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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! Its pretty sad!
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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https://medicalrepublic.com.au/who-is-the-racgps-telehealth-stance-actually-serving/44733
30 April 2021
Who is the RACGP’s telehealth stance actually serving?
When our much beloved media cousins at Australian Doctor broke the story on Tuesday that, as of 1 July, the Department of Health had decided to stop rebates on phone consultations longer than 20 minutes, our journos were immediately on to the department seeking a confirmation, clarification and details.
Although a big story, it wasn’t really a surprise.
The DoH had from the start been worried about the low uptake of video by GPs (it’s less than 3 per cent) for the obvious reasons that a video consult, if you can do one, is a far more effective patient interaction than a phone consult, especially for anything a little more complex, such as a mental health assessment.
The department had been hinting from early on that they might be end up providing monetary signals to balance the situation if didn’t self-correct.
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https://www.innovationaus.com/why-we-need-a-publicly-funded-social-network/
Why we need a publicly funded social network
Jordan
Guiao
Contributor
29 April 2021
I almost bore myself when I start to write about issues with Facebook. The revelations of privacy scandals, data breaches, hate speech, and violence-inducing disinformation by Facebook has become such a regular occurrence in our news feeds that we are almost inured to its coverage.
It may be a symptom of how we’ve over-relied on Facebook and outsourced so much of our communication and community that we can overlook their recurring transgressions.
Ghosts of social networks past may provide a glimmer of doubt or hope in Facebook’s continued dominance. After all, bygone platforms like MySpace, Friendster and Flickr once ruled the internet.
It may surprise many that LinkedIn is actually older than Facebook, and continues to succeed to this day, albeit not at the same level.
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https://www.innovationaus.com/govt-acts-on-just-3-of-13-data-sharing-recommendations/
Govt acts on just 3 of 13 data-sharing recommendations
Denham
Sadler
Senior Reporter
27 April 2021
The federal government only addressed three out of 13 recommendations from a Privacy Impact Assessment of its sweeping new data-sharing scheme in the final legislation presented to Parliament.
The Data Availability and Transparency Bill (DATB), which would herald a significant expansion of the sharing of public sector data between agencies, departments and private sector organisations, is currently the subject of a senate inquiry.
The new scheme would present a “new path” for the sharing of data that is currently blocked by secrecy or privacy provisions.
A Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) of the final legislation introduced to Parliament late last year by Information Integrity Solutions has now been released publicly by the government.
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Australia's eSafety and the uphill battle of regulating the ever-changing online realm
The eSafety Commissioner has defended the Online Safety Act, saying it's about protecting the vulnerable and holding the social media platforms accountable for offering a safe product, much the same way as car manufacturers and food producers are in the offline world.
By Asha Barbaschow | April 30, 2021 -- 07:26 GMT (17:26 AEST) | Topic: Security
Australia's eSafety Commissioner is set to receive sweeping new powers like the ability to order the removal of material that seriously harms adults, with the looming passage of the Online Safety Act.
Tech firms, as well as experts and civil liberties groups, have taken issue with the Act, such as with its rushed nature, the harm it can cause to the adult industry, and the overbearing powers it affords to eSafety, as some examples. Current eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has even previously admitted that details of how the measures legislated in the Online Safety Bill 2021 would be overseen are still being worked out.
The Bill contains six priority areas, including an adult cyber abuse scheme to remove material that seriously harms adults; an image-based abuse scheme to remove intimate images that have been shared without consent; Basic Online Safety Expectations (BOSE) for the eSafety Commissioner to hold services accountable; and an online content scheme for the removal of "harmful" material through take-down powers.
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ACCC’s tracking win over Google a small step in the right direction
By Tim Biggs
May 1, 2021 — 12.01am
The consumer watchdog’s court win over Google this month should serve as a warning to big tech that privacy and data settings must be made as transparent as possible, but more pressure will need to be exerted to dispel the opaque terms and conditions they impose on consumers.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) had alleged that Android devices, in 2017 and 2018, were set up in such a way that someone creating a new Google account would not be adequately informed about whether their location would be tracked or not.
At the time, Google made it sound as though turning off “location history” — a service that maps wherever you go with your devices — would stop the company from collecting data about a user’s location. But consumers also needed to turn off another setting, one with no mention of location data - “App and web activity”, to completely stop Google from tracking their location.
ACCC chairman Rod Sims said the federal court decision in its favour earlier this month was “an important victory for consumers, especially those concerned about their privacy online.
“The court’s decision sends a strong message to Google and others that big businesses must not mislead their customers. Consumers should not be kept in the dark when it comes to the collection of their personal location data.”
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https://soundcloud.com/adhapodcast/specialists-digital-health-tools
Specialists: Digital health tools
Australian Digital Health Agency Podcast ADHA Propaganda
Follow Australian Digital Health Agency Podcast and others on SoundCloud.
Hear from industry experts about the benefits of digital health for specialists and how these tools are used to streamline processes and optimise patient care.
Speakers: Dr Andrew Rochford (Facilitator), Omar Khorshid (Australian Medical Association President), Jill Tomlinson (Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon) and Steve Hambleton (Agency Independent Medical Advisor).
Comment - while there is too much on the #myHR we see some are making good use of other aspects of Digital Health. Steve Hambleton is hardly and independent commentator!
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Senate committee urges further privacy guidance in data sharing laws
By Justin Hendry on Apr 30, 2021 7:05AM
As Labor calls for 'deeply flawed' bill to be scrapped.
A senate committee has urged the federal government to consider embedding further privacy protection guidance into proposed public sector data sharing laws that will make it easier for agencies to share data with third-parties.
Handing down its report [pdf] on Thursday, the government-led Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee made three recommendations for minor changes to the Data Availability and Transparency Bill 2020.
The recommendations go to some of the security and privacy concerns raised by stakeholders during the course of the inquiry, though skirt crucial issues like de-identification by recommending that government only consider the change.
Labor senators have, meanwhile, denounced the legislation altogether, labelling the bill “deeply flawed” and suggesting the scheme will “undermine current privacy protections, most notably the Privacy Act” if passed in its current form.
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THUR 29 APR 21: State Election, My Health Record, missing moving box
Apr 29, 3:18 PM
Full podcast of Tasmania Talks with Mike O'Loughlin for Thursday 29th April, 2012
From About 42 Mins ADHA Propaganda
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My Health Record in Aged Care – Get Connected!
Event details ADHA Propaganda
When
Tuesday,
4 May 2021
7:00pm - 8:00pm (AEST)
Where
Online
Hosted by
Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA) and Australian Digital Health Agency
Contact us
General enquiries
Phone: 1300 901 001
8am - 5pm (AEST/AEDT) Monday - Friday
Email: help@digitalhealth.gov.au
My Health Record provides access to accurate and relevant clinical information to assist in improving quality of life, care coordination and ultimately reduce potential medication misadventures. This webinar guides you through how to get connected to the My Health Record as well as ongoing compliance requirements.
Please join Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA) and the Australian Digital Health Agency for an interactive session and panel discussion focusing on how digital health tools, such as My Health Record, can support enhanced models of person-centred care. We are pleased to have speakers with a range of expertise join us, who will be able to share their insights on this topic.
All allied health providers working in primary care and in aged care facilities are welcome to attend this session.
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Thursday, 29 April 2021 11:17
ACCC authorises Country Press Australia collective bargaining with Google, Facebook
Australia’s competition regulator, the ACCC, has granted interim authorisation for Country Press Australia (CPA) members to collectively negotiate with Facebook and Google over payments to publishers for their news content that appears on the platforms.
CPA - an industry body that represents the interests of independent regional and local newspapers throughout Australia - currently represents 81 members and 160 regional newspapers, which provide local news to regional communities in print and online.
One of the 23 recommendations made by the ACCC’s 2019 Digital Platforms Inquiry final report was that a code be developed to address the imbalance in bargaining power between leading digital platforms and Australian news businesses - and in April 2020, the Government directed the ACCC to develop a mandatory code - with legislation enacting the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code passed by Parliament on 25 February this year.
The Australian Competition and Cosumer Commission says that authorisation will enable CPA members to collectively negotiate with each of Facebook and Google, engage in discussions with each other and exchange information about those negotiations.
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‘NBN has ignored us’
NBN Co’s latest pricing proposal shows its negotiations with telcos and retail providers had been a ’waste of time’, according to executives of Telstra, Optus and TPG who have all hit out at the government-run company for retaining controversial CVC charges and not going far enough with pricing reform.
On Wednesday NBN released a new pricing paper following months of consultations, proposing a soft cap on variable data capacity charges, as well as what it described as more generous data inclusions and a progress of long-term pricing reform.
The company said the proposed soft cap would protect retailers from sudden surges in demand, and improve industry certainty around data usage.
The Connectivity Virtual Circuit - or CVC - is the price telcos pay to move data from the NBN to their networks. The amount of CVC a telco buys affects the internet speed, particularly at peak usage times from 7pm to 11pm.
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‘Significant issues’: Apple, Google app marketplace power a concern for ACCC
By Tim Biggs
April 28, 2021 — 11.48am
Australia’s consumer and competition watchdog has highlighted “significant issues” with the power wielded by Apple and Google over the marketplace for apps and digital services, in the strongest indication yet the companies may face fresh regulations following a five-year inquiry.
Each tech giant operates a mobile app store that taken together represent an effective duopoly in Australia, a new report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says, and the fact that Apple and Google also compete in those markets with their own apps gives them the ability to self-preference.
“They have the ability and incentive to promote their own apps over others, and they control the terms that their competitors must comply with to gain access to their stores,” said ACCC chair Rod Sims in announcing the report.
“The ACCC is also concerned with restrictions imposed by Apple and Google which mean developers have no choice but to use Apple and Google’s own payment systems for any in-app purchases.”
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https://www.afr.com/chanticleer/nbn-s-monopoly-getting-stronger-20210428-p57n2z
NBN’s monopoly getting stronger
The NBN Co needs to make a profit to recover its $59 billion total build cost. But does that mean it should be allowed to suppress competition?
Apr 29, 2021 – 12.00am
Australia’s biggest monopoly, NBN Co, is slowly but surely entrenching its powerful position at the centre of the telecommunications sector through a range of moves that ought to worry the competition regulator.
In fact, NBN’s clever moves to blunt or impede competition from private sector players should be a top priority for Anna Brakey, who is chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s telecommunications committee.
Brakey is leading a review, announced on Wednesday, that will result in a revised regulatory model for NBN, including giving the ACCC the power to control NBN’s pricing.
The ACCC has been talking about “full price regulation” of NBN since 2015, but only a quarter of active NBN connections are covered by the current special access undertaking signed by NBN.
Of course, NBN’s monopoly position is helped by the federal government’s Regional Broadband Scheme, which puts a $7.10-a-month levy on fixed-line infrastructure providers competing with NBN.
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Wednesday, 28 April 2021 17:16
Reset Australia says Facebook allows you to target ‘teens interested in smoking’ for $127
Reset Australia is demanding greater data protections for teenagers after it uncovered a Facebook loophole that allows teenagers to be profiled and targeted with advertising based on a range of age inappropriate interests, such as alcohol, smoking, gambling, and extreme weight loss.
Facebook builds profiles based on interests, and then sells access to these profiles to advertisers for direct, targeted advertising. While underage Facebook users can not be served alcohol, cigarette or gambling ads specifically, in a new report Reset Australia finds a loophole which allows underage profiles to be targeted based on these illicit interests.
Reset Australia found it costs advertisers $127 to target 1000 underage profiles with an interest in smoking, $38 to target 1000 underage profiles interested in extreme weight loss, and just $3 to target 1000 an underage profiles interested in alcohol.
“Facebook appears to use teenagers’ data in the same way as adults,” said Chris Cooper, executive director Reset Australia, the local affiliate of a global initiative working to counter digital threats to democracy across the world."
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ACT Policing may have unlawfully accessed location data, Ombudsman finds
By Justin Hendry on Apr 28, 2021 4:05PM
Less than one percent of authorisations ‘proper’.
ACT Policing may have illegally accessed the approximate location of mobile devices during investigations due to its “cavalier approach to exercising telecommunications data powers”, the Commonwealth Ombudsman has found.
An investigation [pdf] into the access and use of location-based services (LBS) or ‘pings’ found that the community policing arm of the Australian Federal Police failed to properly authorise or report LBS authorisations between October 2015 and 2019.
LBS provides the “location of a mobile devices from which communication was made”, either for a single point in time or at regular intervals, and is used by law enforcement agencies to identify persons of interest.
The investigation was prompted by an internal review that found about 8000 requests for prospective telecommunications data such as LBS had taken place outside of the AFP’s approved processes since 2007.
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28 April 2021
Aged care billions light fuse on systemic changes to GP and tech sector
Cloud Interoperability Investors Money Patient Management Systems PE VCs
As the federal government gears up to spend $10 billion fixing aged care, big money is hard at work already. planning how they can use GPs and new technology to access this new funding pool
For good or bad, there are systemic changes in politics, technology and commerce now rippling inexorably towards the GP sector which are likely to affect all GPs in the not-too-distant future. The same forces are going to create significant changes to the local medical software industry as well.
Politics is seeding the change with a big investment coming in aged care. Big money groups such PE, VCs and private health insurers are planning their path to the money, a path which must include GPs in some way.
But GPs are stuck in a work and technology paradigm which won’t work for these new money types.
The money people are going to change the paradigm – for GPs and for likely for large swathes of our local health tech sector as well.
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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/accc-says-apple-google-app-store-regulation-may-be-needed-563892
ACCC says Apple, Google app store regulation may be needed
By Staff Writer on Apr 28, 2021 12:22PM
If changes aren't made.
Australia's competition watchdog said regulation may be required to address the significant market power app stores owned by Alphabet's Google and Apple have if they do not take steps to assuage concerns.
The global dominance of Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store has been criticised by some app makers for mandatory revenue sharing payments and strict inclusive rules by both companies.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), in a digital platforms services inquiry interim report, said app developers should be allowed to provide customers with alternative payment options and data collected by Google and Apple should be kept separate from their other operations.
The ACCC also called for consumers to be allowed to change or remove pre-installed or default apps.
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https://www.australianageingagenda.com.au/technology/ict-in-aged-care-under-the-spotlight/
ICT in aged care under the spotlight
The next edition of Australian Ageing Agenda magazine is reporting on information and communications technology (ICT) in aged care along with stories on clinical education and infection control.
There’s no doubt that Australia’s future aged care sector needs to operate in a technology-enabled environment. Royal Commissioners Tony Pagone and Lynelle most recently highlighted this in their final report.
They recommend all aged care providers use a digital care management system that includes medication management by July 2022. The system should be interoperable with the My Health Record, which providers should also adopt.
Next issue we will talk to the experts and providers about ICT in aged care, such as:
- what ICT systems providers need for 2021 and beyond
- the clinical, business and operational outcomes they can expect
- provider lessons on implementing new technology.
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Electronic Prescribing - Technical Framework Documents v3.0
Dear Valued Partner,
Further to the release of the Electronic Prescribing - Technical Framework Documents v3.0 (EP 3.0), we wish to remind you that conformance to
the relevant Healthcare Identifiers conformance requirements is now mandatory
for relevant participating
software products.
Who will this affect?
Clinical Information Systems and Prescription
Delivery Services currently participating in electronic prescribing or
those who wish to implement electronic prescribing.
Note: This does not apply to systems performing mobile application or mobile
intermediary roles.
Required action
Software developers developing to the Electronic
Prescribing – Conformance Profile 3.0 are required to first be conformant to
the relevant Healthcare Identifiers conformance requirements before they can be
assessed and approved as conformant for electronic prescribing.
A reminder that the conformance end date for all
previous electronic prescribing conformance profiles will be 30 April 2022.
Software which is conformant to any of the
previous profiles will be required to become conformant to EP 3.0 by this date
in order for their customers to continue to access electronic prescribing
functionality.
Next Steps
- Fill
out the Implementation Conformance Statement Proforma
- Conduct self assessment against the Conformance Test Specification
- Book HI Notice of Connection and HI
Conformance testing using the process here
More information
For further information on developing for the HI
Service, please see the Developer Centre.
Feedback and questions
If you would like
more informantion on HI conformance for electronic prescribing, please
contact our support team at: help@digitalhealth.gov.au or 1300 901 001.
Thank you for your continued support.
Regards,
Australian Digital Health Agency
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https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33898021/
Health Inf Sci Syst
2021 Apr 16;9(1):19.
doi: 10.1007/s13755-021-00148-6. eCollection 2021 Dec.
Physicians' and pharmacists' use of My Health Record in the emergency department: results from a mixed-methods study
Alexandra K Mullins 1 , Heather Morris 1 , Cate Bailey 1 , Michael Ben-Meir 1 2 3 , David Rankin 2 , Mariam Mousa 1 , Helen Skouteris 1 4
Affiliations
- PMID: 33898021
- PMCID: PMC8051833
- DOI: 10.1007/s13755-021-00148-6
Abstract
Purpose: This study aimed to explore pharmacists' and physicians' perceptions of use, barriers to use and the healthcare outcomes associated with use of Australia's national personally controlled electronic health record-known as My Health Record-in the emergency department.
Methods: A mixed methods approach was deployed, including surveys and individual semi-structured interviews. All physicians and pharmacists who work in the emergency department at Cabrini Health (a non-for-profit healthcare provider in Victoria, Australia) were invited to participate. Due to the timing of elective blocks, physician trainees were excluded from interviews.
Results: A total of 40 emergency medicine clinicians responded to the survey. Over 50% (n = 22) of all respondents had used My Health Record in the emergency department at least once. A total of 18 clinicians participated in the semi-structured interviews, which led to the identification of three themes with multiple sub-themes regarding My Health Record: (1) benefits; (2) effectiveness; and; (3) barriers.
Conclusion: Participants reported My Health Record use in the emergency department delivers efficiencies for clinicians and has a heightened utility for complex patients, consistent with previous research conducted outside of the Australian setting. Barriers to use were revealed: outdated content, a lack of trust, a low perception of value, no patient record and multiple medical record systems. The participants in this study highlighted that training and awareness raising is needed in order to improve My Health Record use in the emergency department, a need stressed by physician's. Further observational research is required to explores meaningful MHR use at scale.
Keywords: Barriers; Efficiencies; Electronic health record; Emergency department; My health record; Patient outcomes.
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Take it from a data expert, humans are more important than ever
Despite excitement about artificial intelligence, the co-founder of Woolies-owned Quantium says that without inherently human skills, new systems will fail to deliver value.
Tony Davis
Apr 26, 2021 – 12.00pm
It’s been said by some tech advocates that “there will always be a role for a man and his dog: the dog to protect the computer and the man to feed the dog.” You won’t hear that from me. The role of humans in sophisticated data analysis and technology has never been more crucial.
Certainly while with Quantium I’ve seen thousands of examples where human inspiration and interpretation within technical processes has been the key to unlocking insight and value.
Artificial Intelligence continues to generate considerable hype, but for many of us in the industry it’s increasingly evident that without uniquely human skills, AI and automation will fail to deliver the promised benefits.
A better way to think about AI might be Augmented Intelligence, relying on people to define and harness technologies to drive personalised offerings for customers and superior outcomes for businesses.
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https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=ba02d5c9-943d-4073-aa34-8b8eadca9e3b
Data Protection and Privacy
April 8 2021
This article is taken from Lexology GTDT’s Practice Guide to Franchise. Led by DLA Piper, the publication examines key themes topical to cross border franchising.
Introduction
The right to privacy is a fundamental human right that has been recognised in most jurisdictions for ages, but only in the past two decades or so has data protection and privacy become a major focus globally, resulting in legislation being enacted in most countries, which places the obligation on businesses to protect the privacy of personal data that they deal with.
Franchised businesses, like any other businesses, are obliged to comply with data privacy laws. In the case of multinational franchising, this means complying with the data privacy laws of all of the jurisdictions in which franchises are operated, which is no easy task. Most countries have some form of data protection law in place.
This chapter will look at the current trends in different countries with respect to data protection and privacy law, as well as the opportunities, challenges and risks brought about by the processing of data under the prevailing circumstances, particularly within the franchising industry.
Key concepts in data privacy law
The definition of ‘data’ differs from jurisdiction to jurisdiction; however, the common thread tends to be that it refers to information concerning an identifiable living, natural person.2 In South Africa3 and Switzerland4 (although, in the case of Switzerland, this is likely to change soon with the ongoing revisions to the DPA) legal entities are included in the definition. Information falling within this definition includes, but is not limited to, information relating to race, gender, sexual orientation, age, an identifying number, email address, geolocation and personal opinions.
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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/facial-recognition-should-be-banned-eu-privacy-watchdog-says-563802
Facial recognition should be banned, EU privacy watchdog says
By Foo Yun Chee on Apr 26, 2021 10:32AM
Because of its "deep and non-democratic intrusion" into people's private lives.
Facial recognition should be banned in Europe because of its “deep and non-democratic intrusion” into people’s private lives, EU privacy watchdog the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) said.
The comments come two days after the European Commission proposed draft rules that would allow facial recognition to be used to search for missing children or criminals and in cases of terrorist attacks.
The draft rules, which need to be thrashed out with EU countries and the European Parliament, are an attempt by the Commission to set global rules for artificial intelligence, a technology dominated by China and the United States.
The privacy watchdog said it regretted that the Commission had not heeded its earlier call to ban facial recognition in public spaces.
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Comments more than welcome!
David.
3 comments:
Love this blog site David. A much needed platform for all sorts of views, each valuable in its own way.
I note there is again changes at the ADoHA. You have to wonder what goes on in these high-profile national strategy meetings, after all the ADHA team ooze expertise.
Executive Deep Dive Meeting
May 4th
Meeting minutes
No need for a data strategy at all.
Holistic view of the healthcare ecosystem - you a tarot card reader?
It's all about digital technology!
Plug and play, 360 view of the consumer, patient-cantered care, and Bob's your uncle.
Hire a few data scientists, UX, easy money - data turns into gold. Poof...magic!
Data quality - no don't need one - data lake (villa, house, palace, yurt) will take care of it - one place take what you want - data governance - who?
Data Architecture - architecture shmarcitecture just connect it with a FHIR API! Or just make copies!
BI - build it and they will come! Design thinking - no way mate too conceptual - pretty charts, numbers everywhere - look at that beautiful!
Clinical processes - you must be kidding we don't need to outline those - everyone knows what they are doing.
Digital Transformation - oooh get me some of that - it's all about the internet - let's get a new XHR app! And label it “My”
Change management and culture - too difficult wouldn't that be better if it were just a nice little stakeholder map....oh yeah love a bit of power vs. leaders - shake it up...!
Privacy, yes let’s keep our real intent private!!
Value -
I want digital health to be AI!
All I can say on ADHA – here we go again……
That is far to close to reality John.
@ John it is that sort of nonsensical thinking that gets you half a billion dollars.
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