HealthConnect Renamed - What To Unclear

In an article in the Australian Financial Review Ben Woodhead writes (subscription required) today:

“The Department of Health and Ageing has stripped references to its $128million HealthConnect project from 2007 budget statements amid speculation over the fate of the controversial national electronic health record program.

The move is likely to increase fears the government will abandon HealthConnect and shift responsibility for the development of a national electronic health record (EHR) framework to the National E-Health Transition Authority .

But it has not completely disconnected itself from the development of a national EHR, and the department has signalled it will work this year on initiatives that will eventually support a nationwide electronic patient record.”

He also notes that in the forward estimates for the next few years there are a total of $70.2 Million for COAG Health Services - Establishing the Foundations for a National Electronic Health Records System as it is described in the budget papers.

Importantly what must be noted here is that these funds – announced a couple of months ago are for “Foundations” not for the National EHR System itself. The foundations are for patient identity, provider identity and SNOMED CT implementation over the next few years.

What does this mean the Government’s strategy for EHRs for consumers is? The simple answer is “who knows?”. While NEHTA is obviously working on the nature of the approach that is to be adopted we see some odd and apparently un-coordinated things happening, such as a separate identity system being developed to support the Medicare Smartcard.

It is also worth noting that the Commonwealth Funding for this NEHTA work is very similar to the amount of money that would have been left over from the previously announced HealthConnect funding.

Currently there is a very large strategic hole in Australia’s e-Health vision. One can only hope it is soon clarified.

David.