Here are a few I have come across the last week or so. Note: Each link is followed by a title and a few paragraphs. For the full article click on the link above title of the article. Note also that full access to some links may require site registration or subscription payment.
General Comment
All the action this week has been with the Senate myHR Inquiry which had a surprise third public hearing especially for the ADHA and Health Department on Thursday. It seems Senator Lisa Singh is not all that impressed by the ADHA and its CEO. There were many pretty pointed questions to say the least….
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My Health Record System Gets Added Privacy Protections
The My Health Records Amendment (Strengthening Privacy) Bill 2018 (the Bill) will amend the My Health Records Act 2012 (MHR Act) to strengthen the privacy framework.
The Bill will specifically:
- remove the ability of the My Health Record System Operator to disclose health information in My Health Records to law enforcement agencies and government agencies without an order by a judicial officer or the healthcare recipient’s consent; and
- require the System Operator to permanently delete health information stored in the National Repositories Service for a person if they have cancelled their registration with the My Health Record system – that is, they have cancelled their My Health Record.
These amendments are the result of concerns expressed by some healthcare and privacy advocates that the MHR Act permitted the release of information to law enforcement agencies and other government bodies.
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Almost a million opt out of My Health Record
By Jenny Noyes
17 September 2018 — 9:22pm
Almost a million Australians have so far opted out of the controversial My Health Record, the Senate Committee looking into the system has heard.
As of September 12, roughly 900,000 people had opted out of the system, according to Australian Digital Health Agency chief executive Tim Kelsey.
That figure represents about 3 per cent of those eligible for My Health Record, Mr Kelsey said.
That's out of a total of about 28 million, which includes "anyone who is eligible for a Medicare number, which would include non-residents with a variety of visa specifications et cetera, and others," he said.
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My Health Record: 900,000 Australians have opted out of database, Senate inquiry told
By technology reporter Ariel Bogle
18 September, 2018
The number of Australians who have opted out of My Health Record since July 16 has been revealed.
Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) head Tim Kelsey told a Senate inquiry into the medical database system on Monday evening that as of September 12, the opt-out rate was about 3 per cent — roughly 900,000 people.
He warned the estimate was not comprehensive and reflected only opt outs via the website or call centre, as paper forms had not yet been reconciled.
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Senate to debate e-health records security
Concerns over the government's electronic health records system will be debated in the Senate after draft laws to protect patient data passed the lower house.
19 September 2018. 1:30pm
Privacy concerns over the government's electronic health records system will be debated in the Senate after draft laws to protect patients passed the first hurdle of parliament.
The draft laws ensure police and government agencies need a court order to obtain patient data from the My Health Record system, which 900,000 people have opted out of since mid-July.
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- Sep 17 2018 at 3:00 PM
Can the Apple Watch Series 4 become critical for doctors?
by Matthew Bardsley
The annual Apple launch event receives fanfare from around the world, however this year has turned out to be quite different. Yes, we got the usual bunch of new shiny iPhones – but the standout of the event for me was the health-focused features found on the Apple Watch Series 4.
Apple's chief operating officer, Jeff Williams, summed it up best when he said the Watch "becomes an intelligent guardian for your health", referring to the all-new built-in ECG (Electrocardiograph) and "fall detection" – an industry first in the consumer wearables space.
Shifting the paradigm
As we enter the digital age of wellness wearables, these new health features are set to shift the paradigm of health towards the patient, as they are newly empowered to take control of their data.
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The right trousers: robotic pants could help disabled walk again
By Sarah Knapton
17 September 2018 — 8:52am
Robo-trousers that help people stand up, walk upstairs and get out and about are being designed by British scientists in a government-funded scheme to help the elderly and disabled stay mobile.
The University of Bristol is developing "smart trousers" with artificial muscles which give frail people bionic strength so they can live independently for longer.
The project has been dubbed "The Right Trousers" in reference to The Wrong Trousers, the Wallace and Gromit animation in which Wallace constructs a pair of calamitous cyber slacks.
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Autism therapy marries gaming with research
- 12:00AM September 18, 2018
Novita Healthcare boss Glenn Smith says the digital therapeutics company is exploiting a competitive opportunity to launch its flagship product in the US, in an area that is enjoying a wave of investment.
Mr Smith is confident the Australian company’s core asset, TALI Health — a drug-free tool to assist in childhood development — will be its springboard into global markets.
“Our competitive advantage is a good 18 to 24 months,” he said.
“The digital treatment area has billions of dollars of venture money in it now. It is going to be an explosive sector.
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This BP app was inaccurate - and wildly popular because of it
It seriously underestimated blood pressure and kept patients happy
Antony Scholefield
18th September 2018
It was demonstrably inaccurate, yet this medical app spent five months in the top 50 downloads of the iTunes App Store.
For 10 weeks it was more popular than the video game Angry Birds, and there are few higher accolades than that in the world of mobile apps.
Researchers hypothesised that the app’s popularity wasn’t just in spite of its flaws but because of them.
The app, called Instant Blood Pressure (IBP), was available from June 2014 to the end of July 2015.
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“Hugely positive” response to smartphone app for people struggling with addictions
Monday, 17 September 2018
eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth
A one-year trial of a smartphone app to support people recovering from alcohol or drug addictions at Waikato DHB is proving successful and is likely to be extended.
The Recovery in Hand app connects service users to their clinical team, recovery community, peers and other resources 24/7.
Mental health and addictions services interim director Vicki Aitken says there is a good evidence base for digital and e-support for people with addictions and the DHB was “really keen and excited about having a mobile app that would support usual treatment”.
“For people going through alcohol and drug recovery, one of the significant issues is not feeling connected and part of wider support,” she says.
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Online GP booking market heats up as HotDoc raises $5 million following HealthEngine controversy
Lynne Minion | 21 Sep 2018
In the race to be the market force in online GP appointment booking, HealthEngine’s controversies may cost it the inside running, with competitor HotDoc announcing it has raised $5 million to supercharge its momentum.
The investments will boost the booking platform’s efforts to reach the "market leadership position" within the next three years, according to HotDoc chief executive and co-founder Dr Ben Hurst.
While there had been some gains from the month-long media storm sparked by a series of HealthEngine scandals earlier this year, Hurst said, the real gains had come from HotDoc’s divergent approach to data privacy and continuity of patient care.
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What it takes for a tech start-up to stay in WA
By Hamish Hastie
18 September 2018 — 3:04pm
It takes effort for tech companies to stay in WA because the draw of the east coast is so strong, the head of one of the state’s most successful tech start-ups says.
Speaking at a Bankwest and Australian Israeli Chamber of Commerce lunch on Monday about how WA can become a tech hub, Healthengine chief executive Marcus Tan took the audience back to 2006, when he founded his online health appointment booking business.
Despite recent concerns over privacy and patient reviews Healthengine is now used by more than one million Australians every month and has received more than $50 million in funding.
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We're still open': HealthEngine ignores plea to change GP practice profile
'Vague' wording means some patients have jumped to the wrong conclusion
19th September 2018
A GP practice says its listing on the HealthEngine booking website is leading patients to think it has been shut down.
Karrinyup St Luke Medical Centre in Perth has pleaded with the GP booking site to remove its name, but Health Engine has refused.
Earlier this year, the company generated a slew of unwanted media headlines when it was accused of sharing the information of patients using the system with personal injury lawyers, who then targeted them with telemarketing.
In response to the media uproar, the WA medical centre decided to cancel its contract.
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Why Australia needs heart health features on the local Apple Watch
By Matthew Bardsley
20 September 2018 — 11:58am
Dear Apple,
The buzz in Australia is building as we eagerly anticipate the availability of the new iPhones and Apple Watch Series 4 this Friday.
The Watch, in particular, is a game-changer for the consumer wearables space, particularly with its innovative new health features. Take the ECG (Electrocardiogram) feature; this is a functionality that is usually reserved for specialist medical devices. You took this a step further and used the ECG readings to detect for atrial fibrillation (AFib), an abnormal heartbeat that could lead to complications.
Apple's new watch is able to take an ECG to detect an irregular heartbeat and automatically make an emergency call if it detects the user falling down.
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High-profile doctor Kerryn Phelps to stand as independent in battle for Wentworth
Sharri Markson, The Sunday Telegraph
September 15, 2018 8:44pm
SHE’s changed laws on gay marriage, medical indemnity and adoption — all from outside of Canberra.
Now, high-profile doctor, Kerryn Phelps wants a seat at the political table and will today announce she’s running as an independent for Malcolm Turnbull’s old seat.
The 60-year-old former Australian Medical Association president told The Sunday Telegraph she wants to become the MP for Wentworth to “represent the sensible centre”.
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Big data: Political groups aim to win by homing in on small details
By Benjamin Preiss
16 September 2018 — 12:05am
Have you signed an online petition recently? Raised concerns with an MP over a neighbourhood gripe? Vented on social media about a political issue?
Then you may be firmly in the sights - and possibly even on the lists - of Victoria's political campaigners.
The race has begun to sweep up personal information about Victorians as political parties and interest groups “micro target” constituents in the battle for votes at the November election.
The major players are harnessing campaign technologies capable of building detailed voter profiles and monitoring social media as they fight for votes.
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Encryption bill a recipe for disaster
- By John Stanton
- 12:00AM September 18, 2018
The Department of Home Affairs has just set a new speed record of sorts.
In the space of a few weeks, Peter Dutton’s bureaucrats and spooks have inspired the rise of a huge global coalition of cyber stakeholders, all of them shocked by and opposed to elements of the government’s new encryption bill.
The proposal to cement a breathtaking expansion of Australian security powers over telcos, internet players, IT companies, electronics manufacturers, installers, facility owners, component and software suppliers, you name it really, both here and abroad, has captured attention across the world.
The Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Bill 2018, as it is formally known, has sparked vocal concern from tech giants such as Facebook, Google, Amazon and Twitter, industry representatives of all the major telecommunications companies in Australia, the Australian IT industry, consumer rights advocates, international and local universities and even the global body that oversees the standards and protocols that govern the internet.
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Our digital dilemma: does latest cybersecurity legislation go too far?
By Paul Biegler
23 September 2018 — 12:15am
What would make you more edgy: a drone hovering outside your loungeroom window or a cyber snoop hoovering up your emails and texts?
London to a brick it’s the drone, and there’s a good reason why.
Threats associated with terrorism should allow law enforcement agencies to be able to access encrypted messages, says Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton,.
In a recent study, a visible threat - in the form of an artificial predator on a computer screen - was more likely to trigger the “fight or flight” brain regions linked to fear than was a known predator that stayed out of sight.
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Health service provider MedCall leaves 7GB dataset exposed
- 18 September 2018
- Written by Sam Varghese
Back-up pharmacy services provider MedCall left a 7GB cache of data exposed in an unsecured Amazon S3 bucket, with medical information for employees of 181 business locations and social security numbers for nearly 3000 individuals open to public gaze.
The data cache was discovered on 24 August by security firm UpGuard and found to be publicly writable.
The owner of the bucket was identified as MedCall Healthcare Advisers using multiple attributes such as the name of the bucket, the username listed in the ACL permissions, “randy”, and the contents themselves, which include PDFs with Medcall letterhead and Medcall representatives in the recordings.
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RSPs will have to tread with care as ACMA NBN rules now fully in place
- 21 September 2018
- Written by Sam Varghese
The final rules devised by the Australian Communications and Media Authority to improve the experience of consumers who move over to the national broadband network, and carrying penalties of up to $10 million for offenders, take effect from today.
All the rules can now be enforced by the ACMA and allow it to begin an audit to look at taking court action for injunctions and civil penalties up to the aforementioned sum.
New rules for handling complaints have been in effect since 1 July. The rule that took effect on Friday concerns the NBN Co's consumer information standard that ensures consumers are given all the necessary information to make informed choices about the NBN service and plan that is right for them.
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Enjoy!
David.
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