This blog is totally independent, unpaid and has only three major objectives.
The first is to inform readers of news and happenings in the e-Health domain, both here in Australia and world-wide.
The second is to provide commentary on e-Health in Australia and to foster improvement where I can.
The third is to encourage discussion of the matters raised in the blog so hopefully readers can get a balanced view of what is really happening and what successes are being achieved.
Friday, September 04, 2020
The New CEO Of The ADHA Is Amanda Catttermole I Am Told By Very Reliable Source!
“The Board has appointed a leader who is deeply skilled, committed to improving the health of all Australians and who understands the importance of digital innovation in better connecting Australia’s healthcare system.”
A late night Friday announcement - we all know what that means.
"The agency responsible for the country’s My Health Record and other national digital health systems announced the appointment late on Friday “following a comprehensive search”."
Some search. They couldn't find a technologist with health experience or a medic with technology experience so they went with the safe option - a legal bureaucrat with lots of experience in policy agencies.
The chances of the ADHA doing anything useful or of benefit in the world of Digital Health are just about zero. All the action will now be elsewhere - in all those other government departemnts, in the states, and in the private sector.
The MyHR will probably be absorbed into Services Australia and kept on life support at minimum cost. The ADHA may continue for a while muddling on trying to set standards, doing something about interoperability. This government will never close it down, they will be expecting the Labor party to do that when they next get into government.
Why anyone would want to continue working at ADHA is a bit of mystery.
We can all now safely ignore MyHR and get on with more important things like surviving COVID-19.
In spite of all the rubbish in the media release, this is a political decision approved by the new secretary.
Neither Brendan or Amanda are stupid. There is a strategy behind this which we will only discover after they make a decision about what happens at the end of the current support contract.
In the mean time, they will be keeping a low profile and hope to keep as many ADHA staff as possible.
Just don't believe anything you read in the media - it's all spin.
They couldn't find a technologist with health experience or a medic with technology experience
Of course they couldn't. For 2 very good reasons
1. Those people know just what a terrible state Tim Kelsey left the ADHA/My Health Record/Digital Health in. The people who can actually make Digital Health work, wouldn't want to start where Tim left it.
2. They read this blog
This blog is the only place where people who have not swallowed the government koolaid make informed and believable comments (well mostly)
It's also read by most health government agencies (state and federal) as well as political advisers.
The first signs of what's going to happen next isn't the contract for My Health Record, it's what documents and data ADHA starts to release - board papers, proper statistics, results of studies that have been promised but never saw the light of day - you know, the ED pilot and all those test bed thingies.
No, by clean slate as a FIRST STEP I mean put the My Health Record to one side, clean the slate and, this is the hardest part of all, bring a handful of particular individuals with some very specific skills and experiences together, to work with the clean slate.
Should the Federal Government be in the business of specifying and delivering software for small and large businesses/health service delivery enterprises to build their operations around?
While thinking about that, also ask = where has the federal government ever done such a thing before? Did it work?
The first question should be - how much of the promised billions have been saved by the government since July 1 2012?
Now spinmeister Tim Kelsey is out of the way, maybe we can get some straight answers and accountability. The only thing Amanda Cattermole (I think there's only 2 ts) has going for her is that she has no baggage.
Tim Kelsey isn't quite out of the way, unfortunately. HIMSS seems to think that trotting out a used car salesman for their odd web thingies will garner points here. They need to accept that he is much maligned and not missed in the digital health space in Australia, and I'm guessing in the UK too. Even the RACGP described My Health Record as a white elephant – and where has it been during the pandemic?
@2:45PM Dr Colclough's "clean slate" proposal would clear the air, defuse the political and ideological contentions, and provide the ADHA with an opportunity to re-examine its purpose and objectives; in effect a win-win for everyone. It makes a lot of sense. Whether the powers that be seek such an outcome is unknown. If they do he should hear from them. Good luck with that!
"provide the ADHA with an opportunity to re-examine its purpose and objectives"
It's not the ADHA who should re-examine its purpose and objectives, it's the Department of Health, the States and the medical profession. The ADHA has a vested interest in its own survival.
It does mean that the government would have to do something unique - consult meaningfully with all stakeholders, including the general public.
"... it's the Department of Health, the States and the medical profession ..."
Pardon ... but the RACGP, AMA, Guild and quite a few 'expert' doctors and the States have been a central part of vigorously promoting the pathway which has led us to where we are today. As for ".... consulting meaningfully with the general public ...", surely you are not serious!
More years of muddled thinking and empty promises to come.
At least the rest of the Digital Health world (the states, other enterprises, vendors etc) are giving up on the government and are starting to do their own thing. My Health Record, if mentioned at all is only as a afterthought and is nowhere near the centre of the action. A backwater.
“The Board has appointed a leader who is deeply skilled, committed to improving the health of all Australians and who understands the importance of digital innovation in better connecting Australia’s healthcare system.”
ReplyDeleteShe's yet another lawyer. Just what we need.
So it's business as usual:
ReplyDeleteA late night Friday announcement - we all know what that means.
"The agency responsible for the country’s My Health Record and other national digital health systems announced the appointment late on Friday “following a comprehensive search”."
Some search. They couldn't find a technologist with health experience or a medic with technology experience so they went with the safe option - a legal bureaucrat with lots of experience in policy agencies.
The chances of the ADHA doing anything useful or of benefit in the world of Digital Health are just about zero. All the action will now be elsewhere - in all those other government departemnts, in the states, and in the private sector.
The MyHR will probably be absorbed into Services Australia and kept on life support at minimum cost. The ADHA may continue for a while muddling on trying to set standards, doing something about interoperability. This government will never close it down, they will be expecting the Labor party to do that when they next get into government.
Why anyone would want to continue working at ADHA is a bit of mystery.
We can all now safely ignore MyHR and get on with more important things like surviving COVID-19.
In spite of all the rubbish in the media release, this is a political decision approved by the new secretary.
ReplyDeleteNeither Brendan or Amanda are stupid. There is a strategy behind this which we will only discover after they make a decision about what happens at the end of the current support contract.
In the mean time, they will be keeping a low profile and hope to keep as many ADHA staff as possible.
Just don't believe anything you read in the media - it's all spin.
@9:11 AM
ReplyDeleteThey couldn't find a technologist with health experience or a medic with technology experience
Of course they couldn't. For 2 very good reasons
1. Those people know just what a terrible state Tim Kelsey left the ADHA/My Health Record/Digital Health in. The people who can actually make Digital Health work, wouldn't want to start where Tim left it.
2. They read this blog
This blog is the only place where people who have not swallowed the government koolaid make informed and believable comments (well mostly)
It's also read by most health government agencies (state and federal) as well as political advisers.
The first signs of what's going to happen next isn't the contract for My Health Record, it's what documents and data ADHA starts to release - board papers, proper statistics, results of studies that have been promised but never saw the light of day - you know, the ED pilot and all those test bed thingies.
The first and most important thing is to start with a clean slate.
ReplyDeletea clean slate?
ReplyDeleteYou mean abolish My Health Record and ADHA?
I'd go for that.
No, by clean slate as a FIRST STEP I mean put the My Health Record to one side, clean the slate and, this is the hardest part of all, bring a handful of particular individuals with some very specific skills and experiences together, to work with the clean slate.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the first question?
ReplyDeleteHow about
Should the Federal Government be in the business of specifying and delivering software for small and large businesses/health service delivery enterprises to build their operations around?
While thinking about that, also ask = where has the federal government ever done such a thing before? Did it work?
From a business and strategic direction perspective - same shit different ass.
ReplyDeleteThe first question should be - how much of the promised billions have been saved by the government since July 1 2012?
ReplyDeleteNow spinmeister Tim Kelsey is out of the way, maybe we can get some straight answers and accountability. The only thing Amanda Cattermole (I think there's only 2 ts) has going for her is that she has no baggage.
Tim Kelsey isn't quite out of the way, unfortunately. HIMSS seems to think that trotting out a used car salesman for their odd web thingies will garner points here. They need to accept that he is much maligned and not missed in the digital health space in Australia, and I'm guessing in the UK too. Even the RACGP described My Health Record as a white elephant – and where has it been during the pandemic?
ReplyDelete@2:45PM Dr Colclough's "clean slate" proposal would clear the air, defuse the political and ideological contentions, and provide the ADHA with an opportunity to re-examine its purpose and objectives; in effect a win-win for everyone. It makes a lot of sense. Whether the powers that be seek such an outcome is unknown. If they do he should hear from them. Good luck with that!
ReplyDelete"provide the ADHA with an opportunity to re-examine its purpose and objectives"
ReplyDeleteIt's not the ADHA who should re-examine its purpose and objectives, it's the Department of Health, the States and the medical profession. The ADHA has a vested interest in its own survival.
It does mean that the government would have to do something unique - consult meaningfully with all stakeholders, including the general public.
"... it's the Department of Health, the States and the medical profession ..."
ReplyDeletePardon ... but the RACGP, AMA, Guild and quite a few 'expert' doctors and the States have been a central part of vigorously promoting the pathway which has led us to where we are today. As for ".... consulting meaningfully with the general public ...", surely you are not serious!
@10:55 AM
ReplyDeleteIn that case the problem they are trying to solve is the wrong problem and the "right" problem cannot be solved.
and they've hired a lawyer to fix this?
ReplyDeleteMore years of muddled thinking and empty promises to come.
At least the rest of the Digital Health world (the states, other enterprises, vendors etc) are giving up on the government and are starting to do their own thing. My Health Record, if mentioned at all is only as a afterthought and is nowhere near the centre of the action. A backwater.