Thanks to an enterprising journalist this appeared last week:
Government ‘too incompetent’ for digital health
8 May, 2019
When it comes to digital health records, the public isn't worried the government has anything sinister in mind. They just think it's incompetent.
Mistrust of the government’s ability to manage large scale digital infrastructure projects is making people reluctant to sign up to programs like My Health Record, research has found.
Professor Deborah Lupton from the Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Research Centre at UNSW says highly publicised digital fails like the 2016 Census crash and Centrelink’s Robo-debt disaster have eroded public faith in the government’s technical ability.
The Australian Digital Health Agency wants to eventually enroll every Australian in the national electronic health record system but more than one in ten have chosen to opt out, according to agency figures.
As part of a wide-ranging women and digital health research project done in 2017, Professor Lupton asked subjects whether they had joined My Health Record and why or why not.
The study involved 66 participants aged 22-78 from across Australia.
While some people weren’t joining because of privacy and security concerns, the biggest barrier to people signing up was a lack of trust in the government’s “general technical expertise”, Professor Lupton reports in the current edition of the journal Digital Health.
The research showed the women weren’t worried that “the government’s out to get us, they’re watching us”, or even that third parties like insurance agencies could potentially get hold of the data, Professor Lupton told Government News.
“What they were thinking was ‘they’re incompetent’, which is a different issue. It really was ‘I just don’t trust the government to do a good job’.”
Professor Lupton’s survey, consisting of a series of interviews and focus groups, found uncertainty and a lack of awareness and interest in My Health Record.
More here:
Oh dear, independent research showing that the My Health Record is as rubbish and unloved as many of us thought.
It would be really good to hear from the ADHA describing what they are going to do to address the issues identified. What they seem to be saying so far is that since the opt-out period is now over they have worked to let more know how great it is and how to use it.
I won’t hold my breath to see that work having made a difference. Prof. Lupton should do the study again towards the end of the year to see how attitudes are moving – or not.
David.
3 comments:
The ADHA upper class believe they are experts here to assist and lift those less connected and not fully emerged in digital. Like great innovators actual experts are reluctant to call themselves experts because they’re too aware of all the things they don’t know.
The ADHA will need to embrace this and work to its findings. As Tim publicly stated at the July 2018 press club and is on the public record. Three principle must be upheld for digital health to succeed.
. Participation: empower people to take more control of their health and care
2. Collaboration: co-design services with care professionals and the community – so that they serve
real need. Always be evidence-based and always listen
3. Innovation: create platforms for industry, developers, entrepreneurs, and researchers so that their
creativity and businesses can flourish and health outcomes in Australia benefit.
Remember This is not a technology strategy but a human imperative – to improve the health and wellbeing of every person in Australia.
Anon 4:40 PM
The second point - 'so that they serve real need. Always be evidence-based and always listen'
Having trouble lining this with the My Health Record.
3. What?
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