Does The ADHA Assume We Are All So Totally Stupid That We Can’t See Through Blatant And Misleading Propaganda.

We had two press releases from the ADHA this week:

First this:

Record number of sign ups to My Health Record in Australian pharmacies

5 June, 2019 - 9:45

Australian pharmacies have signed up to the My Heath Record system in record numbers over the past year, according to new data released today by the Australian Digital Health Agency.

In April 2018, prior to the beginning of the opt-out period, only 33% of pharmacies were registered with My Health Record, which climbed to 83% as at April 2019. Pharmacists are also uploading and viewing My Health Record more often, with a 667% increase in the number of dispense records uploaded to My Health Record and a 942% increase in the number of record views, comparing April 2018 to April 2019.

Jurisdiction	% registered to access My Health Record
	April 2018	April 2019
New South Wales	34%	84%
Victoria	29%	82%
Queensland	39%	89%
South Australia	26%	93%
Western Australia	27%	74%
Tasmania	57%	97%
Australian Capital Territory	8%	76%
Northern Territory	58%	97%

When a pharmacy is connected to the My Health Record system, pharmacists can upload a patient’s medicines information to their My Health Record, each time the medicines are dispensed. Pharmacists can check to see whether that patient’s medications have changed recently, by viewing any hospital discharge summaries in the patient’s record. The real-time updates can help other pharmacists and healthcare providers gain visibility of what medications patients are taking, and help those providers make more informed decisions about those patients’ care.

Over 250,000 Australians are hospitalised each year because of medication errors, inappropriate use, misadventure or interactions, according to the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s (PSA) Medicine Safety: Take Care report.

“A large percentage of these hospitalisations could be prevented with better information about a patient’s medications. A patient’s medication profile can change suddenly, particularly if the patient has presented to hospital. These sudden changes can lead to new risks if the treating team doesn’t know all of the medicines that the patient was taking beforehand,” says PSA National President Dr Chris Freeman.

“My Health Record can help pharmacists stay on top of what medicines patients are taking, even when they change suddenly. By connecting to My Health Record, pharmacists will be able to better manage medicine safety, and provide invaluable information to other healthcare providers to ensure optimal outcomes for patients.”

Samantha Bowen, a pharmacist practicing in the Blue Mountains, recently picked up on a potentially dangerous medication error after viewing a patient’s My Health Record.

“I recently saw a patient who had been discharged from our local hospital with a number of new medicines. The patient’s GP had not yet seen the discharge summary and had given prescriptions for his old medications, unaware of the changes. When I checked that patient’s discharge summary via My Health Record, I noticed the discrepancy and contacted the GP, who wrote new prescriptions,” says Bowen.

“As a pharmacist, My Health Record provides us with information about a patient’s medications, medical conditions and allergies that we’ve never had all in one place before. My Health Record makes it easier for us to ensure our patients don’t end up in hospital as a result of medication mismanagement.”

“The Agency has invested heavily to connect pharmacies to the My Health Record system to help reduce the number of medication-related hospitalisations each year,” says Agency Chief Medical Adviser, Clinical Professor Meredith Makeham.

“It can be easy to lose track of your medicines, particularly if you’re taking more than one and don’t have a regular GP or pharmacist to help you keep on top of what medicines you need.

“My Health Record ensures that no matter where you are, or which healthcare provider you see, your medication details are available in one place. This visibility helps pharmacists, and all healthcare providers that use My Health Record, to make more informed decisions when providing treatment or care.”

Registering for My Health Record is the first step for an organisation to gain secure access to the system and start uploading information.

The Agency has a large program to work with healthcare provider organisations across the country to connect healthcare provider organisations to the My Health Record system after they have registered their interest.

Healthcare organisations that would like to register and connect to My Health Record can find more information on the My Health Record website.

ENDS

Here is the link:

https://www.myhealthrecord.gov.au/news-and-media/media-releases/sign-ups-my-health-record-pharmacies

Then this:

9 out of 10 general practices signed up to My Health Record

5 June, 2019 - 9:45

General practices are leading the charge in signing up to My Health Record, according to new data released by the Australian Digital Health Agency.

In April 2018, 82% of general practices were connected to My Health Record, which tipped over to 92% in April 2019. General practitioners are also viewing and using My Health Record more often. In the 12 months to April 2019, there was a:

• 13% increase in the number of shared health summaries uploaded by GP organisations.
• 52% increase in the number of prescription records uploaded by GP organisations.
• 60% increase in the views of clinical documents by GP organisations.

Jurisdiction	% of general practices connected to My Health Record
	April 2018	April 2019
New South Wales	82%	92%
Victoria	79%	87%
Queensland	91%	100%
South Australia	88%	95%
Western Australia	89%	98%
Tasmania	73%	77%
Australian Capital Territory	79%	85%
Northern Territory	74%	78%

 “General practice has led the health system in being computerised. They have been of benefit in making the care of our patients better and easier in improving information access and automating simple processes like prescription writing,” says Adelaide-based general practitioner and Chair of the AMA Federal Ethics Committee, Dr Chris Moy.

“My Health Record now offers us the next big leap in the use of the computers on our desktops. Once GPs have that “light-bulb” moment when they realise, for the first time, that they can access information such as pathology results and hospital discharge letters, they will realise that they will be able to make better informed decisions about patient care in the future.”

Unpredictability is one of the biggest challenges in managing chronic or complex illnesses. For some people, the slightest change in levels of specific minerals is the difference between an ordinary day and going to the emergency room.

Consumer Harry Iles-Mann knows this all too well. The 26-year-old has ulcerative colitis and liver disease and significant health challenges since he turned three.

“The majority of health decisions I make now on a daily basis are primarily bounded in what my blood is saying my health is like,” Harry says.

“I’ve gone through periods where I’ve been magnesium and iron deficient. This has required infusions and supplements to make sure that I’m keeping those levels up. Without up-to-date information on my blood pathology, my health can deteriorate to the point that I need to present at emergency.”

“It can be easy to lose track of your medicines, scans and blood test results, particularly if you don’t have a regular GP,” says Agency Chief Medical Adviser, Clinical Professor Meredith Makeham.

“My Health Record ensures that no matter where you are, or who you see, your important health information is available in one place. This visibility helps us, as healthcare professions, make more informed decisions about the care we provide you.”

The Agency is working with healthcare provider organisations across the country to connect healthcare professionals to the My Health Record system and improve the information available to consumers who have decided to use My Health Record.

Further information on how to register to connect to the My Health Record system is available on the My Health Record website.

Here is the link:

https://www.myhealthrecord.gov.au/news-and-media/media-releases/general-practices-signed-my-health-record

Sorry guys, until we have actual numbers and not % changes of enrollment and usage the premise of both the releases is bunkum!

How about some transparency and honesty and providing meaningful usage stats.

Note it is now over 6 months since we have seen a release or any notes from the Board – pathetically limited though they are.

The ADHA is becoming a masterful exemplar of information obfuscation – surpassed only by the Department of Home Affairs.

Dear Bridget would be mightily annoyed!

David.