The following press release appeared a few days ago
Fujitsu releases Research Report into Health Reform
Survey Highlights Key Health Reform Agenda – Prevention Is Better Than Cure
Sydney, 1 December 2009 — Fujitsu Australia and New Zealand, a leading provider of business, information technology and communications solutions, today released its latest research report into Electronic Health Records, revealing that alarmingly many Australians are not willing to take greater responsibility and control for their personal health outcomes and more Australians need to take ownership of their own health records.
The survey examined 5,600 Australians aged between 45 and 64 (Baby Boomers), which researched their attitudes towards their ownership of their own health outcomes and their awareness of Electronic Health Records. Over 40% of Baby Boomers identified they should take more responsibility of their health record but an additional 31% were unsure, because they did not really understand what this meant for them. About a quarter of respondents did not want to take any further responsibility for their own health, or health record.
Regarding taking control of personal health care records, over 60% of those surveyed did not want to take control of their record, as opposed to 38% who did want to take control. When we examined this further, less than 10% of Baby Boomers wanted to manage specific information into their health record. Results also identified that not many respondents understood what a health record was, and 26% had no idea who had access to their health record.
Highlights of the survey include:
Access to information on health - The first conclusion is that if people are going to take greater responsibility for their own health, there needs to be a different approach to providing quality information on health concerns. Today there is no single authoritative source to provide this information and the public’s thirst for knowledge on personal health topics is not being met.
Care from home – The second conclusion of the report identifies that if improvements in chronic illness management could be achieved in a home setting, this has the potential to improve well being and make a major positive impact in health budgets. Many care providers could invest in technologies to help people live at home longer.
Individual responsibility – The third conclusion highlights that while there is some acceptance amongst Baby Boomers that they should take more responsibility for their own health, this does not translate into a strong willingness to own or manage their own health record, because the concept is not widely understood and there are some concerns about the security of electronic information. This highlights both the gap and opportunity about building enthusiasm for and acceptance of electronic health records.
Over the next decade, Baby Boomers are likely to consume the bulk of Healthcare expenditure. If we are able, from a policy perspective, to encourage them to take more personal responsibility, focus on wellness, and proactive strategies for health then there is a chance the Health sector will be able to deliver an acceptable standard of care for all. If not, then the estimate 9% of GDP Australia spends on healthcare services will rise, whilst services will be degraded and standards of care compromised.
“Fujitsu believes that health reform must encompass the entire health eco-system,” states Martin North, Executive Director of Industry at Fujitsu Australia. “There is clearly demand to provide technology to enable smarter hospitals. There is opportunity for development of lean process change in for example, the management of an operating theatre. But it is also going to be essential to consider the community context – and Baby Boomers are right in the eye of the storm.”
Adoption of Electronic Health Record, if it requires Baby Boomers to step up, will require significant education and incentive. This suggests that strategies which are centred on the individual rather than the health professionals will take longer to gain momentum. However, extending the envelope of care into the community setting, shifting the agenda to prevention together with offering consumers access to information and the right monitoring environment offers a path to better health outcomes and a better use of resources.
It is feasible to provide a range of simple to use health monitoring equipment, wirelessly enabled to be able to pass data into the health system, to enable smart monitoring of individuals health status. If this is linked to information portals and peer benchmarking data, it is feasible to provide a supportive “wellness” environment together with tools and advice in the case of adverse indications. To work this must be simple to use, and become in essence part of a daily routine.
Sue Thomson, National Professional Development Manager, The Australian College of Health Service Executives (ACHSE) states “ACHSE has worked collaboratively with Fujitsu Australia and New Zealand for the past few years because we recognise the importance and the usefulness of this type of research in shaping future policy. It also plays an important role in informing the sector about how we can manage health services more effectively now and into the future. As the largest professional body representing health management in Australia, we commend Fujitsu for its commitment to this industry and in particular for its capacity to undertake this research role.”
To download a copy of the report, click here
About Fujitsu
Fujitsu is a leading provider of IT-based business solutions for the global marketplace. With approximately 175,000 employees supporting customers in 70 countries, Fujitsu combines a worldwide corps of systems and services experts with highly reliable computing and communications products and advanced microelectronics to deliver added value to customers. Headquartered in Tokyo, Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.6 trillion yen (US$47 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009.
For more information, please see: fujitsu.com
About Fujitsu Australia and New Zealand
Fujitsu Australia and New Zealand is a leading service provider of business, information technology and communications solutions. As the third largest ICT Company in the Australian and New Zealand marketplace, we partner with our customers to consult, design, build, operate and support business solutions. From strategic consulting to application and infrastructure solutions and services, Fujitsu Australia and New Zealand have earned a reputation as the single supplier of choice for leading corporate and government organisations. Fujitsu Australia Limited and Fujitsu New Zealand Limited are wholly owned subsidiaries of Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702).
For more information, please see: fujitsu.com.au
About the Fujitsu Baby Boomers Surveys
In the first year we showed that many had not thought about how they would pay for their healthcare needs in later life. Last year we examined their savings strategies and concluded that many were unlikely to be able to support themselves into old age because they had not saved enough, a trend exacerbated by the Global Financial Crisis and consequent fall in asset prices.
We surveyed 5,600 Baby-boomers (in tranches from 40-64) to understand their views of health records and their use of online services. We discussed our preliminary findings from this research with a number of Senior Health Professionals during a working session at the Australian College of Health Service Executives Conference on the Gold Coast in August 2009. ACHSE is Australia's largest professional body representing health management and it aims to develop and foster excellence in health service management through education and ongoing professional development for existing and potential health service managers. As a result of this session, and a number of other discussions we have had across the sector including NEHTA – the National E-Health Transition Authority.
For more information, please see: http://www.nehta.gov.au
The release is found here:
http://www.fujitsu.com/au/news/pr/archives/2009/20091201-01.html
It is very much worthwhile to download the full report.
It really makes a total joke of the NEHTA and the NHHRC claims about all of us wanting a patient owned and controlled record. Most baby boomers (those who use 80% of health resources and are aged between 45 and 65) really don’t use the internet all that much compared with the younger cohorts, want the clinician to look after their record and are a long way from the wellness agenda just yet!
Many thanks to Fujitsu for debunking the silliness we have had from NEHTA and the NHHRC.
As I have been saying endlessly we need to focus on supporting care providers with quality systems – this is where the pay dirt is – and possibly at the same time commence the education and awareness program for the younger boomers and below about how PHRs can help. A 10 year project I suspect!
David.
Anyone who finds the results of this report surprising has simply not been paying attention.
ReplyDeleteThe current focus on "patient-managed" health records is entirely the result of policy developed by idealogues who have had a certain personal health record vendor in their ears.
It should be entirely possible to have both approaches apply. The UK offers the capability for patients to manage their health records but, to date, very few people have taken up the option. Having a centralised health record that CAN be managed by an individual is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteIf NEHTA doesn't want to maintain a centralised EHR system then at the very least it needs to be an index to the systems that do have the EHRs.
The Fujitsu report glances into health care reality - confirming that it is not the state/territory health juggernauts that deliver health outcomes. These are simply "last chance aid posts".
ReplyDeleteThe foundations of health status come from environment, education and local care services and collaborative care pathways - and the systems that support these.
The medical records that already exist in 10,000 non state or territory health and human service locations represent existing relationships with the associated responsibility and trust.
Where is the "real world" inter-service business case and the funding necessary to support the non state/territory central systems? Without this we have nothing upon which to make investment decisions.
There's a popular coffee shop called The Three Monkeys, just down the road from NeHTA Brisbane in West End. I think NeHTA should be known as the 3 base metal monkeys; see no, hear no, speak no good sense.
ReplyDeleteA brass monkey with his hands over his mouth could have told you that trying to shift responsibility for health records onto the punters was a doomed effort. Most don't want it. They have a perfectly sound relationship with a GP who looks after that kind of stuff.
Just because certain parties, who are personally determined to maintain a close relationship with their own GPs, want to break up that relationship for the rest of us, doesn't mean that it's going to happen any time soon.
How about building on those relationships, instead of trying to destroy them?
Your commentator said "How about building on those relationships, instead of trying to destroy them?"
ReplyDeleteThe idea is fine. Unfortunately NEHTA just does not get it, it just doesn't understand how to build relationships like that, it seems to think it everything will happen because it has Clinical Leads under Mukesh Haikerwal and his team.
There are three fundamental questions which need to be answered here:
1. Who are they building their relationships with?
2. Why are they building their relationships with 'them' (the who)?
3. How do they think the relationship they build with the 'who' will result in a take-up of ehealth?
Ask them to provide a clear answer to each of those questions.
If the answers are precise and clear it will become apparent why that approach will not work.