The Department Of Health Is Pushing Further Into Big Data! A New Tender Issued.

This appeared last week:

Department of Health on the hunt for data analytics panel

The Australian Department of Health plans to extend its existing data analytics capabilities with the establishment of a health data analytics panel in September.

By Aimee Chanthadavong | July 8, 2016 -- 02:30 GMT (12:30 AEST)

The Australian Department of Health is looking to establish a health data analytics panel to provide a range of data analytic services to support the department.

The department has gone to tender [PDF] saying a key objective of the panel will be to supplement its existing data analytics staff and capabilities, while assisting it to evaluate new and emerging analysis methods.

In addition, the panel will be responsible for delivering trial and evaluation services of self-service data reporting and analytic tools, such as those that assist economic, statistical, and location-based analysis; project management services for data analytics projects; services to collect, collate, and prepare data for data analysis projects; and services to communicate the results of data analysis.

The request for tender also said the panel will need to be familiar with one or more of the analytics software packages the department currently holds, including Teradata, SAS Enterprise Guide, SAS Visual Analytics, SAS Forecast Studio, SAS Enterprise Miner, ESRI ARC GIS suite, and COGNOS.

The department said it plans to establish a panel from September 1, 2016 for three years, with an option for up to two years extension beyond June 30, 2019, which will be available at the department's discretion.

The deadline for the request for tender is August 8, 2016.

More here:

http://www.zdnet.com/article/department-of-health-on-the-hunt-for-data-analytics-panel/

What I found interesting here as the range of analytics the Department is already using. What this reveals to me is the scope of the use the data from the MBS and PBS is being put to.

What is absent seems to me is an absence of public reporting on what is being found in any systematic way as far as I know.

The data being analysed is public information and it would be good to see this information – suitably anonymised – be made available easily for researchers etc. As I recall ‘open information’ was part of the Government agenda!

I guess we will have to wait and see what view ADHA takes on all this – it has to be a topic of interest for them…

David.