duck tomone side and bring back people who know what they are doing

Anonymous said...

This must be part of something more comprehensive, I can never find my way around the NEHTA website. Does anyone know what this fits in with?

Anonymous said...

They don't know that they don't know what they are doing so they think what they are doing is goodness and light.

It doesn't really matter as far as they are concerned because to them all that matters is that they have something that looks like it might convince a bureaucrat or a politician they are doing something useful. Nothing else matters. It doesn't have to make any sense.

Anonymous said...

Don't discount the useful and valuable information contained within the "Disclaimer statement" that obviously has had an expensive amount of Legal review and consultation to absolve NEHTA, its Board and management of any serious liability issues associated with this unequivocally useless piece of documentation bearing no value to Australia's healthcare system whatsoever!

Your COAG channelled taxpayers monies at hard work...

Terry Hannan said...

Bernard Robertson-Dunn and Anonymous, I am in total agreement with your comments. It has nothing to do with eMM in the clinical work face based on the documentation presented. Who is making these people accountable to the HIT environment and the public?

Anonymous said...

No one Terry, no one. The National Audit Team is one way to expose this flagrant incompetence and waste of taxpayers money. Unfortunately, scheduling then undertaking an Audit, then documenting and publishing the findings and conclusions could take 18 months or more subject to other priorities. So you can rule that out as an option.

Anonymous said...

This is great! Why waste time and effort investing in standards and vision like the US, Europe, Asia, Middle East when we can do colouring in by numbers. New Zealand must be impressed to be part of australisain health

This is a sign someone in the room is out of their depth and has lost control

Anonymous said...

Good questions David. I'm involved in rolling out EMM and though there might be something useful here. But no, just like most of the rubbish that comes out of NEHTA there is nothing. They didn't even manage to get the spelling correct in the spreadsheet "Medication Reconcilliation". But not to worry, their disclaimer says it all!