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."

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

The NEHTA Chair Completely Misses the Point!

Presumably in response to the release of the HISA Survey of NEHTA performance, earlier today, the Board Chair has released the following!

NEHTA welcomes debate on its role as peak e-health body - message from Uschi Schreiber, NEHTA Chair



7 August, 2007. The Board of the National E-Health Authority welcomes public debate about the important role NEHTA plays as the peak e-health body in Australia.


One of the objectives of the review of NEHTA commissioned by the Board and currently being conducted by Boston Consulting Group is to seek the widest possible input into determining the next steps for e-health in Australia.


The Board of NEHTA, composed of all the heads of health agencies in Australia, reaffirms the importance of NEHTA as a key driver of healthcare reform by accelerating the pace of the national e-health agenda.


There is widespread agreement across the health sector that the pursuit of e-health in a nationally coordinated strategy is crucial for Australia. Agreement about the importance of this national agenda is shared even by those individuals and organisations that may from time to time critique NEHTA’s work.


The current review of NEHTA was built into the organisation’s constitution when it was established two years ago and will assist the Board in framing the future evolution of e-health.


The outcome of the review being conducted by Boston Consulting Group will be an independent assessment of and status report on NEHTA’s progress to date. It will also make recommendations for the Board’s consideration of NEHTA’s future role and direction.


The Board of NEHTA welcomes the active engagement of interested parties during the course of the review and will take all views into account when Boston Consulting Group presents its recommendations in October.


Uschi Schreiber


Chair, NEHTA Board


In saying the BCG “seek the widest possible input into determining the next steps for e-health in Australia.” It is assumed some useful steps have been taken so far. The evidence would not really support that contention!


What this release shows is that the NEHTA Board is basically unable to appreciate how badly it has failed in serving the Australian e-Health Community in setting the directions and strategies to be followed by NEHTA. The e-Health community the Board is meant to be serving has labelled NEHTA a resounding failure but it keeps thinking that it is a good thing to “reaffirm the importance of NEHTA as a key driver of healthcare reform by accelerating the pace of the national e-health agenda.”


Then it goes on to say “There is widespread agreement across the health sector that the pursuit of e-health in a nationally coordinated strategy is crucial for Australia.” So why hasn’t NEHTA announced it is developing one? Could it be that NEHTA is not being led by its Board? I have been suggesting a plan is needed for the last 18 months and all I, and others, have got from NETHA is airy dismissals.



We also get "Agreement about the importance of this national agenda is shared even by those individuals and organisations that may from time to time critique NEHTA’s work." Sadly NEHTA Board has offered no national agenda anyone has been told about!



Last we get to the serious issue. The release says “The outcome of the review being conducted by Boston Consulting Group will be an independent assessment of and status report on NEHTA’s progress to date. It will also make recommendations for the Board’s consideration of NEHTA’s future role and direction”


Just why is the Board considering what should happen to it? It is fundamentally and existentially conflicted in doing that – and worse it doesn’t seem to get it!


NEHTA is a major problem, not a solution, and its Board is a very big part of that problem.



This release is a plea for the status quo when what is needed is root and branch change!



David.


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

The 2nd top floor! Royal Exchange Building 56 Pitt Street?

What message does this convey to the under-resourced health service providers and the softer vendors who fight or every $$$?

What does this say about NEHTA’s culture?

Has NEHTA’s Board given any thought to how this reflects upon Board Members - the most senior health bureaucrats in the nation? And are their Minister’s supportive of such extravagant accommodation for NEHTA?

Which tail is the dog attached to here and who is doing the wagging?

2nd top floor! I couldn’t resist it today when I passed. I detoured and caught the lift. Extravagant? Profligate? Wasteful? Take the lift - decide for yourself. Some Board members have changed, so some of the current ones can’t be held responsible for approving these offices, if indeed they ever were involved in the decision at all. BCG will be checking the Board minutes no doubt.

But the current Board members ……….. well, that’s a different matter. Perhaps they have never visited the 25th floor. Board meetings are probably held by televideo - naturally with a bland background.

Well, now they know. So what does this say about NEHTA’s culture? And where does the culture come from?

Anonymous said...

Perhaps you are being a little unfair. It is good to see Ushi Schreiber encouraging debate.

A statement from the Chair, to counter yesterday’s media coverage, was a proper course of action. Typically bland media spin though it was. Whoever wrote it did NEHTA no favours, reflecting thinking devoid of substance. Nothing was gained, opportunities were lost. Considerable mileage could have been gained by addressing some of the concerns up-front without in any way compromising The Boston Consulting Group’s review.

Determining the next steps for e-health in Australia is essential. The Boston Consulting Group review should help, provided it is transparent for all to see. Anything less will totally undermine whatever value it may have to offer. To move forward the Board will need to appease industry’s concerns, regain its confidence and act on the BCG Review’s recommendations. You have pointed to some very reasonable actions that should be taken now, and the Board could gain much by making an appropriate statement to that effect.

Dr David G More MB PhD said...

It all depends on whether you believe the Board has the capabilities and the structure to not continue down the destructive path they presently seem set on. After two and a half years I see no evidence they really know what they are doing and I believe that they should be fundamentally restructured and reformed.

I think to suggest that is perfectly fair to suggest major reform, given the evidence we have for under-performance and the lack of insight seen in the press release.

David.

Anonymous said...

I am amazed that NEHTA are so out of touch with what is happening in the e-health sector. There is an existing e-health hub which the health industry uses now created by Medicare Australia with providers, hospitals, health funds etc. already connected. When will someone out there wake up and pick up the existing technology and get behind it and improve it for all?? NEHTA are only too keen to create new standards for existing items such as provider numbers....it's insane!! The only unfortunate thing about have the Hub in Medicare Australia's control is that its subject to the political whims of the policy makers. For example, when the EFTPOS e-claiming system was introduced where Medicare Australia are paying the banks approximately 50 cents per transaction, the small subsidy to software vendors ceased. Where is that logic?? Medicare Australia would receive all future transactions from the software vendors for free...complete madness. And don't even get me started on THELMA, who have no interest in improving the Health Industry - only to line their back pockets!! So unless NEHTA are planning on addressing these issues, personally I see no need for them.