A number of reports on a new Frost and Sullivan report appeared this week.
We have first.
Australia leads Asia-Pacific in eHealth
Posted Tue, 30/04/2013 - 13:31 by Fran Molloy
Australia’s PCEHR scheme has driven growth in our healthcare IT market, and is the fastest-growing in the Asia-Pacific region, according to research released this week by market analysts Frost & Sullivan.
The report found that Australia’s National eHealth Strategy has been a key driver for market growth.
Australia’s health IT market, worth an estimated $783 million in 2012, will continue to grow at 10.3 percent a year over the next five years, and will be worth an estimated $1.4 billion by 2018.
The Australian government’s leadership role in eHealth was a key driver, according to health research analyst Natasha Gulati.
“Government initiatives to establish standards, regulations and infrastructure further encourage healthcare providers to adopt electronic medical records (EMR) and electronic health records (EHR) technology,” she wrote.
Across the Asia Pacific region, the healthcare IT industry earned revenues of around $1.2 billion in 2012, and Frost & Sullivan estimates this will reach US$2.2 billion by 2018.
Frost & Sullivan cite aggressive investment by governments, NGO’s and private organisations as key reasons for growth in in EMR and EHR projects at both regional and local levels.
Lots more here:
Then we have:
Budget threat to Aussie eHealth revolution
04.30.13
Budget difficulties could see Australia lagging behind a forecast digital revolution in healthcare for the Asia-Pacific region, according to analyst firm Frost & Sullivan.
It notes that the Australian government has been actively promoting electronic exchange of health information as part of the National E-Health Strategy.
However, while the market is fast progressing towards sophisticated electronic medical record (EMR) solutions, healthcare providers find it difficult to obtain budget approvals.
According to the analyst firm, EMR penetration in 2012 was estimated at 66.1 percent for both hospital and ambulatory systems segments combined.
Currently Australia's healthcare expenditure is approaching 10 per cent of GDP but Frost & Sullivan predicts it could hit 15 per cent within the next few years.
Dougan (Frost & Sullivan) explained, “This makes efficient, affordable and timely delivery of quality healthcare services a high priority for all governments. IT offers a strategic way of achieving this, particularly with the NBN [National Broadband Network] beginning to provide the necessary high-speed infrastructure. As the network expands its reach, technologies such as cloud services, Big Data analytics and advanced visualisation tools have the potential to revolutionise the health sector.”
Lots more here:
and we also have:
Australia to lead APAC e-health record uptake: analysts
But national rollout lags behind government targets.
Australia has been crowned the fastest-growing market for electronic health record systems amid the Federal Government’s $628 million PCEHR scheme.
Analyst firm Frost & Sullivan this week pegged the Australian healthcare IT market at $783 million in 2012, expecting it to grow to $1.4 billion by 2018.
The market was expected to grow 10.3 percent a year in that period, including software and applications as well as professional services for implementation and support.
Australian demand for electronic health record systems was expected to grow 15.1 percent in the six years to 2019, ahead of a 10.6 percent growth rate in the wider Asia Pacific region.
Analysts pinned Australian demand for e-health record systems on the nationwide PCEHR (personally controlled electronic health record) scheme, which launched last July.
More here:
This seems to be the link to the research if you wish to purchase it.
Subscription > P6F9-01
EMR and EHR Market in APAC
Electronic Records will Pave the Way for Healthcare Transformation
The Asia-Pacific (APAC) market for Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) and Electronic Health Records (EHRs) is in the growth phase with healthcare providers rapidly moving towards digitization. Governments across APAC are investing in EMR and EHR pilots and pushing for national level EHRs, and this is acting as the main driver for market growth. This research service from Frost & Sullivan analyzes the key drivers, restraints, technology trends, and buying behaviour characteristic of the EMR and EHR market in APAC and presents insights on revenue, market shares, and emerging opportunities in the industry.
Author: Natasha Gulati | 30 Mar 2013
More here:
There are two relevant press releases:
First here:
Frost & Sullivan: Government Initiatives Drive Use of Electronic Medical and Health Records in Asia-Pacific
Regulations and incentives for healthcare providers to go paper-less fuel adoption.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - April 23, 2013 - Electronic medical record (EMR) and electronic health record (EHR) systems are becoming increasingly popular in Asia-Pacific as the region’s healthcare industry moves towards digitization. Governments, non-profit entities and the private sector are aggressively investing in EMR and EHR projects at both regional and local levels to achieve seamless information exchange that will contribute towards cost savings as well as improvements in clinical outcomes.
Full release here:
But much more interestingly here:
Frost & Sullivan: Digitisation of Australia's healthcare system met with widespread apprehension
Failure of several regional health IT projects hinders trust
Sydney, 12 February 2013 – Australia boasts an advanced healthcare system supported by both the public and private sector involvement. The country spent 9.3% of its GDP on healthcare in 2011 and is currently focusing on providing people with the tools to support independent aging care and improve healthcare services in remote regions. While modernisation of healthcare facilities and investment in IT has been rapid over the past ten years, adoption still lags amongst physicians and consumers due to lack of trust in information systems. This lack of trust stems from the failure of several regional health IT projects in recent years.
The Australian healthcare IT market was estimated at AUD 783 million in 2012, which includes software tools and applications leveraged by healthcare providers as well as the professional services needed for implementation and support. The market is expected to reach AUD 1.4 billion by 2018 with a CAGR of 10.3% from 2013-2018. Government incentives towards adoption of Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR) and other healthcare delivery programs such as the Practice Incentives Program (PIP) will be the key driver for market growth. Private players on the other hand are focusing on enhancing customer awareness and engagement in their products.
According to Rhenu Bhuller, Vice President of Healthcare, Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific, the healthcare IT market in Australia is driven by the shift in emphasis from acute care to prevention. This is apparent from the numerous incentive schemes listed in the PIP, which focus on long-term care including incentives for diabetes detection, cervical screening and asthma. In addition to these, the PIP also encourages digitisation of healthcare providers by incentivising adoption of healthcare IT at the GP level across healthcare organisations.
Australia's Personal Health Record (PHR) program opens doors for private investment in eHealth across the country. The Australian market for Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and Electronic Health Records (EHR) is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15.1% between 2013 and 2018. On average, healthcare providers spend a little less than 2% of their operating expenditure on IT which is less than the global average spend of 3.6% as quoted by CeBIT, Australia. This is essentially because hospital CIOs find it hard to justify significant budget allocations towards activities not directly impacting healthcare delivery, particularly when returns on investment are below expectations. Hospital spend on IT is expected to rise under the influence of government incentives to drive adoption.
However, the PCEHR has been received with strong apprehension and even criticism on some aspects across the country. Adoption of PCEHR has been dismal essentially due to the complexity of procedures and requirements for both physicians and consumers. So severe is the issue that the Australia Medical Association (AMA) has called for a step-by-step toolkit to help medical practitioners to participate in PCEHR. Even the PIP for eHealth, popularly termed ePIP, has been received with criticism and scanty adoption with only about half of all general practices in Australia applying for or assigned a Healthcare Provider Identifier – Organisation (HPI-O) number, a prerequisite for payment eligibility.
More here:
Reading this last release, and indeed most of the commentary above I am not sure I quite recognise the Australian e-Health scene I know.
I especially found this sentence interesting.
“Australia's Personal Health Record (PHR) program opens doors for private investment in eHealth across the country.” I must have missed that happening.
Somehow it feels to me that the analysts are reporting from a rather 'inside the beltway' perspective where what DoHA and Government are saying is given emphasis that many of the rest of us do not see.
There is a lot more than semantics in the distinction between the PCEHR, PHRs and EMRs. Remember the PCEHR does not deliver the consumer benefits that many PHRs do overseas.
Somehow it feels to me that the analysts are reporting from a rather 'inside the beltway' perspective where what DoHA and Government are saying is given emphasis that many of the rest of us do not see.
There is a lot more than semantics in the distinction between the PCEHR, PHRs and EMRs. Remember the PCEHR does not deliver the consumer benefits that many PHRs do overseas.
What do others think about all this?
David.
I wonder if they are smoking something....opening the doors to private investment? racing towards EMR adoption? perhaps not....
ReplyDeleteFrom the piece at eHealthspace whose listed sponsors include NEHTA & ehealthinfo-dot-gov-dot-au.
ReplyDeleteThe Australian government’s leadership role in eHealth was a key driver, according to health research analyst Natasha Gulati.
Business analysts provide a consultancy that comes up with a projection of business outcomes that makes DoHA happy?
I hear the sound of one hand clapping.
So, who *is* driving eHealth, apart from commercial interests?
Scot Silverstein re-posted his Ten Commandments of Health IT from 1970.
7. Thou shall build and implement your system in a joint effort with real users in a real situation with real problems.
I guess that condition is fulfilled by sprinkling committees with "clinicians", right?
Natasha Gulati would be more welcome at NEHTA than any actual clinician struggling with electronic interfaces.
I've not read the whole report, but it sounds as though it is exactly what one might expect from someone who flies in, accepts everything that is spoon-fed to them (without talking to all of the players or doing any digging), and flies out again to write up the report - hasn't even scratched the surface. Am I being unfair?
ReplyDeleteNo!
ReplyDeleteDavid
They are FIFO Consultants. They fly in, mine the money, then fly out. It's the new mining paradigm.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. The overpaid public servants at DOHA and NEHTA and the various State Governments have been generally hostile to local businesses and investors. Their snouts need to be removed from the taxpayer trough and the waste needs to stop. There are countless true anecdotes of ineptitude and waste of taxpayers dollars. Sickening.
ReplyDelete