Unless I missed it – it seems the NEHTA IEHR has been deferred until at least mid November at the earliest.
The October 2, 2008 Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Communiqué is available here.
http://coag.gov.au/coag_meeting_outcomes/2008-10-02/docs/communique20081002.pdf
E-Health misses out again – as expected - I must say, given the planning work going on in the background at present. Early next year is when we will need to see some serious decisions and funding.
NEHTA was just being naïve to think and publicly canvass their requests for funding at this point in time and COAG has made a sensible decision in my view.
See here:
The Australian Financial Review | 01 Oct 2008 | Page: 71 | Information Section
Rapid response for online health records
Ben Woodhead
A fresh commitment to make the health records of all Australian residents available online could come as early as this week following the completion of a business case for the controversial program.
A spokeswoman for the National e-Health Transition Authority said the document, in development since early this year, was in the hands of state and federal health ministers ahead of this week's Council of Australian Governments meeting.
The business case is one of the key pieces of information that health ministers around the country have said they need to review before they make a decision on whether or not to set fresh deadlines for the creation of a national, individual electronic health record.
Much more in the paper – available at afr.com for a fee.
I hope this is not the outcome we see by early next year!
David.
Nor should NEHTA get any further funds until it has rolled out and fully implemented the one thing the entire industry has been crying out for - the one thing that will open doors and bring distant horizons closer - that my friends are the identifiers which NEHTA has made so much noise about.
ReplyDeleteDeliver the identifiers.
Do not say it is no longer our responsibility because it has been passed to Medicare Australia. Whatever contract is in place NEHTA must ensure the goods are delivered and implemented according to appropriate standards. Those who provide NEHTAs funds should insist absolutely on this deliverable as the very very highest priority - across the nation.
Deliver the identifiers - implemented and working - the come to us and ask for more money.