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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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Surveillance, drones and kill switches: Abusers use technology to terrorise women
September 5, 2021 — 12.00am
Technology has rapidly evolved to become one of the “greatest ways for domestic violence perpetrators to coercively control their partners” according to Women’s Safety Minister Anne Ruston.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said it is often every day technology used by perpetrators, from angry messages on bank statements to drones over houses to basic kill switches in cars that are used to demean and control women.
Ms Ruston and Ms Inman Grant are both participants at the federal government’s two-day Women’s Safety Summit, which begins on Monday.
The summit was called after former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins alleged she was raped in Parliament House. This triggered a raft of reviews and a national conversation about sexual abuse, and violence against women.
Ms Ruston is the first person to hold the new women’s safety portfolio and acknowledges the summit agenda - and the work ahead - is huge. “At the end of the day if we want to really change the dial we have to get Australians to understand that they all need to play a role in changing behaviours”.
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https://www.innovationaus.com/commissioners-release-covid-19-privacy-principles/
Commissioners release COVID-19 privacy principles
Ben Grubb
Editor
3 September 2021
Australia’s federal and state privacy commissioners have released guidance for developing tools that protect public health and enable increased mobility as Australia embarks on a pathway out of COVID-19.
The guidance comes after Queensland Police were in June found using the state’s COVID-19 check-in app data as part of an investigation into the reported theft of an officer’s gun and Taser from a regional pub. The state’s police later directed officers to not access such data “except in extraordinary circumstances”.
Once states and territories reach a certain percentage of their population being vaccinated and begin to open up, premiers have indicated that COVID-19 vaccination certificates will likely become a requirement for entry to certain venues like pubs and clubs. Similar documentation is likely to be required for overseas travel.
It is with this in mind that Australia’s privacy commissioners on Thursday released the National COVID-19 Privacy Principles – a set of universal privacy principles which they say provide flexibility for government and business in developing tools that protect public health and enable increased mobility.
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https://www.innovationaus.com/vaccine-certificate-data-coming-to-state-check-in-apps/
Vaccine certificate data coming to state check-in apps
Ben Grubb
Editor
3 September 2021
State and territory COVID-19 check-in apps will be granted access to federal government data showing whether citizens have been vaccinated against the coronavirus, with the functionality expected to go live this month.
Despite one media report suggesting NSW’s attempt to access the data had been thwarted, federal Digital Minister Stuart Robert’s office confirmed to InnovationAus that work was underway to allow for the sharing.
Once states begin to open up after lockdowns, it’s expected some types of venues will require patrons to provide proof of vaccination in addition to checking in via a QR code, on top of requiring ID if they’re an establishment like a nightclub.
With this in mind, federal and state governments have been discussing whether there is a way to integrate data from the Australian Immunisation Register into state-based check-in apps to make it easier for citizens to check in without having to open separate apps.
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How Australia's tech-savvy COVID-19 response is leaving CALD communities behind
Australia's culturally and linguistically diverse communities are what makes the country unique, but have they been let down and left behind during the pandemic?
By Aimee Chanthadavong | September 2, 2021 -- 22:30 GMT (08:30 AEST) | Topic: E-Commerce
For parts of greater Sydney that have been labelled as "areas of concern", it's now the 10th week of COVID-19 lockdown. These once vibrant communities are fraught with overwhelming frustration, anger, resentment, anxiety, and are simply just tired. I know this because I currently reside in one of these affected local government areas (LGAs).
Besides being locked down, one of the unfortunate issues -- which has not been widely addressed -- is that state and federal governments, as well as retailers, have leaned heavily on using technology to help these LGAs cope with such restrictions.
For instance, one of the initial actions that retailers took to operate in a "COVID safe way" was to discourage the use of cash payments.
This was followed by the New South Wales government introducing its QR code check-in system for COVID-19 contact tracing. Initially, QR check-in was only mandated at hospitality venues and Service NSW centres across the state but in July that was extended to all retail businesses, supermarkets, individual shops within shopping centres, entry points at shopping centres, gyms, offices, call centres, manufacturing and warehousing businesses, universities and TAFE, and schools including teachers and visitors.
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https://www.ausdoc.com.au/specialist-update/continuous-monitoring-detects-af-fails-reduce-stroke
Continuous monitoring 'detects AF but fails to reduce stroke'
Use of an implantable monitor in high-risk patients disappoints in randomised trial, researchers find
3rd September 2021
Continuous electrocardiographic monitoring using an implantable loop recorder (ILR) to detect ‘silent’ atrial fibrillation failed to prevent strokes in a randomised controlled trial, Danish researchers say.
Results from the LOOP study of elderly patients at high risk of stroke suggest that screening for asymptomatic AF may not be worth the trouble or clinical resources, they say.
Study author Dr Jesper Svendsen, from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark said that despite ILR leading to a threefold increase in AF detection and anticoagulation initiation, there was “no significant reduction in stroke or systemic arterial embolism”.
"Although AF was diagnosed in more than 30% of participants in the ILR group and 91% of these initiated oral anticoagulation, the overall risk reduction was only 20% and non-significant," he told delegates at the ESC Congress 2021.
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Vaccine passport information should be ‘sighted’, not collected, says nation’s privacy bodies
September 3, 2021
Information on so-called “vaccine passports” or certificates should in general not be collected or stored by businesses or governments, according to Australia’s federal and state privacy bodies.
Under a set of principles released on Thursday, passports would be sighted – for example, on entry to a restaurant or sporting venue – but not collected. In cases where data was required to be held, that information should be limited and later deleted.
The National Covid-19 Privacy Principles have been agreed by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and state and territory privacy commissioners and ombudsmen in an effort to set up a national framework for vaccination passports, should they be introduced.
The joint approach follows concerns that privacy laws could be threatened if people are forced to reveal their vaccination status to employers or businesses.
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https://www.2gb.com/how-to-get-your-hands-on-your-vaccine-certificate-and-stay-safe-from-forgery/
How to get your hands on your vaccine certificate – and stay safe from forgery
2 September, 2021
Deborah Knight
Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen has explained how to access confirmation of your COVID-19 vaccines.
Mr Jongen told Deborah Knight your immunisation history, including your COVID jabs, can be viewed and printed off through Medicare or MyHealthRecord – both of which you can install as apps on your smartphone.
“It’ll enable you to download the digital certificate, and … you can simply present it to anyone that might need you to verify that you’ve received both shots.”
He warned anyone who’s received a text message claiming to provide a certificate, for any amount of money, that such offers are a scam.
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https://www.itwire.com/it-people/le-grice-named-2021-victorian-pearcey-entrepreneur-of-the-year.html
Thursday, 02 September 2021 11:52
Le Grice named 2021 Victorian Pearcey Entrepreneur of the Year
The Pearcey Foundation has named Bronwyn Le Grice, CEO and managing director of ANDHealth, as its 2021 Victorian Pearcey Entrepreneur Award recipient.
"As the recipient of the 2021 Victorian Pearcey Entrepreneur Award, Bronwyn has most definitely taken a risk, made a difference and is a true inspiration!" said Pearcey Foundation Victorian chair Jordan Green.
"She has led a diverse career, and in 2017, working with a consortium of industry partners, Bronwyn created the only organisation in Australia dedicated to the commercialisation of digital health, with a specific focus on digital medicine and digital therapeutics.
"The novel non-profit model of ANDHealth is specifically designed to suit the Australian reality. It has already supported over 450 emerging digital health companies, with the 10 companies selected in the pilot ANDHealth+ program going on to raise over $70 million in funding, creating around 300 jobs and impacting over 200,000 patients in just four years."
Le Grice holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Western Australia, and a master's degree in commercial law.
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https://www.innovationaus.com/secret-report-slams-covidsafe-as-high-cost-low-benefit/
Secret report slams COVIDSafe as ‘high cost, low benefit’
Denham
Sadler
National Affairs Editor
30 August 2021
The federal government was warned early this year that its $16 million COVIDSafe contact tracing app was ineffective in “very high-risk settings” and was wasting the time of state health authorities in a report it attempted to keep secret.
Health Minister Greg Hunt tabled a report on the effectiveness of COVIDSafe, which uses a smartphone’s bluetooth technology to log close contacts between users and sends this information to a national database if a user tests positive for COVID-19, last month, well after he was required to under legislation.
But the report tabled by the government differs greatly from the full report provided by independent consultancy Abt Associates, which has now been revealed following a freedom of information battle by The Canberra Times.
The government had earlier released a version of the full report nearly entirely redacted, before tabling a summary version in Parliament.
The version put forward by the government is stripped of most of the critical information on the app, including that it was unlikely to provide any benefit in high-risk settings such as restaurants and supermarkets, where significant transmission has been seen this year, and that it is often taking up hours of contact tracers’ precious time with little reward.
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Australia's insurers, banks alarmed at having to pay victims for data breaches
By Ry Crozier on Sep 2, 2021 11:59AM
Under proposal aired by Home Affairs in July.
Australia’s banks and insurers are concerned at a plan that would make it easier for individuals impacted by data breaches to sue or seek financial compensation.
Premiums for cyber insurance and director liability products in Australia could rise if consumers are afforded clearer legal avenues to seek compensation for a data breach or cyber incident, insurers have warned.
The ability for consumers “to seek remedies or compensation for cyber security incidents” is currently limited in Australia, but that could change if a “direct right to action” is introduced.
Home Affairs said [pdf] in July that a “right” could be built into consumer or privacy laws, and lead to “standards” being set for payouts to people impacted by a breach.
But the proposal has been met with alarm from banking and insurance groups, concerned at the precedents it would set, and at the potential for liability to discourage disclosure of incidents in the first place.
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https://ajp.com.au/news/overdose-hides-in-plain-sight/
‘Overdose hides in plain sight.’
One stakeholder is calling for a national overdose prevention strategy, as a report details the pharmaceutical drugs involved with unintentional drug-related deaths
The Penington Institute has released Australia’s Annual Overdose Report 2021, which examined the 2,227 drug-induced deaths in Australia in 2019, of which 1,644 were unintentional – a key focus of the report.
Drug overdose is a leading cause of death for Australians of all ages, it notes – rising to the second-leading cause of death (behind suicide) for male and female 30 to 39-year-olds, and the third-leading cause of death for both men and women aged 20 to 29, or 40 to 49.
Dr Karen Gelb, the report’s lead author, told the AJP that the fact that most overdose deaths involve pharmaceutical drugs means that “pharmacists need to have really good, open, honest conversations with their patients”.
While measures such as real-time prescription monitoring and My Health Record are a step in the right direction, she said, health professionals need to do what they can to boost their patients’ health literacy, and step up in a constructive manner when they notice concerns with the way their patients are using medicines.
“Having open, non-judgemental conversations are really critical for a pharmacist to do,” she said.
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https://www.fool.com.au/2021/08/31/beamtree-asx-bmt-share-price-rockets-21-on-acquisition-news/
Beamtree (ASX: BMT) share price rockets 21% on acquisition news
It’s a big day on the ASX for Beamtree. Here’s what’s sent its shares skyrocketing.
Published August 31, 1:57pm AEST
The Beamtree Holdings Ltd (ASX: BMT) share price is soaring today after the company announced its plan to acquire data analytics firm, Potential(x).
Potential(x) specialises in the health and human services market. According to Beamtree, the acquisition will set it up as the largest health and artificial intelligence-led support platform in Australia.
Right now, the Beamtree share price is 59,5 cents, 21.43% higher than its previous close.
Let’s take a closer look at today’s news from the health data insights and health coding solutions provider.
New acquisition
The Beamtree share price is gaining after the company announced it’s entered an agreement to acquire Potential(x).
The agreement will see Beamtree paying $4 million in cash and providing Potential(x)’s shareholders with 30 million Beamtree shares.
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Commentary from management
Beamtree’s CEO Tim Kelsey commented on the news sending the company’s share price through the roof today:
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Digital Health Literacy: My Health Record Seminar (Ballajura)
Next date: Thursday, 30 September 2021 | 01:00 PM to 02:00 PM ADHA Propaganda
Join Tim Coghill of Technologically Speaking to get all your My Health Record questions answered!
Please note that this is a program for adults and young people aged 16+.
What is My Health Record? How is your medical information used, and how can you make sure it's safe and secure? Get an introduction to the government's online health record management system and find out everything you've been wondering about My Health Record, including how to manage your online account. You'll be able to ask technology expert Tim Coghill your questions in this session - and enjoy a complimentary morning tea!
In accordance with hygiene requirements, social distancing will be maintained throughout this program and hand sanitizing stations and cleaning products will be available for use.
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https://www.miragenews.com/clinician-vaccine-integrated-platform-622076/
30 Aug 2021 1:05 pm AEST
Clinician Vaccine Integrated Platform
Reporting immunisation events to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) is a vital part of public health monitoring.
It is mandatory for vaccination providers to report to the AIR all COVID-19, influenza, and NIP vaccines given. Reporting of other vaccines is encouraged but not mandatory.1
To facilitate reporting to the AIR, the Australian Digital Health Agency has developed the Clinician Vaccine Integrated Platform (CVIP). The CVIP makes it easier for vaccination providers who do not have clinical software that reports to the AIR to record vaccination information.2
While providers may be familiar with recording vaccinations using HPOS, CVIP is a more streamlined method that makes uploading information to AIR more efficient.
While it is not a requirement for healthcare professionals to use CVIP, it provides a simpler solution in some instances by integrating vaccination check-in with vaccination recording and reporting in AIR.
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Understanding compliance requirements for accessing My Health Record – practical tips for practice managers
Event details ADHA Propaganda
When Thursday, 2 September 2021
1:00pm - 2:00pm (AEST)
Where Online
Hosted by Australian Digital Health Agency
These one-hour sessions will equip Practice Managers and administrative staff with a sound knowledge of how to implement and maintain policies and procedures to govern access to the My Health Record within their organisation.
These demonstrations will be run multiple times each week and at varying times throughout the day.
Upon completion participants will be able to:
- Understand the legislative framework for accessing My Health Record
- Create and maintain security and access policies for My Health Record
- Manage My Health Record user accounts and training registers
- Understand the importance of Health Identifiers and correct system configuration
- Designate roles and responsibilities for practice staff engaging with My Health Record
- Understand when and how to access information contained within a consumer’s My Health Record
This education is CPD accredited by AAPM and NAATSIHWP.
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Apply for a ADHA/RACP Digital Health Scholarship
[Closed Tender]
Organisation: Private ADHA Propaganda
Issued by: Royal Australasian College of Physicians
Location: Australian Capital
Territory, Tasmania
New South Wales : Central West, Far West, Hunter, Illawarra, Murray, Mid
North Coast, Riverina, New England, Orana, Southern Highlands, Far North Coast,
Sydney
Queensland : Cairns & Far North Queensland, Gladstone, Mackay
Whitsunday Region, Mount Isa & North West Region, Rockhampton, South East
Queensland, South West & Darling Downs, The Central West, Townsville, Wide
Bay Burnett
Western Australia : Gascoyne, Goldfields/Esperance, Great Southern,
Kimberley, Mid West, Peel, Perth Metropolitan, Pilbara, South West, Wheatbelt
Victoria : Barwon South West, Gippsland, Grampians, Hume, Loddon Mallee,
Melbourne Metro
Northern Territory : Alice Springs, Darwin, Katherine, Nhulunbuy
South Australia : Central Region, Eyre Peninsula, Metropolitan, Murray
Mallee, Outback, Southern & Hills, South East
Category:
Healthcare Services : Health & Wellbeing Services, Medical Speciality Services
Status: Closed
Closing date: 17-03-2021(closed)
Description: In partnership with the Australian Digital Health Agency, we're offering 10 x $4000 scholarships to RACP members using My Health Record and electronic prescribing in the healthcare environment.
This tender has closed.
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https://trialsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13063-021-05438-8
Clinical and healthcare improvement through My Health Record usage and education in general practice (CHIME-GP): a study protocol for a cluster-randomised controlled trial
Abstract
Background
There is an international interest in whether improved primary care can lead to a more rational use of health resources. There is evidence that educational interventions can lead to improvements in the quality of rational prescribing and test ordering. A new national platform for shared medical records in Australia, My Health Record (MHR), poses new opportunities and challenges for system-wide implementation. This trial (CHIME-GP) will investigate whether components of a multifaceted education intervention in an Australian general practice setting on rational prescribing and investigation ordering leads to reductions in health-service utilisation and costs in the context of the use of a national digital health record system.
Methods
The trial will be undertaken in Australian general practices. The aim of the research is to evaluate the effectiveness of components of a web-based educational intervention for general practitioners, regarding rational use of medicines, pathology and imaging in the context of the use of the MHR system. Our target is to recruit 120 general practitioners from urban and regional regions across Australia. We will use a mixed methods approach incorporating a three-arm pragmatic cluster randomised parallel trial and a prospective qualitative inquiry. The effect of each education component in each arm will be assessed, using the other two arms as controls. The evaluation will synthesise the results embedding qualitative pre/post interviews in the quantitative results to investigate implementation of the intervention, clinical behaviour change and mechanisms such as attitudes, that may influence change. The primary outcome will be an economic analysis of the cost per 100 consultations of selected prescriptions, pathology and radiology test ordering in the 6 months following the intervention compared with 6 months prior to the intervention. Secondary outcome measures include the rates per 100 consultations of selected prescriptions, pathology and radiology test ordering 6 months pre- and post-intervention, and comparison of knowledge assessment tests pre- and post-intervention.
Discussion
The trial will produce robust health economic analyses on the evidence on educational intervention in reducing unnecessary prescribing, pathology and imaging ordering, in the context of MHR. In addition, the study will contribute to the evidence-base concerning the implementation of interventions to improve the quality of care in primary care practice.
Note: This paper needs a very close read -as there are major flaws I believe
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Comments more than welcome!
David.
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