The following appeared today.
Leading e-health sites to undergo $52m record transition
- by: Karen Dearne
- From: The Australian
- June 26, 2012
THE Gillard government will spend $52 million transitioning work done at three lead sites to the new personally controlled e-health record system over the next six months.
Three former GP divisions (now rebadged as Medicare Locals) -- in Brisbane North, Hunter Valley, NSW and in Melbourne East -- each received $5 million in mid-2010 to implement software supporting the PCEHR system and to trial the use of records by doctors and patients.
.....
A Health Department spokeswoman said the National E-Health Transition Authority had been given $51.8m in order to "support transition of the lead e-health sites to the PCEHR infrastructure over the next six months".
"This transition is occurring progressively until December," she said.
A further $33.4m had been paid to NEHTA as the commonwealth's half-share of the body's COAG-funded work program for the next financial year, the spokeswoman said.
The rest of the article can be read here:
What on earth is going on here?
Why were the lead sites not built to the specifications required to fit the PCEHR Infrastructure first off?
What on earth went wrong with the overall project co-ordination and planning?
Why do the sites now seem to need the three times the original allocation over just six months - when they have been doing all this for the last 18 months or so?
When did they suddenly figure out it was all falling in an utter heap?
What about all the other Wave II sites - how much extra are they going to cost? Even if they are covered in this sum it is still an awesome cost overrun. (Wave 1 was initially allocated $12.5M and the 9 Wave 2 Sites received $55M as I recall)
All I can say this whole thing is a runaway train-wreck.
The Australian also has a lot more - given the PCEHR Start-up next week.
Go here:
Underdone e-health record system set for launch
and here:
Fact and fiction of e-health changes
to browse.
Amazing stuff you could not make up. A bit like the Greek PM and Finance Minister not turning up for the Eurozone Summit at the end of the week because they are in hospital. I wonder why? Someone must have shown them the books!
David.
Good thing there was such a rigorous tendering process for the first 3 wave sites or else it would appear to be rewarding mediocrity and old fashioned nepotism.
ReplyDeleteWave 1 was a disgrace.
ReplyDeleteWave 2 was also a disgrace but at least there was the pretence of an above-board process.
And NEHTA and DOHA scratch their heads and wonder why the Community have chosen not to collaborate.
Typical Labor.
Cannot wait until baseball bat time at the next election.
These guys are good, very good. A 5 million dollar no strings attached lump sum for an eHealth startup then when its not working a 15 million dollar top up.
ReplyDeleteThis is crazy and a total waste of tax payers money. The shame is that many of these people have no IT talent, but boy can they smooch with Doha and spend like drunken sailors. Where is that pitchfork.
Basically the $52 million is a sinecure handed out to NEHTA to keep it afloat in a desperate attempt by a few senior bureaucrats to save their skins after creating a monster of a project which they cannot control and which they cannot afford to let sink. It's that simple - plain old survival at any cost. Please observe Minister Plibersek has distanced herself and is making no comment. The guillotine is about to fall.
ReplyDeleteAll very thoughtful questions David.
ReplyDeleteMaybe someone could table these before the next Senates Estimates hearings to DOHA and NEHTA and not allow them to leave the room until they answered in depth each and every one of them?
These are good questions David, they should be asked of NEHTA and DOHA, and they should be made to answer them, fully prepared, there and then. Not taken "On Notice" and absorbed into the bureaucratic void and abyss, never to be seen or heard of again.
But we all know this is pure fantasy and the tax payers will continue to be rorted to pay the shill insiders very handsomely, for nothing of value traded in return.
And then add these two blunders into the mix - a) all of the many consumers and healthcare providers that signed up for these projects have to be signed up again because the government did not allow for the national program in the wave site terms and conditions and b) none of the clinical records created in the wave sites will be transitioned to the national program - only documents created on or after 1 July are allowed; that is, there will be no historical records in the PCEHR. What is the point an EHR without history?
ReplyDelete"From 1 July, consumers will be able to register online, through a Medicare shopfront or via phone, for a personally controlled electronic health record (PCEHR)," the department said in a statement
ReplyDeleteOne has to wonder if they could hold a straight face when they said this, correct me if I am wrong, I might be a bit old fashioned but by telephone or visiting a Medicare office to register, is hardly 'online' nor is it convenient, the latter is simply increasing my carbon footprint.
They should have delayed this, the first 500,000 registered citizens, in the first year will simply loose interest and it will be extremely difficult to get them back, a health record for the majority is not like a bank account, where you use it on a weekly/daily basis, nor does it carry the ATO mandate.
It is a government on the way out but at least try and be remebered for something resembling leadership
The PCEHR Wave Project was launched when
ReplyDelete1. Specifications were incomplete
2. Principles & guidelines were vague or non-existent
3. Supporting infrastructure was not delivered, or does not work
4. A ridiculously short time frame was established to both create and implement
This is a great way to drive local innovation, but of course means that in 12 Wave sites there will be 12 different implementations of the PCEHR.
How can it be anything else?
By the way, points 1 to 3 above still apply.
6/26/2012 10:07:00 PM Minister Plibersek has distanced herself and is making no comment.
ReplyDeleteHer silence is deafening. She can't avoid making a comment because by not doing so it shows that either she doesn't know what's going on which, under the circumstances, would be a dereliction of duty or, she believes NEHTA and DOHA have it all under control, which, under the circumstances would reflect extreme ignorance verging on incompetence. Hopefully she is looking for some new advisors who aren't tainted by past association with NEHTA.
NEHTA is now talking about the "Consumer Release" for 1 July and the "Provider Release" for sometime in August.
ReplyDeleteOnline registration is happening. http://www.zdnet.com.au/e-health-records-meet-online-deadline-339340334.htm Assume you will be updating your side panel timeframe David?
ReplyDeleteThat article was pure DoHA spin. Read the article closely. You have to ring in - then you are - later - given access to a portal. Hardly online registration. Side panel stands.
ReplyDeleteDavid.
Sorry, no.... "From 1 July, consumers will be able to register online ..." means what it says, online reg will be available on 1st July.
ReplyDeleteTo quote:
ReplyDelete"From 1 July, consumers will be able to register online, through a Medicare shopfront or via phone, for a personally controlled electronic health record (PCEHR)," the department said in a statement.
"The online portal will be available from 1 July 2012, so as soon as a person has signed up, they will be able to go online and view their record, and add a range of their basic health information."
Sorry I disagree. I will not be able to hop on from my home and register which is what on-line registration means to me at least.
Anyway AFAIK the on-line function is not yet signed off.
David.
Want a small bet?
ReplyDeleteI don't bet!
ReplyDeleteIf you like to tell us all where to go to log-in and what ID we will need I am happy to share with readers.
David.
More than my job is worth, I'm afraid, but failing last minute glitches it is ready. Will you register on Sunday David?
ReplyDeleteIf - even anonymously you can't tell us details then we can wait and see!
ReplyDeleteWe don't want jobs lost!
David
Even if you can sign on "online" on July 1, why would anyone bother. It's not like the system will provide any useful information any time soon.
ReplyDeleteIt is good to see that those who are building or preparing the NEHRS are reading this column! It is nice to have free and easy discussion. I hope it has helped them to design and implement it.
ReplyDeleteAnd David I don't think you need to say whether you will have a record or not - you have a right to your own privacy!
"Register online"? Perhaps they mean inline - there was a bit of queue in the Medicare Office last time I was there...
ReplyDeleteI hope all of our journalists pose this question on July 2nd to all of our politicians, health dept ehealth officials involved in decision-making, and NEHTA high level officials.
ReplyDeleteHave you registered for your personal PCEHR and registered your partner and children? If not, when do you intend to register?
Will you be waiting until you're confident governance guidelines are more clearly defined and finalised and key consumer privacy and security protections are functioning consistently to a high standard?
So if what the insider says IS true, why does the Learning Portal still state that registration can be done only by phone or through a Medicare office?
ReplyDeleteI think David and The Oz have the situation correct - the online bit only happens AFTER you've registered through offline means.
So, on July 2 can we expect to see a photo of Tania Plibersek, Jane Holton, the Prime Minister, Murkesh Haikerwal and Tony Abbott standing in line at the Medicare Office to register for their PCEHR?
ReplyDeleteYep has to be July 2 cos Medicare Shopfronts are closed on weekends. You will need to queue up in your lunch hour on Monday - just like Melbourne Cup day at the TAB.
ReplyDelete"From 1 July, consumers will be able to register online, through a Medicare shopfront or via phone, for a personally controlled electronic health record (PCEHR)," the department said in a statement.
ReplyDeleteMy brain hurts.
Napoleon
Pure unadulterated codswallop!
ReplyDeleteOnline my sphincter.
What contempt whomever crafts such statements demonstrates to their intended audience and reader.
Spin voodoo doctors more like it.
Frauds, Scheisters and Charlatans the lot.