Note: I have excluded (or marked out) any commentary taking significant funding from the Agency or the Department of Health on all this to avoid what amounts to paid propaganda. (e.g. CHF, RACGP, AMA, National Rural Health Alliance etc. where they were simply putting the ADHA line – viz. that the myHR is a wonderfully useful clinical development that will save huge numbers of lives at no risk to anyone – which is plainly untrue) (This signifies probable ADHA Propaganda)
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Note: I have also broadened this section to try to cover all the privacy and security compromising and impacting announcements in the week – along with the myHR. It never seems to stop! Sadly social media platforms get a large run this week and most weeks. Sadly there is also the need to recognize polly based risks to privacy!
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A new era for privacy
- By Michelle Gallaher
- 2:28PM May 8, 2019
During a workshop with a start-up health tech developer last month, I asked the team to name what unintended harm can come from the use of data collected with their app.
Their answer? “We’re GDPR compliant, and we have adopted privacy by design principles in our ideation approach”.
Digging deeper, I found that the team had already mapped out all of the potential issues that could eventuate if data privacy, transparency and consent were not core to the design of their emerging technology.
Being an advocate for the ethical use of data, I was quite pleased with their response and attention to data safety.
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Friday, 10 May 2019 11:42
Google's Sundar Pichai on privacy – pure comedy gold
After a week of hard labour, the obvious instinct of a worker is to look for some light relief. Thankfully, one need not look very far this week, for Google chief executive Pichai Sundararajan — who now goes by the Westernised name Sundar Pichai — has been waxing voluble on privacy, a topic which provides much comedic relief when tackled by Google executives.
When Pichai or any other of the worthies from the executive cupboard at Google talk about values, privacy, mission statements and the like, it is better than comedy. And it is free too!
One cannot but marvel at the disconnect that people like Pichai have with the world at large and the notion they hold that people will believe what they say, even though the same talk has been given over and over again and been shown to be nothing but lies.
In fact, Pichai, in an op-ed for The New York Times — for which one must thank the newspaper — even takes a potshot at Apple, with the claim that "For us... privacy cannot be a luxury good offered only to people who can afford to buy premium products and services. Privacy must be equally available to everyone in the world." This stuff is priceless.
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My Health Record laws have changed
May 8, 2019
By GCAUS Admin ADHA Propaganda
In important news and a great step forward for all Australians, the Australian Parliament implemented crucial changes to My Health Record laws as from February 4, 2019. These new laws promise Australians aged between fourteen and seventeen years much stronger privacy protections, which is of critical importance for ensuring young people of this age group seek and access the health care they require.
What is My Health Record?
My Health Record is an online resource that summarises a person’s fundamental health information. It incorporates information including, but not limited to, medical conditions, allergies, medications, immunisation status, and test results in a single record. This information may be accessed securely online by its owner as well as by registered healthcare providers involved in their care. Access is available anywhere and anytime, on any internet-connected device throughout Australia.
According to Australian law, having a My Health Record in no way affects patient confidentiality.
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Do HISA and ACHI see strength in numbers (and unity)?
May 8, 2019
The Health Informatics Society of Australia (HISA) and the Australasian College of Health Informatics (ACHI) are looking to combine forces. Why now?
The Health Informatics Society of Australia (HISA) and the Australasian College of Health Informatics (ACHI) have commenced a the process of consulting members, fellows and stakeholders about a merger deal, something both groups say will be strategic and strengthening for both parties.
If the proposal goes ahead – a single peak professional body dedicated to health informatics and digital health in Australasia will emerge in early 2020. The merger proposal will be taken to a vote after an 8-week consultation period, which launched on the 30th April. Members are encouraged to submit their opinions, feedback and comments about the implementation of the proposal through an online survey.
While the two organisations do have distinct functions, ACHI President Angela Ryan says that as things are unfolding in the ability for the college to maintain the professional nature that its renown for is going to get harder and hard. She told Wild Health that the two organisations have always had a shared interest and shared strategies.
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Pathology and My Health Record
Details
· Webinar
Hosted by : Australian Digital Health Agency
Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - 17:00 to 18:00
Online NSW 2000
This webinar will outline what is being introduced in the pathology sector in relation to the My Health Record system, including the uploading of reports, the consent framework and design. Also covered are the benefits for those working in the sector as well as current diagnostic connections. There will be opportunity for Q&A.
Healthcare professionals working in the pathology sector as well as other healthcare providers with an interest in this area are welcome to attend.
Registrations for this webinar will close 24 hours prior to the event.
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Navigating the GDPR - A compass for the Australian public sector
All public sector entities should seek to understand the application and reach of the GDPR and assess whether it applies to their activities.
The European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is leading a revolution in international privacy and data standards. Although a European law, the GDPR's broad extra-territorial reach is such that it is impacting many entities within Australia and around the globe. But while much ink has been spilled about the GDPR's application to the Australian private sector, comparably little has been written about its potential application to, and impact on, the Australian public sector.
Accordingly, almost 12 months after the GDPR came into effect there still remains considerable uncertainty and complexity about how, and to what extent, it applies to the Australian public sector.
Ultimately, whether the GDPR applies must be carefully considered on a case-by-case basis and this article sets out some of the key areas of relevance for the Australian public sector.
But even where the GDPR does not apply, it is still helpful to understand it. The GDPR has become the new gold standard for the protection of personal data and public sector agencies should look to certain aspects of the GDPR to enhance how they handle and protect personal data.
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Google debuts privacy controls, principles
By Paresh Dave on May 8, 2019 12:57PM
In light of increased public scrutiny.
Alphabet Inc's Google business on Tuesday announced new privacy controls for its services, including “Incognito mode” for Google Maps, and published new privacy commitments for its hardware, showing how increased public scrutiny is forcing greater transparency in Silicon Valley.
The announcements were dotted throughout nearly two hours of product updates from the search giant at its annual Google I/O developers' conference. Google also launched its lowest priced smartphone yet, the Pixel 3a, and demonstrated upcoming capabilities for its virtual assistant, such as car rental and movie ticket bookings by voice commands.
Google has been fending off some of the growing legislative and regulatory pushes in the United States and elsewhere to regulate data privacy and other issues core to its business model. Proposals being weighed by lawmakers would limit how Google, Facebook and other internet companies track consumers and distribute information.
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Health care struggling to leverage data
Tuesday, 07 May, 2019
Despite Australia’s healthcare industry being ranked as one of the developed world’s most efficient, a new report from Forrester, commissioned by Salesforce, has found more than half of Australian healthcare providers have inefficient hospital-to-patient communication mechanisms and nearly two-thirds are not prepared to meet the engagement demands of patients.
According to the report, Taking the Pulse of Patient Experience: Why Australian Healthcare Must Change, 61% of healthcare providers believe they have ineffective central systems and processes for managing the patient life cycle. This means that more than half (54%) believe they have limited capabilities to gain meaningful insights from patient data related to patient service.
Health care is struggling to offer patients the same levels of service and personalisation they have come to expect in other aspects of life. The new model for digital health is patient-centric and holistic, offering a single point of engagement for patient data and often integrating with a patient’s own mobile health apps and wearables to track and monitor personal health data.
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Australia falling behind in AI preparation: Deloitte
- 12:00AM May 7, 2019
Australian businesses are playing catch-up when it comes to managing the risks of deploying artificial intelligence, according to research from Deloitte.
According to Deloitte’s “State of AI in the Enterprise” report, which investigated market readiness across seven countries, Australia was behind China, Germany and the US on effectively leveraging AI technologies like machine learning, deep learning and natural language processing.
With no dedicated national AI strategy in place, Deloitte partner Alan Marshall said Australian business and government needed to band together to build a unified strategy, and put sufficient funding into AI technologies.
“Globally, 43 per cent of executives have major or extreme concerns about AI risks, and only 40 per cent believe they are fully prepared to address those risks,” Mr Marshall said.
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Wednesday, 08 May 2019 05:14
DHS cares little for the privacy of Australians
Ever since the Department of Human Services started its robo-debt campaign to get back money which it has allegedly overpaid to welfare recipients, it has often been accused of having scant regard for the privacy of people. On Monday, I had a first-hand demonstration of exactly how much the DHS cares for privacy.
That day, iTWire ran a story which was based on reactions from the Australian Greens spokesperson on family and community services, Senator Rachel Siewert, and Electronic Frontiers Australia chair Lyndsey Jackson, both of whom criticised the robo-debt program.
Their criticisms came in the wake of the DHS suddenly wiping a $4000 debt, allegedly owed by Melbourne nurse Madeleine Masterton, that was at the heart of a Federal Court challenge to the recovery scheme.
For anyone who has been living under a rock, the robo-debt scheme was started by the Coalition Government shortly before Christmas 2016, when the DHS sent tens of thousands of letters to people, telling them that their earnings were at variance with what they had declared to the Australian Taxation Office.
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My Health Record a vital tool in the fight against asthma
6 May 2019
By Julianne Badenoch, Board Director, National Asthma Council Australia
Few people see asthma as a deadly disease. But, as a nurse working in rural practice in the South Australian wheatbelt – where allergies are rife as a trigger for asthma flare-ups – I know differently.
When asthma spirals out of control, it’s often because it’s not being managed correctly. A patient may not take be managing their asthma effectively or using their medications appropriately. It won’t matter until there’s a flare-up – whether it’s flu season, hazard reduction burns, springtime allergies or a dust storm.
The problem is that asthma isn’t always afforded the high profile of other chronic diseases such as diabetes or heart disease – even among those with asthma. It stays under the radar until someone comes into my practice during an episode – and then raises its ugly head.
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How organisations are leveraging AI in unique and useful ways
James Bergl, CompTIA & Datto (Computerworld)07 May, 2019 10:52
More organisations are turning to digital disruptive technologies to increase growth and relevance. Artificial intelligence (AI), specifically machine learning (ML), is helping a range of industries in unique and unexpected ways. The predictive insight and planning mechanisms ML provides are transforming industries, levelling the playing field amongst businesses, and improving IT processes. And, the transformational role of AI is just as positive for organisations as it is for their stakeholders.
AI can help businesses collect, store, manage, and aggregate large amounts of data from customer sales, client interactions, payment transactions, or survey results, and ML helps organisations put this data to use. For example, finding meaningful patterns and outliers in data groups can help organisations understand consumer purchasing habits connected to successful and less successful campaigns.
Collecting and analysing competitor data can help businesses gain a competitive advantage. This is particularly useful for small retail businesses that may need to adjust pricing based on competitor activity. Data insights can help identify margin-preserving or volume-driving pricing strategies within the context of the market, and predictive data analytics can help retailers structure smart and effective pricing campaigns to match prices set by retail giants.
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My Health Record Online Training
Welcome to My Health Record Online Training
This training introduces My Health Record and outlines its benefits, features and functionalities. It covers topics such as :
- the benefits of My Health Record for healthcare providers and patients,
- the types of information that may be found in My Health Record,
- the uses of My Health Record in a range of healthcare settings, and
- the privacy and security mechanisms which underpin My Health Record.
To register:
- Complete and submit the New Account form
- You should receive an email upon submitting the form
- Read the email and click on the weblink it contains
- Your Account will be confirmed and you will be logged in
- You can begin the training or return at a more preferable time
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Political parties combine social media data with electoral roll information
Australia's data driven election campaign
Reuters (Computerworld)06 May, 2019 09:50
Australian political parties are using voter email addresses to find matching social media profiles then combining them with the country's compulsory electoral roll data, illustrating how privacy scandals have done little to slow the march of data-driven campaigning.
While the use of data and public profiles from Facebook, Twitter and other social media for political campaigning has become widespread globally, Australia is one of the most open countries in the world to online information gathering by political operatives.
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After data scandals, Australia faces an election under heavy profiling
By Byron Kaye and Katie Paul on May 6, 2019 7:17AM
Political parties use voter email addresses to match social media profiles to electoral roll.
Australian political parties are using voter email addresses to find matching social media profiles, then combining them with the country's compulsory electoral roll data, illustrating how privacy scandals have done little to slow the march of data-driven campaigning.
While the use of data and public profiles from Facebook, Twitter and other social media for political campaigning has become widespread globally, Australia is one of the most open countries in the world to online information gathering by political operatives.
"Most Australians have little idea about how many data points organisations like political parties, let alone Facebook, have on each of them," said Glenn Kefford, a political scientist at Macquarie University who has written extensively about data-driven campaigning.
"They would be shocked and probably disgusted."
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Comments welcome!
David.
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