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This weekly blog is to explore the news around the larger issues around Digital Health, data security, data privacy, AI / ML. technology, social media and related matters.
I will also try to highlight ADHA Propaganda when I come upon it.
Just so we keep count, the latest Notes from the ADHA Board were dated 6 December, 2018 and we have seen none since!
It is worth pointing out that it was only in last little while ( beginning end July 2020 ) the ADHA took down the notification regarding the most recent minutes notification. Embarrassed I guess – as they should be! I wonder will the new CEO make a difference?
The answer seems to be NO with the new CEO having been in place 10+ weeks – no new minutes obvious yet, or any other major improvements in transparency!
Note: Appearance here is not to suggest I see any credibility or value in what follows. I will leave it to the reader to decide what is worthwhile and what is not! The point is to let people know what is being said / published that I have come upon.
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Access security governance for the My Health Record system - Midland Private Hospital
Part 1: Executive Summary
1.1 This report outlines the findings of the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) on a privacy assessment of St John of God Midland Private Hospital’s (Midland Private Hospital) access security governance for the My Health Record (MHR) system conducted in April 2019.
1.2 All healthcare providers who are registered participants of the MHR system are required to have, communicate and enforce an access security policy under Rule 42 of the My Health Records Rule 2016. Rule 42 prescribes a number of requirements that must be addressed in the policy, to ensure that staff and contractors’ access to the MHR system is secure.
1.3 The objective of this assessment was to examine how staff and contractors at Midland Private Hospital access the MHR system, and whether the hospital has appropriate governance arrangements to manage access security risks in accordance with Rule 42. This involved looking at how staff and contractors are granted access to the MHR system, how that access is controlled and monitored, and how system risks are identified and managed.
1.4 This assessment also considered the reasonable steps taken by Midland Private Hospital to protect personal information and implement practices, procedures and systems to ensure compliance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), pursuant to APPs 1.2 and 11.
1.5 This assessment found that Midland Private Hospital has taken a number of steps to address and implement the requirements of Rule 42 but was yet to implement a finalised MHR access security policy.
1.6 The assessment identified a number of high and medium level privacy risks and has made 13 recommendations to address these risks. The recommendations, and Midland Private Hospital’s responses, are outlined in the Parts 3 and 4 of this report. The OAIC has also made eight suggestions which, if implemented, may assist Midland Private Hospital to further reduce privacy risks.
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https://digitalhealth.org.au/blog/message-from-the-ceo/
Message from the AIDH CEO
Institute salutes the extraordinary work of all healthcare professionals across Australasia this year. There is no doubt the pandemic tested – and continues to test – every facet of the health system, and there has been enormous participation by Institute Fellows and Members in the response to COVID-19. In our founding year, often in difficult circumstances, we have strengthened relationships and built many new connections which cements the future success of the Institute.
Members applauded when virtual care took the spotlight earlier in the year, with the Government switching GPs on to telehealth almost overnight. Health data went mainstream with dashboards monitoring every aspect of the pandemic, and digital public health has emerged as the new rising star.
With such a strong focus on digital health solutions in all quarters, it’s no surprise the Institute grew its membership with a surge in Fellowships and organisational partnerships.
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Facebook hit by US Federal Trade Commission lawsuit
The US lawsuits call for Facebook to divest Instagram and WhatsApp. Picture: AFP
The US Federal Trade Commission has filed a huge antitrust lawsuit against Facebook, accusing it of destroying its competitors through monopolistic practices.
The historic lawsuit could potentially result in the break-up of the tech giant and is a further reckoning for America’s Big Tech sector following a similar antitrust lawsuit brought against Google in October.
The FTC lawsuit, which is backed by 48 US state attorneys general targets two of Facebook’s major acquisitions, Instagram and WhatsApp.
The FTC alleges that since Facebook purchased Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014, it has held a monopoly power in the personal social networking market and has acted systematically to eliminate threats to that monopoly.
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https://www.seek.com.au/job/51127278?type=standout
Director, Adoption and Clinical Use
Australian Digital Health Agency
About the Agency
The Australian Digital Health Agency is responsible for national digital health services and systems, with a focus on engagement, innovation and clinical quality and safety. Our focus is on putting data and technology safely to work for patients, consumers and the healthcare professionals who look after them.
About the Role
Reporting directly to the General Manager, Partnerships and Clinical Use, the Director of Provider Adoption is responsible for the development and delivery of nationally consistent digital health education and training resources for healthcare providers and delivery partners across Australia.
Managing a team of 12, you will spearhead complex and large-scale digital health transformation across a diverse range of primary healthcare sectors including General Practice, Pharmacy, Specialists, Aged Care, and Allied Health providers. While developing, nurturing and maintaining strong collaborative relationships with key stakeholders such as Primary Health Networks, ACCHOs, public and private hospitals partners.
This is challenging and rewarding opportunity for a motivated and results driven individual with experience in leading education teams to deliver key organisational outcomes aligned to the National Digital Health Strategy and Framework for Action.
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https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=d6d9d577-03d2-4250-9d34-2687be51a6ba
Cyber Security to remain a priority in the financial sector with APRA
2021 will see APRA dial up its supervision and scrutiny of regulated entities’ cyber risk management. This includes a more targeted approach to enforcing compliance with prudential standard CPS 234 as APRA seeks to ensure the cyber resiliency of Australia’s financial sector.
In his speech at the Financial Services Assurance Forum on Thursday 26 November 2020, Executive Board Member, Geoff Summerhayes unveiled APRA’s new Cyber Security Strategy for 2020 to 2024 (see our article Australia’s Cyber Security Strategy 2020: What you need to know) which includes a tough new approach on CPS 234. Summerhayes cites the risks of remote working in response to Covid-19, increasing digitisation, complex chains of services providers as well as the continued evolution of cyber threats, as driving this tough new approach.
The full speech is available - Executive Board Member Geoff Summerhayes - speech to Financial Services Assurance Forum
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Lack of data privacy a showstopper for the digital economy
A new survey has found overwhelming distrust in business collection and use of personal data, the central issue of a major privacy review.
Tom Burton Government editor
Dec 10, 2020 – 5.52pm
The release this week of survey data showing nine out of 10 Australians have serious privacy concerns about the collection, sharing and use of personal data by businesses is a big wake-up call about how profoundly broken Australia's privacy regime is.
If data is the oil of the 21st century, this deep distrust citizens and consumers have about business and government protections for sharing and integrating data reveals just how unfit for purpose the current privacy laws are as Australia seeks to be a leading digital economy.
Commissioned by the Consumer Policy Research Centre, the Roy Morgan survey found 94 per cent of Australian consumers are uncomfortable with how their personal information is collected and shared online.
The survey also found 85 per cent of consumers believe it is unfair for companies to share personal information they have provided with other companies.
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https://gcphn.org.au/digital-health-updates-for-general-practice-december-2020-3/
Content last updated 9/12/2020
Digital health updates for general practice – December 2020
Below are some recent updates in the area of digital health for general practice, including telehealth, clearing up HPP vs NPP confusion and tips on digital self-defence.
Telehealth to become a permanent part of the Medicare system
Minister Greg Hunt has announced that the delivery of telehealth for all Australians will now be permanent. Read more
HPP vs NPP – Clearing up the confusion
Queensland Health Provider Portal (HPP) – The Viewer
Secure online access for GPs to view patients Queensland Health Records.
Provides a read only view for public hospital information including appointment records, radiology and Pathology results – GP’s need to register. Read more here
National Provider Portal (NPP) – My Health Record
A read only function (unable to upload documents) for Providers that do not have conformant software to access the My Health Record portal. Read more here
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A human-centric vision for the future of healthcare in Australia
Key take outs:
- The Australian healthcare sector faces significant challenges and opportunities highlighted by COVID-19.
· Healthcare providers need to put the patient at the centre of everything they do.
· Technology such as artificial intelligence, big data, and wearable sensors connected to the Internet of Things will play a significant role in putting the patient at the centre of the experience.
· Fujitsu Australia and New Zealand has explored these themes in depth in its latest whitepaper titled A human-centric vision for the future of healthcare. The full whitepaper is available for download here.
GUEST RESEARCH: The COVID-19 outbreak has brought the preparedness of Australia’s healthcare sector into sharp focus. As the immediate disruption from the pandemic recedes, the Australian healthcare sector will continue to face significant challenges and opportunities. Healthcare providers will need to gain a clear understanding of the landscape to determine where they sit and how they will compete in a rapidly changing environment, according to Fujitsu Australia and New Zealand.
Dave
Lennon, executive sponsor, healthcare industry, Fujitsu Australia and New
Zealand, said, “Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare industry was
facing a shakeup. The increasingly competitive nature of healthcare has meant
that patients have more choice and control over their journey. This means healthcare
providers need to put the patient at the centre of everything they do in a
marked contrast to past models.
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Facebook maintains its threat of news blackout
By David Swan
Facebook is still considering blocking Australian users from sharing news on its platform if the federal government’s proposed media bargaining regulations become law.
Despite significant concessions being made to the social media giants, Facebook has not changed its position on the news media bargaining code and is continuing to threaten consumer restrictions on its platform.
If the code — which will govern how Facebook and Google pay local media companies for using content — becomes law, Facebook will stop allowing publishers and users to share news, The Australian understands.
“We’re reviewing the draft legislation tabled by the Australian government,” Facebook Australia managing director Will Easton said in a statement on Wednesday. “We’ll continue to engage through the upcoming parliamentary process with the goal of landing on a workable framework to support Australia‘s news ecosystem.”
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Thursday, 10 December 2020 10:43
Warning on ‘surge’ in COVID 19 vaccination scams in 2021
Security firm Avast has warned that it foresees more COVID 19 vaccination scams and attacks on healthcare and pharma organisations in 2021.
Avast says that this year with the start of the pandemic, COVID-19-related fake shops began circulating, promising cures and dubious pandemic survival tips.
“With the availability of vaccinations expected in 2021, Avast experts predict a surge in vaccination scams, presented to users via fake shops and ads on social media,” Avast warns.
“The past year has been defined by the COVID-19 virus affecting the entire world, including the cyberworld,” says Avast.
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JCPAA calls for Commonwealth entities to be cyber assessed annually by ANAO
Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit has called for more reviews of cyber posture and culture, but also added that the amount of publicly available information should not be increased.
By Chris Duckett | December 10, 2020 -- 00:38 GMT (11:38 AEDT) | Topic: Security
The Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) has called for federal government entities to be assessed on cyber resilience each year by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO), however, even if the government accepted the recommendation, it acknowledged that this was unlikely to lead to a better informed public.
"The committee recognises the concerns raised in evidence to the inquiry highlighted that individual vulnerabilities within Commonwealth entities could exacerbate existing cybersecurity risks," the report reviewing a pair of recent ANAO reports said.
"In light of this, the committee proposes that published limited assurance reviews provide no more granular public information than is published in existing ANAO cyber resilience audits. The published report can also provide advice on identified impediments to agencies implementing the 13 behaviours and practices and the Essential Eight mitigation strategies, noting that the provision exists for confidential reporting to ministers and the JCPAA where required."
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Thursday, 10 December 2020 11:48
Govt lagging badly on cyber-security measures, Labor says
Only a quarter of Commonwealth entities have implemented the top four cyber security measures recommended by the Australian Signals Directorate six years after they became mandatory, an auditor's report says.
The indictment came from the government-controlled Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit.
Labor shadow cyber security minister Tim Watts said in a statement: "This failure is so bad that the committee found a new and unprecedented oversight regime is needed to ensure our vital government services and the data of Australian citizens they hold are appropriately protected at a time of dramatically increasing cyber threats.
"It comes after years of staggeringly high rates of non-compliance from the Commonwealth Government with its own cyber security framework."
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Vaccine myths run riot online
10 December, 7.40am
News of the first COVID-19 jabs has sparked an avalanche of vaccine misinformation, says online mythbusting site NewsGuard.
They include claims that the mRNA vaccines being developed for COVID-19 will alter human DNA, that the vaccine will use microchip surveillance technology created by Bill Gates-funded research, and US immunologist Dr Anthony Fauci will personally profit from the vaccine.
Another myth is that the vaccine has been proven to cause infertility in 97 per cent of recipients.
“Vaccine candidates have recently been approved in some countries and are in the approval process in others, yet misinformation about the safety and effects of any future vaccine is already threatening its rollout,” says John Gregory from NewsGuard.
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Jacinda Ardern is sorry but Big Tech must share blame for mosque attack
- 7:22PM December 9, 2020
Apologies are being issued today from the New Zealand government and its agencies by everyone from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern down over the Christchurch Mosque Shootings.
Established ten days after a lone individual conducted mass shooting events at two mosques during Friday prayer on 15 March 2019, the Christchurch Attack Royal Commission released its findings yesterday.
The Royal Commission identified government failures in hindsight — issues with firearms’ licensing, policing and reporting which led up to the attack that left 51 people dead and injured another 40.
The Royal Commission noted in its 792-page report that the individual responsible was radicalised online and his most significant influence was videos posted on YouTube.
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Thursday, 10 December 2020 08:04
US states, FTC seek break-up of Facebook in anti-trust lawsuits
Forty-eight US states, led by New York, have filed a lawsuit against Facebook claiming that the company has illegally stifled competition in order to protect its monopoly power.
At the same time, the Federal Trade Commission also filed a complaint against Facebook in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, the same court where the states' suit has been filed.
The suit claims over the last decade, Facebook has bought up its smaller competitors resulting in reduced privacy and services for consumers.
The suit cited the purchase of Instagram and WhatsApp as particular cases where Facebook had bought up likely rivals, paying well over what could be considered a reasonable price for the two companies.
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US authorities seek to break up Facebook
David McLaughlin and Erik Larson
Dec 10, 2020 – 8.08am
New York | US antitrust officials and a coalition of a states sued Facebook for allegedly abusing its dominance to crush competition, the second time in less than two months the government has brought a monopoly case against an American technology giant.
The Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general led by New York filed antitrust complaints against Facebook on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT), alleging conduct that thwarted competition from rivals in order to protect its monopoly.
The FTC lawsuit seeks a court order unwinding Facebook's acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp.
The case represents the biggest regulatory attack against Facebook in the company's history. If the FTC and the states are ultimately successful in proving Facebook violated antitrust laws, a judge could order the break-up of the company, including separating its main social media platform from Instagram and WhatsApp.
Facebok shares fell as much as 3.7 per cent on the news.
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Why Australia shines as a centre for quantum computing
The country is home to one of the highest concentrations of quantum research groups in the world, now joined by the Sydney Quantum Academy.
Senior Writer, Computerworld | 10 December 2020 6:00 AEDT
Australia’s academic model has positioned the country favourably against others for investment in quantum computing from large vendors such as Microsoft and Intel.
David Reilly, a director of Microsoft Quantum-Sydney and professor of physics at the University of Sydney, said that there is no other destination that offers the key ingredients for a strong quantum computing nation. Sydney is already home to one of the highest concentrations of quantum research groups in the world. He spoke at the much anticipated official launch of the Sydney Quantum Academy (SQA) this week.
SQA is a collaboration among the University of Sydney, University of New South Wales, Macquarie University, and the University of Technology Sydney; it is backed by government investment. Its mission is to build Australia’s quantum ecosystem through partnerships among academia, industry, and government.
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https://www.innovationaus.com/vic-govt-health-database-plan-is-a-problem/
Vic govt health database plan is a problem
Denham Sadler
Senior Reporter
8 December 2020
The Victorian government is yet to consult with its own privacy office on a plan to store the health data of individuals in a database and share it with clinicians without consent, a proposal labelled “deeply disturbing” by digital rights advocates.
In September, the state government quietly released a discussion paper on the creation of the Clinical Information Sharing (CIS) platform, which will store the private medical data of Victorians from public hospitals and health services in a database, and share this across various health services.
The CIS solution was a recommendation from a 2015 independent report on the elimination of avoidable harm and deaths. The plan is now in the first phase of a three-year project to introduce the database, and there has been little public discussion on the proposal until a report in The Age on the weekend.
Spring street blues: Victorian health data sharing is under the radar and causing angst
A spokesperson for the Department of Health said the CIS platform would help clinicians provide better care to Victorians.
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COVID-19 and the Royal Commission are the resets aged care needs
By Greg O’Loan, Regional
Vice President ANZ, Epicor
Wednesday, 09 December, 2020
Digital transformation and rapid acceleration of technologies often means some get left behind. Unfortunately, the ones lagging are often those industries that would benefit most from digitisation because they are essential to our society’s wellbeing. Aged care is one of those industries — an essential service trailing far behind other industries when it comes to technology — including other areas of the healthcare sector.
COVID-19 has brought to light glaring gaps in communication, connectivity, operational efficiencies, customer experience and quality of care that we can’t ignore anymore.
The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, which will release its final report in February 2021, has already highlighted similar gaps and warned about the need to shake up the aged-care sector and restore trust.
Grant Thornton’s National Head of Health & Aged Care Darrell Price recently shared current trends — and notwithstanding outcomes from the Royal Commission — that Commonwealth spending on aged care is expected to double as a share of the economy by 2055. He also pointed out the uncertainty in the sector from inconsistent budgetary allocations and incoming reforms — both outcomes of the Royal Commission and COVID-19.
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https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=c164d57d-7bce-48df-a485-53976ef5ca91
Social media for medical practitioners
Social media has been designed to help people stay connected and in today’s society is such a common form of communication. The Sensis Social Media Report in 2018 recorded that eight in ten people use social media. 1
Medical practitioners have professional and privacy obligations when using social media. Not only that, recent case law has determined that posts on a medical practitioner’s personal social media accounts can lead to suspension where the views published pose a risk to the way that a practitioner practises medicine and therefore the public.
What is social media?
In November 2019 the Medical Board of Australia released some guidelines, entitled Social media: How to meet your obligations under the National Law (the Guidelines).2 These guidelines are designed to help registered health practitioners understand and meet their obligations when using social media.
These days social media covers numerous platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Together with discussion forums, media sharing, WhatsApp, blogs and virtual reality and gaming, to name a few.
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Media bargaining code: It’s time to talk as government meets Google’s demands
The federal government has acceded to the three demands Google lodged when the ACCC first released its draft media bargaining code in July, which means any further arguments are simply game-playing by the behemoth.
Back in July Google wanted recognition that it referred readers back to media companies, limits on the notification over algorithm changes and clarification that it doesn’t have to hand over data to the media companies.
On advice from the ACCC, as previously reported here, federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has agreed to all three suggestions, which arguably should satisfy the digital behemoths.
Frydenberg will table the code in parliament on Wednesday, clearing the way for it to pass into law in the first quarter of next year.
The inclusion of the ABC and SBS in the code should ensure the Greens and crossbenchers support the code, which opens the way for the behemoths to start negotiating with the media companies.
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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/fireeye-discloses-breach-theft-of-red-team-tools-558739
FireEye discloses breach, theft of red team tools
By Christopher Bing, Reuters on Dec 9, 2020 8:31AM
Releases 'hundreds' of countermeasures.
FireEye, one of the largest cyber security companies in the United States,has been hacked, possibly by a government, leading to the theft of an arsenal of internal hacking tools typically reserved to privately test the cyber defences of their own clients.
The hack of FireEye, a company with an array of business contracts across the national security space both in the United States and its allies, is among the most significant breaches in recent memory.
The FireEye breach was disclosed in a blog post authored by CEO Kevin Mandia.
The post said “red team tools” were stolen as part of a highly sophisticated, likely “nation-state” hacking operation. It is not clear exactly when the hack initially took place.
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Why you'll never need to scan your passport again
Tom Burton Government editor
Dec 8, 2020 – 9.44am
A new national digital identity system to enable a single login to government and e-commerce websites is set to overtake traditional paper identity documents such as passports and drivers' licences.
But to safeguard the new "Digital Identity" system, strict rules are being proposed to stop the system becoming an Australia Card-like single identification number.
Using the data from the new system to profile users' digital behaviours will also be banned under draft rules out for consultation by the federal Digital Transformation Agency (DTA).
Under the new system a digital identity will only need to be created once, by completing the digital equivalent of a 100-point ID check at a government shop-front or post office, to allow people to access and receive a range of services wholly online.
Australians will be able to reuse their digital identity to securely access connected services for faster, cheaper and easier transactions. This will save individuals and businesses time and money.
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Banks ordered to cyber attack themselves
James Eyers Senior Reporter
Dec 9, 2020 – 9.14am
The Council of Financial Regulators demanded banks, insurers and super funds improve fortification of computer systems, issuing a detailed new framework to govern a series of simulated cyber attacks.
Banks have been ordered to adopt a proactive rather than a reactive stance to cyber security, including hiring new, independent teams of “red hat” hackers to secretly deploy the latest techniques against institutions to expose weaknesses.
It comes ahead of industry-wide cyber resilience exercises to be overseen by the council - comprising Treasury, the Reserve Bank, APRA and ASIC.
Under the Cyber Operational Resilience Intelligence-led Exercises framework, “red teams”, who will be shadowed by internal “white teams”, will use “advanced adversary simulation capabilities” including seeking to hack bank staff to get access to internal networks, “simulating a real-life adversary in a production environment”.
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https://www.thebigsmoke.com.au/2020/12/07/were-ok-with-the-government-surveilling-us-study-finds/
We’re ok with the government surveilling us, study finds
by Anna Bunn | Dec 7, 2020 | Digital, Featured, Ladder |
Oddly, the average Australian has no problem with the government increasing their surveillance powers over them.
Australians tend to accept government surveillance, particularly if they think it necessary or trust the government, according to a recent study.
But they’re only lukewarm about it. So if such surveillance continues to increase, people might reach a turning point and adopt some basic measures to “hide” themselves.
Australians are subject to ever-increasing levels of government surveillance. It is generally justified as necessary to protect us from criminal or terrorist activities.
Under certain circumstances, various intelligence agencies, as well as federal and state police, can request access to your telephone and Internet records. This can reveal information about your location and who you have talked to, emailed or messaged.
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Standardised data, mandated assistive technologies, redesign MyAgedCare: Royal Commission review of aged care providers and Government’s ITC finds “major deficiencies” within current system
Published on December 8, 2020
Even with its formal hearings over, the Royal Commission is continuing to release research – and its latest report has found both the aged care sector and the Government’s current ICT capabilities are not up to scratch.
The 60-page report ‘ICT Strategy and Architecture Review’ was prepared by The Architecture Practice, founded in 2014 by Saurabh Anand to deliver fit-for-purpose solutions bridging the gap between Business and ICT.
Mr Anand had worked for various Federal Government departments as an enterprise architect before establishing the business.
His analysis for the Royal Commission says that the review engaged with aged care and healthcare providers, research organisations and Federal Government departments and agencies.
Five main causes for aged care IT deficiencies
The report identifies five main causes of “major deficiencies” in the aged care sector’s ICT systems – none of which should come as a surprise to those who have been following evidence to the Royal Commission over the past two years.
These include:
- Disconnected business processes;
- Lack of data collection and sharing;
- Poor interoperability;
- Obsolete technology; and
- A fundamental lack of standardisation.
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Victorian government must ensure its proposed healthcare database has iron-clad security and privacy
December 7, 2020 3.59pm AEDT
Author
Emeritus Professor of Law and Criminal Justice, University of South Australia
Last weekend, The Age reported on a Victorian government plan, quietly unveiled three months ago, that would revolutionise the collection of the private medical data of every Victorian who has ever used public hospitals or health services.
Known as clinical information sharing (CIS), the plan allows the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to gather and collate every patient’s medical records. The records will be stored on a government database and made available to clinicians as required. The database will include information such as clinical details, demographics, attendance information, medications, allergies and adverse reactions, discharge summaries and test results.
According to the proposal, CIS will be expanded over time to include information about treatment pathways, family and social history, and lifestyle factors. The department has also flagged extending the initiative to include patient details not only from public sources but also private hospitals, general practitioners, mental health systems and ambulance services.
The need for better sharing of medical data was highlighted in an independent report commissioned by the government in 2015. It followed several potentially preventable baby deaths at the Bacchus Marsh Hospital.
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Tuesday, 08 December 2020 06:37
Govt yields to some demands from digital platforms over media code
Digital platforms Google and Facebook have managed to change a number of terms in the news media code, which has been given the name News Media and Digital Platforms Bargaining Code, with the government giving ground on the interval for informing publishers of algorithm changes.
This has been reduced from 28 days to 14 days, according to reports about a briefing given to some Coalition backbenchers by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher on Monday.
Another concession is that digital platforms will be able to factor in the value of the service they provide to a news organisations in monetary terms before the quantum of payment is decided.
And a third is that the legislation will cover only Google and Facebook after it is passed, presumably sometime in 2021. YouTube, Twitter and Instagram will not be covered under the law.
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Cyber attack could bring down entire financial system: IMF
By Shane Wright
December 8, 2020 — 1.00am
The world’s financial system could collapse and create an economic downturn as disastrous as the coronavirus recession or the global financial crisis if growing fears of a devasting cyber-security hack are realised.
Research from the International Monetary Fund released on Tuesday found the reliance of the financial system and consumers on digital services was increasingly at risk from cyber attacks that were being fuelled by falling prices for hacking tools and a target-rich environment.
Cyber attacks are estimated by the Home Affairs Department to cost Australian businesses at least $29 billion a year with large increases in malware attacks. The customers of financial institutions often face phishing and Trojans trying to steal their banking credentials.
But the IMF, in a discussion paper on cyber security, found the biggest threat was likely to come from a concerted attack that targeted a major financial institution or the technology systems upon which they depended to carry out their operations.
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https://www.medianet.com.au/releases/194997/
08 Dec 2020 8:00 AM AEST
Media alert: How digital tools will support humans in the healthcare sector
A Monash University expert is available to discuss how digital tools will support - not replace - humans in the healthcare sector
Professor of Practice, Digital Health, Chris Bain, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University
Contact details: 0428 698 148 or media@monash.edu
Read more from Professor Bain on Digital Health
Professor Bain is available to comment on:
- How digital tools will support humans in the healthcare industry
- Why the idea of digital tools in health can make some people fearful
- How data can be used to support good decision-making in a hospital
- How digital health can go beyond telehealth consultations
The following quotes can also be attributed to Professor Chris Bain:
“Digital health is the use of digital tools and interventions in wellness and healthcare. This is an applied field. We’re not trying to replace how healthcare takes place in terms of personal interactions, but instead support it.
“Computers work by using ones and zeros to make decisions. That’s very absolute and very precise, but the key is knowing when that capability is useful in healthcare and when it’s not.
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https://medicalrepublic.com.au/a-tech-tonic-shift-in-healthcare/37819
7 December 2020
A tech-tonic shift in healthcare
Enabled by new technologies and driven by necessities in the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s likely that most people will access certain health services remotely in future. While telehealth is not new – there are documented cases of telegraphy being used as early as 1874 in Australia, to enable care for a wounded person – it is becoming more effective, reliable and accessible to both patients and healthcare providers.
Telehealth delivers many key benefits. As we’ve seen in 2020, in times of crisis it’s the preferred method to isolate healthy patients from potential virus risks, as well as protecting the vulnerable group from exposure to the virus. It also resolves challenges around geography and resource constraints, helping bridge the “tyranny of distance”.
But it can do far more than simply bridge the urban-rural divide. Long before the pandemic, ANCCH, the Australian National Consultative Committee on Health (originally “e-Health”) published the National Telehealth Strategy paper in 2012. It advocated for telehealth to be viewed more universally than just as a geographic solution, and instead be: “fundamentally about enhancing team based care, collaboration and patient access”.
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Now’s the time for a trans-Atlantic effort to take on Big Tech
China plans to be free of foreign technology and supply chains by 2035. It is time that the US and Europe created their own digital alliance.
Rana Foroohar Contributor
Dec 7, 2020 – 10.19am
Opportunities and challenges are often one and the same. So it is at the moment with the US and Europe.
The European Commission wants to grab a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to reset the trans-Atlantic relationship now that US President Donald Trump is on his way out. President-elect Joe Biden’s administration will want a partnership with Europe to be at the heart of a reinvigorated alliance of liberal democracies that will present an economic and political alternative to China.
However, the 27-nation EU and the US continue to be at war with each other over technology regulation, trade and corporate taxation. Brussels is right that it is time for a reset. But getting there will require thinking about these issues all together, rather than in silos.
Start with tech regulation. The commission is considering new legislation that would take on the most entrenched Big Tech companies, such as Facebook and Google. The idea is to correct the failures of existing antitrust legislation, since competition policy focused on consumer pricing is not built for the era of digital barter.
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Monday, 07 December 2020 12:56
Consumer groups call for ‘radical’ overhaul of privacy laws
Consumer groups Financial Rights Legal Centre, Consumer Action Law Centre and Financial Counselling Australia have called for a “radical” overhaul of privacy laws they say will provide greater protections for consumers to counterbalance the “increased use and exploitation of big data by business and industry”.
The call from the three groups is put forward in a joint submission to the Attorney-General’s Department Privacy Act Review, Issues Paper, October 2020 and argues that substantial reform is needed to rebalance Australians’ right to privacy and “ensure our laws keep pace with future economic and technological change”.
Financial Rights Chief Executive Officer Karen Cox said the review of the Privacy Act 1988 is well overdue.
“Australians want a safe and secure data environment that puts their privacy ahead of the increasingly rapacious data desires of industry,” Cox said.
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Digital vaccination certificates will help the travel industry open up but there are questions
Australian health experts are optimistic that digital vaccination passports can help provide a safe environment with some resumption of normal overseas travel, possibly by mid 2021.
The digital vaccination certificate – a modern take on the little vaccination book carried by some children and commonly used decades ago – would provide a way for foreign countries to keep track of the vaccination backgrounds of incoming international travellers, and a way for airlines to provide a safer in-flight environment.
Qantas has said that it will make vaccinations mandatory for those flying overseas and it is reported that the airline is working with the government and other carriers about the form a digital vaccination passport will take.
The World Health Organisation also is looking at the possibility of electronic vaccination certificates/passports as pharmaceutical companies get ready to roll out the first vaccinations.
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Google could cut Australians out of upgrades
Max Mason Media and marketing editor
Dec 7, 2020 – 12.01am
Google engineers have been working on a secret project to exclude Australians from regular improvements to its search function and other services if the company does not agree with proposed laws to regulate how it deals with news publishers.
Sources told The Australian Financial Review the search giant has been testing how its systems would work locally if it stopped its frequent updates from flowing through to Australian users for some of its products, allowing it to avoid aspects of regulation by the Morrison government's code of conduct legislation.
This would effectively isolate Australia from other global markets that have services such as search, news and discover (a personalised content feed) continually tuned and tweaked for efficiency.
More sources said Google had been exploring a number of scenarios to assess the effect the code of conduct might have on its products.
On Tuesday, the Morrison government is expected to take its revised code of conduct proposal to the party room, with an introduction into Parliament most likely on Wednesday.
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Cost and disrupted routines threaten medication safety at Christmas
Monday, 07 December, 2020
The Christmas holiday period can present as a particularly challenging time for medication adherence. In addition to the usual factors contributing to poor adherence — cost, side effects, not understanding why the medication is necessary and being overwhelmed by too many medications — during the holidays, they are joined by two other causes.
One is the disruption to routine due to the distraction and abundance of social events, making it hard to remember if medication has been taken. Another is that some consciously choose not to fill their prescriptions during Christmas holidays so that they’ll have extra money to buy gifts for loved ones.
“The festive season and holidays can be a time when it is easy to lose track of normal daily schedules. Everyone wants to relax and have a good time but things don’t always go according to plan, especially when daily medication routines are interrupted,” Webstercare Founder and Managing Director Gerard Stevens AM said.
“That’s why it’s important to plan ahead and take steps to ensure that medication problems don’t get in the way of enjoying this important time of the year.”
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Govt to overhaul electronic surveillance laws after intelligence review
By Justin Hendry on Dec 4, 2020 6:06PM
TIA Act framework "a dog’s breakfast".
Electronic surveillance laws, including those around interception, are set to be overhauled following a comprehensive review into the country's national intelligence community.
Australia’s cyber spy agency will also continue to be limited to offshore operations, with only assistance to be provided to the Australian Federal Police for onshore operations.
A 1300-page declassified report, released along with the government’s response on Friday, contains 203 recommendations to reform the country’s intelligence and security laws.
All but four of the 190 unclassified recommendations have been agreed to by the government in full, part or principle, while a further 13 recommendations are classified.
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Comments more than welcome!
David.
The MyGovID app doesn't meet my expectations. I've installed it on phone & pad, using passport and driver licence. At MyGov from a browser, I see I have MyGovID connected
ReplyDelete>Your Digital Identity is connected. You can use it to sign in to your myGov account.
When I fire up the app on my phone, it reads my thumbprint and authenticates, but there is no obvious entry to my MyGov account. Instead I get to a page that wants me to set up MyGovID all over again.