This appeared a day or do ago.
My Health Record 'minor glitch' still generating thousands of pages of internal files
Exclusive: agency in charge wants to charge $14,000 to release details of documents
Fri 15 Feb 2019 11.33 AEDT Last modified on Fri 15 Feb 2019 12.28 AEDT
Thousands of pages of internal documents are still being created about a My Health Record technical glitch that the government said was minor and resolved years ago.
But the agency in charge of My Health Record wants to charge $14,000 to release details on the files through Australia’s freedom of information regime.
Guardian Australia revealed last month that a technical problem with the My Health Record system had hampered attempts by some doctors to upload clinical information about their patients to the system.
According to a leaked briefing, some doctors in clinics using older IT systems were left oblivious to the problem, leading them to believe patient information had been properly updated when it hadn’t. The briefing warned it created risks of “missing clinical information in a consumer’s My Health Record” and “amendments not uploading resulting in out-of-date or incorrect information”.
The Australian Digital Health Agency, which administers the system, said the error was minor and was quickly dealt with when it emerged in March 2016.
“To be absolutely clear, the agency rejects any assertion that there is any clinical risk to patient safety or longstanding problem unresolved since 2016,” a spokeswoman said.
Deakin University academic Joshua Badge subsequently filed a freedom of information request, asking for all documents related to the glitch that were created in 2018.
The agency identified 95 documents with 4,192 pages relevant to the request. But it said processing Badge’s request would cost $13,894.77, with a deposit of $3,473.69.
The agency is now declining to comment on the matter, either to explain why a minor issue resolved in 2016 is still generating voluminous records two years later, or to explain the $13,000 processing charge.
“The Australian Digital Health Agency (the agency) is unable to comment on ongoing Freedom Of Information (FOI) cases to third parties,” it said in a statement. “For all FOI requests, the agency abides by the fee schedules and guidelines set out by the Freedom of Information (Charges) Regulations 1982.”
Badge, who has previously written on My Health Record and privacy concerns, later refined his request to ask only for documents between mid-December and mid-February.
The agency identified 35 documents with 259 pages in that period, and asked Badge to pay $700 to process the request. He has again refined the FOI request to lower the cost.
But he said the sheer volume of documents casts doubt on claims the glitch had been fixed.
“This new information indicates that the ADHA has written thousands of pages of emails and reports relating to the digital signature issue in the last year,” Badge said. “The immediate question is why there would be so many documents about a ‘minor issue’ from several years ago.”
Lots more here:
Over the next day or so readers added what I believe was considerable clarity with comments.
Anonymous said...
David something very fishy is going on here. Just what have the ADHA done or not done?
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/feb/15/my-health-record-minor-glitch-still-generating-thousands-of-pages-of-internal-files
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/feb/15/my-health-record-minor-glitch-still-generating-thousands-of-pages-of-internal-files
The thousands of pages is easily explained. In reality it is a few reports created each year and presented to whatever new deaf blind and dumb board/committee/group they put in place. The fact the information replicates is simply because the ADHA has no information or records management mindset, structure or discipline. The top brass in their wisdom even managed to kick the team out trying to drag them towards some resemblance of government record keeping and information management.
The ADHA is a danger to themselves and society in general.
The ADHA is a danger to themselves and society in general.
Oh dear they do seem to be fumbling around in the dark making things worse for themselves. You are a brave man Minister.
Anonymous said...
Safe to assume that if the ADHA says there is nothing to be concerned about then there is a whole lot to worry about.
The ADHA spokesperson is fraudulent in the facts, or ADHA clearly has no record. The Microsoft Security Patch was released several months prior to ADHA official commencement. NEHTA tried to address the issue and it was NEHTA not ADHA that released the updated guidance.
This issue was carried over to ADHA with then then acting CEO of NEHTA. The issue was presented to the then interim CEO of ADHA. The current CEO, COO and The head of Core Services and System Operations. This issue has been carried with ADHA is has been well known from Directors to General Managers to Executives. The response to this has not been to work to ensure it is resolved but rather to leave a trail of “hush” sackings.
What we are witnessing is panic and ass covering. Internally the witch hunts have begun, but not towards The CEO, COO, Board or Executives for their neglect but simply because cruelty towards staff and the public are at the core of their DNA.
This issue was carried over to ADHA with then then acting CEO of NEHTA. The issue was presented to the then interim CEO of ADHA. The current CEO, COO and The head of Core Services and System Operations. This issue has been carried with ADHA is has been well known from Directors to General Managers to Executives. The response to this has not been to work to ensure it is resolved but rather to leave a trail of “hush” sackings.
What we are witnessing is panic and ass covering. Internally the witch hunts have begun, but not towards The CEO, COO, Board or Executives for their neglect but simply because cruelty towards staff and the public are at the core of their DNA.
The last comment has a genuine ring of truth I believe. You would struggle to make such stuff up!
At the very least the problem is not resolved as the reporting would stop you would imagine if that was true.
The charging for documents that have already clearly been found makes a mockery of ADHA transparency and openness.
This mob is adding very little value as far as I can tell.
David.
Have to agree David. This is a shocking displaying by the ADHA and an unnecessary attempt to block the release of information that is in the public interest. The fact this underlying issue has gone seemingly unresolved or forgotten is not defendable. Perhaps their license to operate should be revolked.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if there is a hint of the real problem with both this issue, myhr and ADHA in general
ReplyDelete"The agency said it quickly released its own patch to resolve the bug. But the fix also required updates from software vendors and healthcare providers to their own systems."
It was the last paragraph of the original Guardian article.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jan/25/my-health-record-government-warned-of-significant-patient-data-glitch
myhr is not a separate, stand alone system. It is part of a much larger system of systems. There are hospital systems, medical centre systems, GP systems, smartphone apps etc etc.
myhr links all these systems together in a variety of ways. By doing so it introduces a huge number of weaknesses and potential problems, all outside the control of ADHA.
Data comes from systems outside myhr and goes to other systems, also outside myhr.
The flows of data outside myhr are not under the control of myhr. The interfaces into myhr are also outside the control of ADHA.
The reality of myhr is that it does not address the problem of data fragmentation across the healthcare industry (which was its original purpose), it does not deliver interoperability, all it does is punch security, privacy and patient safety holes in the healthcare data ecosystem.
And there is nothing ADHA can do about it as most of the ecosystem is outside its control.
myhr is unnecessary, does not deliver the claimed benefits and comes at a huge cost and risk. Health record keeping systems are a much bigger problem than the Department of Health, NEHTA and ADHA ever thought. By making it opt-out they have just increased the number of problems exponentially.
The safest thing to do would be to kill the system ASAP.
That would remove the reason for the existence of ADHA. Which is why the ADHA will do nothing about it.
By making it opt-out they (ADHA) have just increased the number of problems exponentially -100% correct Bernard.
ReplyDeleteI note your use of the word exponentially, which in effect says increased the project risks to Extreme.
The corollary is, as we have often said, keep it as opt-in and solve the problems step by step.
Who should carry the blame for making it opt-out?
The Health Minister, and
Federal Health Department, and
Chair and Board of the ADHA, and
ADHA Advisory Committees
Don’t forget the Government funded Consumer Health Forum.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of outpouring or not there are two frauds being perpetrated against the Australian people.
ReplyDeleteThe distortion of the spirit and intent of the FOI.
The ongoing system safety and reliability of tax payer funded national Health IT infrastructure.
The ADHA seems unable or unwilling to explain the high fees they are requesting. The fact that they claim to know the number of documents and pages of information relating to the FOI request would rule out a discovery cost element.
The ADHA has been entrusted with the ongoing operations and enhancements to the My Health Record System. There is clear evidence that they have been negligent in performing this duty and have perhaps placed subscribers to that system in harms way. Even at 1% that is quite a large number of clinical documents types to be rejected. That far exceeds errors in fax transmissions unless the ADHA can put forward evidence to the contrary.
This is not the expected standards or behaviour one would expect from the Department of Health or its agencies.
Things are not in a happy place at the ADHA. Although figures are being held back they are not favourable. I do now that some 200,000 existing records were cancelled. The Compliants team are being doubled from 4 to 8 and that is on top of the 100 call centre operators.
ReplyDeleteThe culture imposed on this organisation is making for an uncomfortable workplace. But they did come from banking and mining backgrounds.
Expect a lot more obfuscation from the ADHA.
According to the Department Questions on Notice that figure of 200,000 is closer to 288,000 cancellations. The ADHA would have answered in %, which is why it is a child agency
ReplyDeleteI wonder if they include the 288,000 cancellations in their total of 6.45million registrations?
ReplyDeleteIn the stats they publish (supposedly weekly)
https://www.myhealthrecord.gov.au/about/my-health-record-statistics
they include cancelled service provider organisations in their total of Healthcare provider organisations registered.
It makes all those statistics rather unreliable.
Trust is not a word I'd use in this context. Which is a bit sad, considering the context is people's health.
For many years those flooding digital health have referenced banking as example of the impact of change. It seems the banking sector has returned the favour in kind. Well done Minister, well done Timmy, looks like your efforts have delivered infamy
ReplyDeletehttps://www.afr.com/business/banking-and-finance/labor-warns-consumer-data-right-could-become-second-my-health-debacle-20190218-h1be3u
And for many years people have been pointing out the downsided of Digital Health, especially electronic health records:
ReplyDeleteThis RAND speculation played a large part in kicking off the fantasy:
Can Electronic Medical Record Systems Transform Health Care? Potential Health Benefits, Savings, And Costs
https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/abs/10.1377/hlthaff.24.5.1103
Even at the time, there were people who did not believe the hype of the technologists.
Health information technology, Congressional Budget Office Blog, 20 May 2008
https://www.cbo.gov/publication/24787
Evidence on the Costs and Benefits of Health Information Technology, Congressional Budget Office May 2008
https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/ftpdocs/91xx/doc9168/05-20-healthit.pdf
The RAND health IT study redux, Congressional Budget Office, June 5, 2008
https://www.cbo.gov/publication/24796
And then came along evidence that the whole Digital Heaalth move has some sever drawback.
EHR Technology a Key Contributor to Physician Burnout
https://ehrintelligence.com/news/ehr-technology-a-key-contributor-to-physician-burnout
EHR Use, Administrative Burden Accelerating Physician Burnout
https://ehrintelligence.com/news/ehr-use-administrative-burden-accelerating-physician-burnout
Work–Life Balance, Burnout, and the Electronic Health Record
https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(18)30286-9/fulltext
Doctors say electronic health records up burnout risk
https://www.futurity.org/doctors-electronic-health-records-burnout-1925112/
Stress from using electronic health records is linked to physician burnout
https://news.brown.edu/articles/2018/12/burnout
Physician stress and burnout: the impact of health information technology
https://academic.oup.com/jamia/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/jamia/ocy145/5230918?redirectedFrom=fulltext
EHR Alarm Fatigue May Lead Physicians to Quit Their Jobs
https://ehrintelligence.com/news/ehr-alarm-fatigue-may-lead-physicians-quit-jobs
and most recently this research paper, the section on myhr makes interesting reading:
The Australian Women & Digital Health Project: Comprehensive Report Of Findings
https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2019/01/apo-nid220326-1332626.pdf
Tim, ADHA and Dept of Health live in a bubble of their own making. They can talk it up as much as they like, what they won't do is persuade healthcare professionals to willingly buy into it.
@12:42PM seems the My Health Record has become the new measure for “community engagement disaster”
ReplyDeleteThe public's] concerns around data have increased, it's not that familiarity has made people more comfortable. You can't afford to do anything that raises in the minds of people their concerns aren't being taken seriously, and that's the potential problem in the way the privacy elements are being managed in CDR [Consumer Data Rights].
"The way that this is shaping up, it is starting to look like CDR will become My Health Record Mark 2. Just like My Health record – where a lot of work went in over a long period of time with a lot of stakeholders – there was a mad rush to activate the process. I genuinely fear that's what we have got right now with CDR," Mr Husic said.
Timmy on the other hand seems to cut a page from Trumps book or “look how I save all yes poor folk”
https://www.afr.com/technology/my-health-record-reflects-new-consensus-says-ceo-20190219-h1bfjm
From the link at the bottom of Feb 19 2019 8:49 PM
ReplyDeleteThe government's controversial My Health Record was part of a "new consensus" on digital health, said chief executive of the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA), the government body tasked with its implementation.
Time for action [on digital health] is now. We have the mandate. We have the strategy," Mr Kelsey said.
Sadly Tim I think your mojo has run its course. You can flap all you want but it is clear that You and your sidekicks lack substance and have certainly lost any credibility you might have once had during the honeymoon period.
In light of the catastrophes and dodgy practices going on in every state health department the national strategy needs to be called into question.
Interesting insights in that article. So Tim is now on a crusade to save Aged Care, and digitise specialist sector. Thanks Tim but I don’t think you can comment to much on standards or record keeping best practice and Genie seems pretty digital to me when I am moving between my GP and two specialists.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you spend Autum handing over to a team that can run a modern enterprise and not the bedlam you appear to have created
Extract from the Sydney Morning Hearld - Ms Edwards said that the ADHA was working to fix an ongoing software comparability issue that was preventing hundreds of medical practices from uploading patient documents to the My Health Record system. - End Quote.
ReplyDeleteWhoever brought this issue to the light of day has done the Australian community a great service. Clearly left to the ADHA we would quickly see lives put at risk.
They can spin all they like but this ADHA has been a disgrace.