Again, in the last week, I have come across a few reports and news items which are worth passing on.
These include first:
Draft of major health IT bill unveiled in House
Leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and its health subcommittee have released a draft of a major health information technology bill that has several parallels to the Wired for Health Care Quality bill pending in the Senate.
The House bill’s backers are the full committee's chairman, Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.); ranking Republican, Rep Joe Barton of Texas; subcommittee's chairman, Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.); and subcommittee’s ranking Republican, Rep. Nathan Deal of Georgia.
Most of the legislative action on health IT so far in this session of Congress has taken place in the Senate. A couple of health IT bills in the House have languished without a hearing.
However, the health subcommittee has scheduled a June 4 hearing on its draft , and there were indications the measure could then move swiftly. Although its backers stressed the unfinished nature of their draft and expressed the desire to hear from stakeholders about ways to improve it, Dingell said in a statement that “it was developed with strong bipartisan cooperation, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to craft legislation that can be moved swiftly through the committee.”
With time running short in this Congress, which will be preoccupied with November's national elections, having House and Senate bills with many similarities could ease passage of a health IT act.
Like the Wired bill in the Senate, the House draft would codify in law the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONCHIT), establish committees to advise on the development of health IT policy and standards, authorize a voluntary product certification program similar to the one now in operation at the Certification Commission for Health IT, provide loans and grants to support health IT adoption by doctors and clinics, and update the privacy and security provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.
More here:
http://www.govhealthit.com/online/news/350386-1.html
This is good news that the US Congress is trying to provide an impetus to e-Health and get some of the basics in place. I hope something worthwhile gets to President Bush’s desk sooner rather than later.
Second we have:
Service to warn of e-crimes
Karen Dearne | June 06, 2008
THE Rudd Government will today launch a no-cost, no-jargon internet service that alerts computer users to cyber threats.
The plain-English Stay Smart Online alerts service, provided by the nation's Computer Emergency Response Team, will help home and small business users secure their own PCs against rising levels of cyber-scams and fraud.
It is the first time ordinary computer users have been offered access to information about local and global threats through a government agency.
"While the internet is fascinating and useful, people have to be smart about online safety," Communications Minister Stephen Conroy told The Australian.
"We're wanting to fire out warnings on the latest risks, and give people the information they need to protect themselves.
More here:
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23819648-15306,00.html
People can sign up for the new alerts service at www.staysmartonline.gov.au.
This seems like a very sensible initiative. Will be interesting to see how it works out in practics
Third we have:
Ambos get world first mobile data app
Australia's state ambulance services break silos to share knowledge
Darren Pauli 03/06/2008 13:40:20
Ambulance services across Australia are rolling out a new laptop data application to store clinical information on thousands of patients to improve paramedic training, patient care, industry standards and research.
The multi-million dollar Victorian Ambulance Clinical Information System (VACIS) is the latest in a series of initiatives across Australia to improve patient care in hospitals, surgeries and now ambulances.
It captures standard clinical information during paramedic emergency call-outs to provide an evidence base for clinical practice and training.
The project is the only system in the world that identifies a standard process for paramedics and supports information sharing with hospitals.
VACIS manager Noelle McCabe said the project will improve emergency care nationally by encouraging normally siloed ambulance services to share techniques and protocols with their interstate counterparts.
"Research on the data collected assists in improving techniques in clinical practice," McCabe said.
The research has led to improvements in the consistency of pain management, and dispatch protocols have also been changed to make better use of Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) paramedics.
More here:
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php?id=751341086&eid=-6787
This is a project that has been underway for a few years. It is good to see some progress is being made. It would be good to see some appropriate evaluation of the real-world outcomes in terms of waiting times to get to relevant treatment in hospital as a result of this system.
Fourthly we have:
Email leaks lead to increase in sackings
Karen Dearne | June 03, 2008
MORE workers are being fired for leaking company secrets via email, with a local survey showing one in five businesses terminated an employee for email breaches in the past year.
Outbound email is now a common avenue for data leakage, with 23 per cent of Australian respondents to a Proofpoint/Forrester survey saying their business had been harmed by exposure of sensitive or embarrassing data in the past year.
Proofpoint regional head Gerry Tucker says the number of organisations that had disciplined employees (almost 50 per cent) was on the increase.
"What's surprising is that it's often hard to get a complete picture of the cost of each instance of data loss," he says.
"But the cost of going through an investigation, a disciplinary process and finally termination can be quite significant. So it's a fair assumption that someone is not going to do all that unless the breach has been serious."
Tucker says 62 per cent of respondents listed corporate email as the main avenue for data leakage; 18 per cent were more concerned about web-based email; 15 per cent cited other messaging systems; and 5 per cent mentioned blogs and message boards.
More here:
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23798577-5013044,00.html
This is a reminder of just how careful we all have to be with our use of e-mail. I like the thought of only putting in an e-mail what you would but on a post-card without an envelope of a good standard to adopt. Has kept me out of trouble so far!
Fifth we have:
Safety plan to tag dementia patients
Patricia Karvelas, Political correspondent | June 02, 2008
OLD people who have dementia or Alzheimer's would be electronically monitored with devices implanted in their wristwatch or ankle bracelet under a radical plan by the Rudd Government.
Nursing homes would have to report any case of a missing resident, while those with dementia or Alzheimer's might be forced to wear identity bracelets, engraved with a dementia symbol and other information to ensure they could be tracked more easily.
Cases of old people leaving nursing homes and dying after going missing have prompted the Government to consider a tough approach to protect the old and frail. Under the plan, nursing homes would be legally bound to report any case of missing residents, particularly those with a diagnosis of dementia. The Government has already consulted civil libertarians over the plan.
Alzheimer's Australia national executive director Glenn Rees said electronic monitoring might be a necessary measure.
"Technology isn't a panacea but it is one of the options that must be looked at," Mr Rees said. "There are ethical issues that need to be explored in the use of tracking devices."
But NSW Council for Civil Liberties president Cameron Murphy said he had worries about the plan and would push to ensure people were not treated like prisoners.
More here:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23794689-23289,00.html
One really wonders sometimes about Civil Libertarians. This seems to be a clear use of technology to make some of the most vulnerable in our community a little safer in their last days. I want my civil liberties protected but not by people who are as confused as the NSW Council seems to be!
This article reports similar information.
Plan to electronic tag dementia patients
See here:
http://news.smh.com.au/national/plan-to-electronic-tag-dementia-patients-20080602-2kmg.html
And this one identifies a couple of really PC nitwits.
Specialist says govt proposal not good care
See here:
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23805279-3102,00.html
Sixth we have:
Investigation into Queensland Health executive's expenses
Article from: 
June 07, 2008 12:00am
QUEENSLAND Health is again fighting corruption claims over the expenses of one of its most senior executives, information chief Mr Paul Summergreene.
State corruption fighters are investigating the monthly corporate credit card invoices of Mr Summergreene, the chief information officer.
These have allegedly reached up to $25,000 - leaving the taxpayer to pick up the tab for limousine hire and expensive entertainment bills.
Queensland Health acting director-general Andrew Wilson, who was made aware of the allegations against Mr Summergreene, inferred The Courier-Mail could face legal action if it revealed the details.
The complaint was referred to the Crime and Misconduct Commission by Queensland Health, as required by law.
Some staff, who have transferred out of the department or quit, have also raised concerns about the amount of alcohol consumption on the premises.
It is alleged a private company contracted to Queensland Health is paying for some of the alcohol.
Continue reading here:
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23822136-3102,00.html
This is a bit of a worry, given the problems that there have been in Health IT in Queensland Health (QH) over the last few years. I hope all the issues can be quickly and fairly sorted out – appropriate action taken if needed - and QH can then move on. It would be good for e-Health nationally if this were the to be the case.
Last we have:
Minnesota Governor Signs Law Requiring E-Prescribing by 2011
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) signed into law a bill that requires electronic prescriptions and creates new quality reporting rules for physicians, Modern Healthcare reports (Evans, Modern Healthcare, 5/30).
Under the law, pharmacists, physicians and others who prescribe or dispense medication in the state will be required to use electronic systems by 2011.
More here:
http://modernhealthcare.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080602/REG/625054228
This is an amazing step – it would be interesting to see how this sort of approach would work in Australia. The evidence that quality e-prescribing systems do improve the quality of prescribing is no longer contestable and so this initiative makes very good sense to me.
More next week.
David.
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