Was Asked For A Few Points On NEHTA For The Review Being Done For Victorian Government. Here Is What I Said.

The terms of reference for the short review were:

Terms of Reference are:

• review and assess the extent to which NEHTA delivers for Victoria on its intended objectives as documented in relevant national agreements, strategies and agendas;
• review and assess the efficiency and effectiveness of NEHTA for Victoria, in general, including identifying areas of risk in the national agenda (e.g. duplication of effort, unnecessary burden);
• assess possible new governance arrangements for the national E-Health agenda in light of the findings of the Commonwealth review of the PCHER;
• assess the net benefits to Victoria, particularly in light of its state contribution to the funding NEHTA, to participating in the national E-Health agenda through NEHTA.

Here is what I wrote:

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Core Points On The Over 9 Years Of NEHTA.

NEHTA was founded 5 July, 2005

1. NEHTA has consumed well over $650M - with a good 40% spent on consultants - over the last 9 years. They have used their market dominance to stifle criticism and distort development of e-Health in Australia.

2. There have been hundreds of specifications and reports produced - remarkably few of which have actually been implemented.

3. There have been at least 2 reviews identifying the failures on NEHTA (BCG and Deloitte) and these have essentially been ignored.

4. There is a deep disconnect between all well informed e-Health practitioners and academics and NEHTA given NEHTA’s consistent record of ignoring expert advice they don’t agree with.

5. NEHTA management has been unsupervised for virtually all of the last 9 years with no real e-Health expertise on the Board to Review what management was doing.

6. There is no evidence I can find - after almost a decade - that any positive difference has resulted from NEHTA’s existence.

7. The NEHTA Designed and Implementation Managed PCEHR has been a $1Billion failure with both clinician and consumer rejection after almost 2 and a half years since going live.

Overall there is only one recommendation. This is that NEHTA’s activities be reviewed for value to the health sector and e-Health community. Those activities which add value should be continued within an inclusive (clinical, industry, jurisdictions, consumers etc.) entity that is well governed, transparent and led (expert leadership is crucial), and the rest of the activities should be ceased and NEHTA disbanded. Specifically none of the current senior executive group should have any further involvement.

This all needs to happen in the context of a revised, properly consulted and agreed National E-Health Strategy.

It really is that simple!

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I did also mention the blog had a little supporting information.

I wonder what will happen next?

David.