Here are a few I have come across the last week or so. Note: Each link is followed by a title and a few paragraphs. For the full article click on the link above title of the article. Note also that full access to some links may require site registration or subscription payment.
General Comment
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It seems to have been one of those pretty quiet weeks with a few security stories and the odd implementation tale!
Of course there was the weekly ADHA press release extolling the virtues of the #myHR!
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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/healthengine-paid-38m-for-vaccine-booking-system-563143
HealthEngine paid $3.8m for vaccine booking system
By Justin Hendry on Apr 9, 2021 1:37PM
Year-long contract gives GP clinics access.
HealthEngine has been paid almost $4 million for the GP booking platform component of the federal government’s Covid-19 vaccination information and booking service.
The Department of Health published the year-long contract on Thursday, more than a month after the company was selected to provide a booking platform for the vaccine rollout.
The platform will be used by GPs clinics, as well as other approved health service providers like pharmacies, that don’t already have a booking system.
It is one part of the end-to-end vaccination information and booking service that citizens can use to book a jab at the more than 4500 GPs enlisted to administer vaccinations.
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https://www.miragenews.com/its-your-health-and-its-in-your-hands-541687/
It’s your health and it’s in your hands
Australian Digital Health Agency
Floods, bushfires and now the COVID-19 pandemic.
Australia has faced ongoing emergency situations and it’s impossible to know when the next one might be.
That is why you need online access to your health information including medicine documents, a summary of your medical history and recent pathology and diagnostic imaging reports.
Having your critical health information in My Health Record can help you to get life-saving medicines during natural disasters when you can’t see a GP, make it home or your paper-based information has been destroyed.
My Health Record can be accessed by emergency departments if you are rushed to hospital and the doctors need to know of any health issues, allergies or medicine you may be taking if you can’t speak.
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NSW hospitals hunt for rare blood clots linked to AstraZeneca vaccine
April 8, 2021 — 5.00am
NSW emergency departments are scouring medical records for blood clot cases linked to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine as international medicines regulators inch closer to declaring the vaccine may cause the extremely rare condition.
The state’s vaccinators are warning anyone receiving the AstraZeneca shot to be on alert for blood clot symptoms as a precaution following the case of a 44-year-old man hospitalised with a severe and extremely rare clotting disorder in Melbourne on Friday.
Dozens of rare blood clots have been reported worldwide among the tens of millions of AstraZeneca shots administered.
A top official at the European Medicines Agency on Tuesday said there is a causal link between AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine and extremely rare blood clotting syndrome dubbed vaccine-induced prothrombotic immune thrombocytopenia (VIPIT), though the nature of the connection was unclear.
“It is becoming more and more difficult to affirm that there isn’t a cause-and-effect relationship between AstraZeneca vaccines and the very rare cases of blood clots associated with a low level of platelets,” Marco Cavaleri, head of health threats and vaccine strategy at the EMA, told Rome’s Il Messaggero newspaper.
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April 7 2021 - 8:00AM
St George Careers Development Centre teaching seniors about digital health literacy
Sarah Falson
St George Careers Development Centre has been teaching local seniors about digital health literacy, helping them find relevant information rather than relying on 'Dr Google'.
The Centre has delivered Good Things Foundation Australia's Health My Way program for the past year, helping seniors gain the skills to use online government services MyGov and My Health Record, and learn how to find reliable health information online.
Good Things Foundation - a social change charity that supports people to improve their lives through the use of technology - provided the St George Careers Development Centre with a $5,000 grant, a resource pack and Digital Health Mentor training for their staff.
When restrictions eased in Sydney late last year, the Centre restarted their face-to-face program, running nutrition-themed digital skills information sessions in retirement villages around the St George region.
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https://www.governmentnews.com.au/wa-indigenous-service-embraces-digital-health/
WA Indigenous service embraces digital health
5 April, 2021
An indigenous health service in WA’s Pilbara region is leading the state in the use of digital health records.
Wirraka Maya Health Service in Port Hedland provides primary care, wellbeing and prevention services, as well as coronovirus support and information, to over 7,000 Aboriginal people, many of whom are transient.
It has uploaded the highest number of event summaries and the ninth highest number of shared health summaries to My Health Record in the state, according to Digital Health Agency.
Shared health summaries contain key health information while event summaries record consultations.
The service has also viewed more uploaded documents than any other primary care provider in Western Australia.
Working with Indigenous health services
Wirraka Maya’s senior medical officer Dr Yolande Knight says the digital health record has been useful in keeping the service updated on patient information including pathology, imaging and medication dispensing.
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https://www.ausdoc.com.au/practice/have-you-written-escript-yet-12000-gps-have
Have you written an e-script yet? 12,000 GPs have
Even the Australian Digital Health Agency's most ardent critic says it's winning on the e-prescribing front
29th March 2021
The Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) loves a statistic.
We saw this best with the My Health Record.
But despite some of the numbers being astronomically large — such as the 2.7 billion documents uploaded to the system - often they weren’t too flattering when put in the correct context.
For instance, it turns out that most of those documents are no more than a dump of patients' MBS/PBS claims data rather than documents of immediate clinical value.
However, its latest stat, not related to My Health Record and slightly smaller in scale, does seem immediately impressive.
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https://www.itwire.com/education/isaca-launches-privacy-in-practice-report.html
Thursday, 08 April 2021 13:40
ISACA launches privacy in practice report
The demand for technical privacy professionals is high—but teams are often considered understaffed in these roles, according to ICT professional association ISACA’s Privacy in Practice 2021 survey report.
ISACA says in its Privacy in Practice 2021 report that privacy technologists seeking to fill these key positions and advance their careers can demonstrate their technical privacy skills with its Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE) certification and are now able to take the newly launched CDPSE exam.
The CDPSE exam covers three key domain areas—privacy governance, privacy architecture and data lifecycle—which cover the tasks performed by individuals who have significant knowledge, experience and responsibilities in assessing, building and implementing comprehensive technical privacy solutions.
“Given the looming talent and knowledge gaps in implementing privacy by design solutions in a landscape with continually evolving and increasingly complex privacy regulations and requirements, CDPSE has gained notable traction after its initial launch,” says Nader Qaimari, ISACA Chief Product Officer.
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https://www.afr.com/technology/nine-painstakingly-repairs-cyber-attack-damage-20210405-p57gkt
Nine painstakingly repairs cyber attack damage
John Davidson Columnist
Apr 5, 2021 – 2.14pm
Technology staff at Nine Entertainment worked through the Easter weekend to bring the company back online after a serious cyber attack, but it will still be weeks before computer systems are fully restored, a spokesman said.
A week after Nine, publisher of The Australian Financial Review, was hit by what its chief information and technology officer, Damian Cronan, called a “significant, sophisticated and complex” cyber attack, IT staff spent the long weekend going through the broadcaster’s systems one by one and checking for back doors before bringing them back online, the spokesman said.
The attack on Nine’s North Sydney headquarters in the early hours of March 28 initially crippled some IT systems, and led to some television programs not airing that morning.
The company responded by taking many of its publishing, broadcasting and corporate systems offline, including systems not known to be directly affected by the attack, and forensically going through them looking for signs of intrusion, as well as for back doors that could let attackers back into those systems once the initial attack was resolved, a spokesman said.
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https://www.itwire.com/security/nine-still-mum-on-network-attack-details-as-recovery-continues.html
Monday, 05 April 2021 16:09
Nine still mum on network attack details as recovery continues
Australian media firm Nine Entertainment is continuing to stay mum as far as public statements on the network attack on its Sydney offices go. It is more or less certain now that Windows ransomware known as MedusaLocker was used in the attack.
The company's new chief executive, Mike Sneesby, who was faced by the attack on the day he walked into the job, said in part in a statement to staff on 1 April: "As a result of the efforts of 9Technology and Broadcast Operations — and the ingenuity and collaboration of teams right across the business — we are now returning a number of our core systems, with more systems anticipated to come online over the weekend.
"We anticipate that from next week, we can welcome more people back into our workplaces and we will communicate with your managers over the weekend with more details for each of our locations nationwide."
But when it comes to specifics, the company is silent even though one of its own publications, the Australian Financial Review, has reported that staff were told to look on their PCs for a file named Recovery_ Instructions.html which is the ransom note issued by the ransomware in question, MedusaLocker.
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Contact books of Australian diplomats hacked in major ‘phishing’ scam
April 7, 2021 — 5.00am
Senior Australian diplomats, including ambassador to the United States Arthur Sinodinos, have been caught up in a sophisticated identity theft scam in which cyber attackers impersonated them on encrypted messaging services WhatsApp and Telegram in a bid to get sensitive information from their contacts.
The Australian Federal Police is investigating the security lapses after a number of heads of mission reported experiencing suspicious activity on their phones.
The cyber scare appears to mirror the attacks on senior cabinet ministers, including Finance Minister Simon Birmingham and Health Minister Greg Hunt, whereby the attackers are impersonating the individuals on WhatsApp or Telegram by using their names and personal phone numbers and gaining access to their contact book. There is also a third federal MP who has been hit by the scam who has not been identified.
The “phishing” attacks have unsettled some senior members of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to the extent that they are now operating on the basis their phones have been compromised. This climate of fear has been exacerbated by a number of other unrelated cyber attacks against diplomats, as well as sophisticated hacks on the computer networks of Parliament House and Nine News (publisher of this masthead).
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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/home-affairs-agrees-to-new-five-year-data-centre-deal-with-cdc-563053
Home Affairs agrees to new five-year data centre deal with CDC
By Justin Hendry on Apr 7, 2021 12:40PM
As Global Switch migration gets underway.
The Department of Home Affairs has struck a new five-year data centre hosting deal with Canberra Data Centres to support its migration from Global Switch’s Sydney-based data centre.
The $6.3 million contract, published last week, will allow the department to shift its remaining unclassified and protected-level data from the Chinese-owned facility by July 2022.
The deal comes just weeks after Home Affairs boss Mike Pezzullo revealed the department was finalising a contract with a new Australian-owned data centre provider for the planned exit.
Home Affairs is one of several federal government agencies continuing to use Global Switch, which is no longer an approved data centre provider on the data centre facilities suppliers panel.
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https://www.hinz.org.nz/news/559634/New-report-envisions-NZ-as-global-leader-in-digital-health.htm
New report envisions NZ as global leader in digital health
Wednesday, 7 April 2021
NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth
New Zealand has a unique opportunity to position itself as a global leader in digital health innovation, a new report says.
The report from New Zealand Health Information Technology (NZHIT) called Hauora, Mauri Ora: Enabling a Healthier Aotearoa New Zealand, was launched by Health Minister Andrew Little in Parliament on April 7.
It makes five recommendations to “make New Zealand a world-class digital health technology exemplar” and highlights the problem that healthcare providers often see IT as a cost burden rather than an enabler or strategic investment.
In his foreword, deputy director general data and digital at the Ministry of Health Shayne Hunter says: “the day-to-day effectiveness of our health and disability system is due as much to our use of data and digital technologies, as to medical technologies, drugs and laboratory tests.
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https://www.hinz.org.nz/news/559974/Telehealth-service-opens-virtual-doors-to-care---Ardern.htm
Telehealth service opens virtual doors to care - Ardern
9 April, 2021
NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth
Whakarongorau Aotearoa, NZ Telehealth Services, is removing barriers to care through use of technology with the goal of achieving equity of access for all, says Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
Speaking at the opening of the organisations’s new Auckland offices and contact centre on April 9, Ardern said Whakarongorau Aotearoa has “made it it’s mission to open virtual doors as wide as possible and ensure every door is linked to wellness”.
Ardern said the new office has capacity for 225 frontline staff to help New Zealanders when they need it most. Nationwide the team includes more than 1000 people with around 230 working from home.
She said the government’s aim is to enable all New Zealanders to live long healthy lives and to do that they have form partnerships.
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07 Apr 2021 11:12 AM AEST
STANDINGTALL: A NEW E-HEALTH EXERCISE PROGRAMME HELPS PREVENT FALLS IN OLDER PEOPLE BY UP TO 20%
Coinciding with Falls Awareness Month, a new study into the balance exercise program, StandingTall, has shown promising results in significantly reducing the rate of falls over two years by up to 20 per cent.
Falls in older people are common, can have serious consequences (hip fractures, placement in care facilities), are costly to the individual, society and health system, and are preventable.
Published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) this week, the two year trial of 503 Australians aged 70 years and older found the home based e-health balance exercise program, StandingTall, can provide an effective, self-managed fall prevention program for older people living independently.
Neuroscience Research Australia’s (NeuRA) Falls, Balance and Injury Research Centre is spearheading this world-leading research, with StandingTall being the only effective e-Health program in preventing falls in older people to date.
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Amplifying the signal for new patient services
By Dhannu Daniel, Managing Director, Management Consulting,
Accenture, Global Patient Survey, patient services
Wednesday, 07 April, 2021
From diagnosis through treatment, the healthcare system can be complex and difficult to navigate as patients face hard-to-understand information and make choices regarding treatment and therapy options.
Happily, digital technologies and services have emerged to help patients adhere to treatment plans and monitor symptoms. When patients tune in to the new services on offer, adherence increases, quality of life improves, hospitalisations and emergency room visits are reduced, and survival rates rise. For example, asthma patients using a smart inhaler with sensors and GPS were able to understand and avoid environmental triggers, with a 78% reduction in rescue inhaler use and 48% more symptom-free days. Patients with cancer who used a smartphone app to monitor pain and identify urgent issues had lower pain severity and 40% fewer inpatient hospital admissions.
Evidence also shows diabetes patients who use a patient portal, especially those with multiple chronic conditions, have fewer emergency room visits and hospital stays.
Money is pouring in to the sector. Pharma companies are investing heavily in the space — the market for patient engagement solutions was worth US$8.8 billion (approx AU$11.5 billion) in 2017 and is projected to reach US$18.68 billion (approx AU$24.5 billion) in 2022, an annual growth rate of 16.2%.
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Unlocking the potential of IoT in health care to save lives
By Michael Dyson, VP of Sales, APAC at SOTI
Thursday, 01 April, 2021
With unimaginable strain being placed on healthcare systems in Australia and around the world, the healthcare industry is becoming increasingly reliant on mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) devices to revolutionise the delivery of patient care, improve health outcomes and save lives.
Advances in mobile device capabilities and healthcare organisations’ technical infrastructure have enabled medical practitioners to deploy devices to securely collect patient data, update patient records and assist in valuable research to gain deeper insights.
Connected mobile technology has also helped to deliver quality in-home care, keeping vulnerable patients away from hospitals while still under supervision. During times of extreme strain on the healthcare sector, especially when hospitals are experiencing supply shortages, ensuring patients can remain at home — while still receiving the standard of care they require — is the highest priority.
In Australia especially, attention has turned to how the country can revitalise its underinvested health service and use technology to stay ahead of the demands placed upon it by the pandemic. But with such a complex set of demands and potential solutions, just how can decision-makers unlock the potential of the IoT to improve patient care?
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07 Apr 2021 2:11 PM AEST
MEDIA ALERT
EMBARGOED: THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021
Launch of AUS-first digital platform to support young Aussies living with incurable movement disorder
Innovative resource to aid the 1 Aussie diagnosed every 3 hours with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease
More than 20,000 young Aussies (under 50 years of age) living with an incurable movement disorder1,2 are set to benefit from the launch of an Australian-first digital support tomorrow (Thursday, April 8, 2021), ahead of World Parkinson’s Day (Sunday, April 11, 2021).
Developed as a ‘living lab’ model, the Young Onset Parkinson’s Exchange (YOP-X) is a free-to-download app and resource hub uniquely shaped by the first-hand knowledge and experiences of Australians living with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease (YOPD).
Available to patients, their primary support people (carers), healthcare professionals and NDIS-contracted providers, the YOP-X app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play from tomorrow.
The one in five people who experience symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease before 50 years of age, are classified as living with YOPD.2 Over the past decade, the incidence of YOPD has increased by 40 per cent, with one Australian diagnosed every three hours.
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Clinic to Cloud’s revamped Patient Portal to enhance patient experience
Roy Chiang | 03 Apr 2021
Clinic to Cloud, a Sydney-based clinical and practice management software provider, has revamped its Patient Portal to improve patient experience.
HOW IT WORKS
Patients are now able to perform a variety of functions on the cloud-based system. These include booking appointments; viewing fees, invoices, and approved results from pathology and imaging investigations; and uploading referrals. Patients will receive reminders for their appointments to reduce no-shows, and the back-end infrastructure for the application has also been updated to ensure that patient data remains protected.
WHY IT MATTERS
In a highly contagious pandemic, healthcare providers have leveraged digital solutions such as telehealth to reduce in-person consultations. Patient portals help streamline the process as patients can perform administrative functions such as booking appointments and making payments from the comfort of their homes. Patients are also empowered to take charge of their own health.
THE LARGER TREND
Healthcare organisations have been leveraging patient portals to streamline digital solutions for patients. For example, in 2020, digital health company Zesty announced a partnership with the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT) in England’s West Midlands to introduce a patient portal as part of a push for the use of digital.
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Ex-NBN Co exec warns ACCC decision could stymie competition
Lucas Baird Reporter
Apr 6, 2021 – 12.00am
A new draft determination by the competition regulator could protect NBN Co from rivals in the residential market for at least the next five years, and possibly even after the highly anticipated privatisation of the national broadband network, a former NBN Co insider has warned.
The federal government-owned entity cleared the first hurdle towards privatisation in December when Communications Minister Paul Fletcher declared the core infrastructure complete.
The remaining hurdles include a review of any sale by the Productivity Commission, a probe of the review by a joint Parliamentary committee, and a sign-off from the Finance Minister.
But ex-NBN Co chief technology officer Gary McLaren says a privatised NBN could still be protected by regulations requiring residential super-fast fibre broadband operators to offer a wholesale product at predetermined prices and terms.
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‘Tantalising’ results of two experiments could break the known laws of physics
By Seth Borenstein
April 8, 2021 — 2.50am
Preliminary results from two experiments suggest something could be wrong with the basic way physicists think the universe works, a prospect that has the field of particle physics both baffled and thrilled.
The tiniest particles aren’t quite doing what is expected of them when spun around two different long-running experiments in the United States and Europe. The confounding results – if proven right – reveal major problems with the rulebook physicists use to describe and understand how the universe works at the subatomic level.
Theoretical physicist Matthew McCullough of CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, said untangling the mysteries could “take us beyond our current understanding of nature”.
The rulebook, called the Standard Model, was developed about 50 years ago. Experiments performed over decades affirmed over and again that its descriptions of the particles and the forces that make up and govern the universe were pretty much on the mark. Until now.
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Enjoy!
David.
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