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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Another quiet week, to say the least. It seems either there is not much going on or no-body is talking about it much!
Beamtree seems to be trying to raise some news. Will be interesting to see how that goes.
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New app in Australia to help parents support their children's mental wellbeing
The free mobile app covers subjects such as anxiety, bullying, temperament and shyness.
By Adam Ang
September 28, 2021 03:13 AM
The Australian government has unveiled a new mobile application that helps parents support their children's mental health and wellbeing.
WHAT IT DOES
The Raising Healthy Children app by federal government-backed Raising Children Network provides parents with children aged 12 and below with information on their child's health, development and wellbeing. It guides parents, carers and professionals in ensuring their own mental health as well.
Developed by a panel of 85 parents and 21 child health experts, the free mobile app – now available on the Google Play store and Apple App store – covers subjects such as anxiety, stress, work-life balance, bullying, temperament, grief and loss, gender identity, shyness, depression, bonding and exercise. Over 30 topics are currently listed on the app, with more to come later.
In the event of toddler tantrums, for instance, the app can guide users in handling their child by providing tips to manage tantrums, such as identifying triggers and reducing stress. It also directs them on when and how to seek further professional help.
WHY IT MATTERS
In Australia, over 300,000 children each year are experiencing mental disorders, Health Minister Greg Hunt noted in a media release. Based on the 2015 government-commissioned report on the mental health of children and adolescents in the country, one in seven children aged 4-17 experienced mental illnesses with ADHD as the most common disorder.
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https://medicalrepublic.com.au/telehealth-touted-as-ed-deterrent/54484
27 September 2021
Telehealth touted as ED deterrent
Fewer patients are presenting to emergency departments during the covid pandemic, says Australian research – but the role of telehealth as a long-term fix is up in the air.
A population-based survey, recently published by Flinders University, found that almost a quarter of respondents had avoided an ED presentation in the previous four weeks.
The study surveyed about 1200 adults in May 2020 who all had
recently experienced a health issue that, prior to the beginning of the covid
pandemic, would have been a catalyst for them to seek hospital care.
Of those individuals who forwent an emergency attendance, about 60% chose an
alternative form of health care while the remaining 40% said they self-managed
their condition.
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Institute backs standards based approach to digital vaccine passport
Sep 29, 2021 | AIDH news, Allied Health, Australian Health News, Data, Digital Health, eHealth, Featured, International Health News
The Australasian Institute of Digital Health says a standards-based approach is required to give Australians the confidence they are seeking in a smart health card that proves their COVID vaccination status. AIDH CEO Dr Louise Schaper said Australians expected to be able to prove they are double vaccinated with one digital passport wherever they travel across the country, not have to use a different app for each state.
She said the Institute was endorsing a webinar on 5 October, hosted by HL7 Australia and supported by the VCI Consortium, as a way to explore how the SMART health cards could work in Australia, given our unique requirements.
AIDH Fellow and global health informatics leader Grahame Grieve said in Australia at present the state governments seem to be focused on building an app-based solution that looks likely to create difficulties between the states and could see those without smartphones out in the cold.
Mr Grieve said an Australian profile would need to be developed around the SMART Card to bring it closer to Australia’s own requirements. Anyone in the digital health community interested in hearing from key thinkers and implementers in the US health IT community on the SMART Health Card and FHIR are invited to register for the webinar.
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https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/how-a-covid-hotline-could-help-hospitals-and-gps
How a COVID hotline could help hospitals and GPs
A GP-led initiative is proposing a 24/7 hotline to take the burden off emergency services and ensure continuity of care.
30 Sep 2021
As COVID-19 continues to spread, emergency services are
being pushed to their limits.
Currently, isolated COVID-positive patients being treated in the home often
have little recourse when their condition deteriorates other than to call
triple-zero.
The situation has reportedly intensified to the point where a record number of
triple-zero calls were made in Victoria this week, resulting in significant
wait times. On Monday alone, 3250
calls were made – up from around 2000 the same time last year – 40% of
which were not life-threatening situations.
But a 24/7 COVID hotline, being proposed by a group of GPs, is aiming to ease
the burden.
Staffed by healthcare workers, people who are confirmed to have COVID or
suspect they do, would be able to call direct and be triaged to either receive
support through their own general practice, if available, or through the
hotline directly.
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https://medicalrepublic.com.au/deadline-looming-for-nsw-hotspots/54780
1 October 2021
Deadline looming for NSW hotspots
GPs across Greater Sydney were left guessing again today, with the Department of Health website having misled a number of doctors into thinking the Commonwealth-declared hotspots were set to expire, and some telehealth privileges to vanish overnight.
It’s led to questions yet again over the future of MBS rebates for level C phone consults and the need prove a patient has attended at least one face-to-face appointment in the previous 12 months.
GPs took to social media yesterday to inform their colleagues of the deadline, which could spell the end of long telephone consults for a number of GPs and their patients.
But in a last-minute reprieve, the DoH today extended the Commonwealth hotspot status for the affected Sydney local government areas, with a new deadline instated for 11 October.
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Queensland, Northern NSW and Tasmanian consumers can now access a pathology lab that uploads reports to My Health Record
Published 1 October 2021
Consumers across Queensland and Tasmania as well as Northern New South Wales can now access a pathology lab that shares reports with My Health Record.
QML Pathology General Manager, Kerri McPhie, announced that QML, IQ Pathology and TML Pathology are sharing reports with consumers and healthcare providers in My Health Record.
“Consumers in Queensland and Northern NSW can take any pathology request form to one of more than 500 QML collection centres from Port Douglas to Ballina, and we will send a copy of their report to My Health Record.”
“For consumers in Tasmania, their reports are sent to My Health Record from our 22 TML collection centres that service the state’s north from Burnie to Launceston, and in the south in and around Hobart.”
Healius Pathology Chief Executive, John McKechnie, is pleased to see labs connecting to My Health Record across the country.
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Beamtree (ASX:BMT) partners with CALHN for safer patient care
Jessica De Freitas Markets Reporter jessica.defreitas@themarketherald.com.au
30 September 2021 15:30 (AEST)
- Beamtree (BMT) partners with the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) to implement AI products to support safer care for patients
- The companies will implement a data quality product across CALHN's hospital network as well as launch a new trial using RippleDown
- The trial supports clinical decision making for pathology services and will integrate the Ainsoff Index into the electronic medical record
- The collaboration also involves assessing RippleDown in clinical workflow to get feedback from practicing doctors
- Company shares end the day 20.2 per cent in the green to close at 59.5 cents
Beamtree (BMT) has partnered with the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN).
The partnership will see the pair implement artificial intelligence (AI) products to support better and safer care for patients.
Specifically, the companies will implement the RISQ data quality product across CALHN's network of four hospitals. RISQ is a comprehensive measurement and auditing tool which supports better health data accuracy and the management of potential hospital-acquired complications.
Beamtree and CALHN will also launch a new trial using RippleDown, an AI decision support product, and launch the Ainsoff index which is used to detect deterioration in its early stage.
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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/accenture-gets-another-11m-for-my-health-record-enhancements-570292
Accenture gets another $11m for My Health Record enhancements
By Justin Hendry on Sep 27, 2021 6:51AM
Decade-long deal climbs higher.
Accenture has been handed $11 million to further enhance the My Health Record system, bringing its long-standing national infrastructure operator (NIO) deal to $641 million.
The Australian Digital Health Agency revealed the nine-month contract with the tech giant earlier this month amid its massive national infrastructure modernisation program.
The new deal comes just two months after the AHDA extended Accenture’s decade-long umbrella deal until at least July 2022 at a cost of $42.7 million.
Accenture has held the NIO contract for the design, build and integration of the My Health Record system since 2011, when it was known as the personally controlled electronic health record (PCEHR).
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https://www.innovationaus.com/accenture-gets-11m-boost-for-my-health-record-enhancements/
Accenture gets $11m boost for My Health Record ‘enhancements’
Denham Sadler
National Affairs Editor
27 September 2021
Accenture has been handed more than $11 million to make “enhancements” to My Health Record across this financial year, with the Irish-domiciled multinational now paid nearly $641 million over a decade for work on the platform.
In June 2012 Accenture was awarded a contract for “national infrastructure services” for the My Health Record system, with the tech firm operating an Oracle-based platform underpinning the digital health service.
Across a number of amendments this contract has now ballooned out to be worth just under $641 million, running until the end of June next year.
The first value increase was awarded in October 2019. In July last year, Accenture won a one-year extension of the contract worth $42.5 million, and a further $15 million to make a number of improvements to the system in the 2020-21 financial year.
The Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) awarded Accenture a further $11.5 million recently to make more “enhancements” to My Health Record this financial year, a spokesperson said.
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https://www.ausdoc.com.au/news/aussie-doctors-make-surgical-devices-using-3d-printer
Aussie doctors make surgical devices using 3D printer
Onsite printing could bridge supply shortages of urological devices, say Melbourne researchers
28th September 2021
Melbourne doctors have helped come up with a way to ease global shortages of medical devices using an over-the-counter desktop 3D printer.
Researchers led by Austin Health surgical resident Dr Jasamine Coles-Black, have described a method to create a meatal dilator using 3D-printing.
They said the dilator would provide a "simple entry point" for low risk devices that urology units can print in-house.
Dr Coles-Black and colleagues, including urologists and surgeons from a number of Melbourne hospitals, published the dilator design in an appendix to a research letter in European Urology.
Dilators treat meatal occlusive disease and are in short supply worldwide, the authors wrote.
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https://www.hinz.org.nz/news/581608/Progress-on-national-Electronic-Oral-Health-Record.htm
Progress on national Electronic Oral Health Record
Tuesday, 28 September 2021
NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth
Four regional agreements for
DHBs that use Titanium software and a new Oral Health Data Standard have been
developed as part of progress towards a nationally consistent Electronic Oral
Health Record.
Titanium is a clinical system used by publicly funded oral health providers and
the University of Otago Faculty of Dentistry in New Zealand. It contains
critical information about the status of patients and treatments provided to
nearly all children up to the age of 12, and some adults.
Sixteen DHBs are using Titanium Solutions, but each have their own instance and
customisation of the software, making it challenging to get nationally
consistent information from the system.
These 16 licences for the software have been incorporated into four regional
support and service agreements covering the Southern, Central, Midland and
Northern regions of New Zealand.
Professional services organisation TAS is leading the project on behalf of the
DHBs and the Ministry of Health. Bryan Pay, EOHR programme manager, says the implementation plan was approved by DHB chief executives in
May 2019, and the new regional agreements were
agreed with Titanium in May this year.
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System identifies children missing health checks in Northern region
Wednesday, 29 September 2021
NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth
The National Child Health
Information Platform (NCHIP) is live in the Northern region and being used to
ensure all children are connected with health providers and getting the health
checks they need.
In New Zealand, children are eligible for 30 child health milestone checks
between birth and six years such as; metabolic screening, immunisation, oral
health, before school checks, and vision and hearing.
Orion Health clinical consultant Angela de Zwart says these health checks are
done by many providers and information is held in data silos, making it
difficult to recognise patterns and identify those children who are missing out
on services.
NCHIP is a cloud-based platform that collates non-clinical information -
including ethnicity, deprivation level and milestone updates - into a unified
view of milestones and care provider relationships.
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https://www.innovationaus.com/digital-ministers-in-vaccination-pact/
Digital ministers’ in vaccination certificate pact
Joseph Brookes
Senior Reporter
27 September 2021
Australian governments are working to incorporate federal vaccination certificates into state and territory check in apps and are cooperating on home quarantine for fully vaccinated people as states and territories prepare to ease COVID restrictions.
It follows varying support from premiers and chief ministers on requiring vaccination proof and questions about how to integrate such proof into existing digital services – all in the absence of a national approach.
The challenge was discussed at a Data and Digital Ministers’ Meeting on Friday, while the National Cabinet is expected to include more talks on the issue later this week.
Since June Australians have had access to digital proof of vaccination certificates through myGov or the Medicare app, but the digital documents are easily forged.
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https://www.itwire.com/accounting-software/nhmrc-picks-link4-as-an-access-point-provider.html
Friday, 24 September 2021 12:43
NHMRC picks Link4 as an e-invoicing access point provider
The National Health and Medical Research Council has selected Link4 as an e-invoicing access point provider due to its strong track record in working with government agencies.
“We have to remember why e-invoicing is being implemented,” comments Link4 CEO Robin Sands. “E-invoicing helps small business and helps the economy.”
“We are happy to be supporting NHMRC with this service," Sands says.
According to Link4, in 2020, businesses lost $128 million to payment redirection scams. This figure is projected to be more than five times higher in 2021.
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Review: Suunto 9 Peak smartwatch could lead an exercise revolution
12:15AM September 30, 2021
Finnish premium smartwatch maker Suunto has somewhat of a cult following. It has been making navigation gear for 80 years. The legend goes that in 1939, a Suunto M-311 field compass saved the life of a Finnish soldier when he was hit by a Russian sniper’s bullet. It wasn’t high tech that saved him though. The bullet hit the Suunto compass in his pocket.
The brand isn‘t a household name in Australia, but the company’s hardy watches are popular among outdoor adventurers and serious sportspeople.
This latest offering, the Suunto 9 Peak, is still a largish smartwatch compared to Apple and Samsung watches. It has a round face and three operating buttons at right. However, it is significantly smaller than the existing Suunto 9 Baro and lightweight.
Suunto says it is 37 per cent thinner and 36 per cent lighter than the Baro. You barely feel it on your wrist.
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Telehealth in aged care: does it have a promising future?
By Gareth Mohan*
Wednesday, 29 September, 2021
During lockdowns, senior Australians used fewer in-person visits with their GPs and telehealth visits became a core service for non-urgent care. Now, after months of near-normalcy, the COVID-19 delta variant is sending the numbers of daily cases climbing to their highest point yet and driving cities back into lockdown.
In this latest wave of the pandemic, ensuring that senior Australians continue to have safe access to health care is an important priority. The government recently approved new Medicare items for telehealth consultations, and in a statement about the new items, Health Minister Greg Hunt cited telehealth’s “important role in supporting Australians through the pandemic”.
With these new Medicare guidelines, it’s clear that telehealth is here to stay. But will it be able to effectively meet the needs of elderly Australians? It’s one thing for doctors to offer telephone consultations; it’s another for seniors to utilise them effectively.
As an aged-care provider headquartered in Perth and with additional offices throughout the country, we’ve had a front row seat to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare access. We wanted to find out how comfortable Australians are with telemedicine and how likely they are to choose it when other options are available, so we conducted a survey to find out.
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AWS launches $55m health grants program
September 28, 2021
Amazon Web Services wants to make telehealth and telemedicine available to remote and marginalised communities around the world through a $55m grants program.
It’s one of many aspirations of its new Healthcare Equity program that aims to offer free credit and technical expertise to struggling health providers so they can access AWS cloud services.
Health-based organisations can apply online with an application deadline set at November 15. The money is made available as credits and services.
AWS says eligible applicants could be customers from industries such as non-profit healthcare, academic medical centres, national governments, primary care, ambulatory care and elderly care. AWS partner network members can also apply.
It says the program will focus on providers to underserved populations around the world.
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Tuesday, 28 September 2021 13:27
NBN meeting its social responsibility to Australians during COVID
That's the title of an open letter sent by CEOs; Phillip Britt of Aussie Broadband, Kelly Bayer Rosmarin of Optus, Andy Penn of Telstra, Iñaki Berroeta of TPG Telecom and Kevin Russell of Vocus to NBN Co CEO Stephen Rue. They wrote to appeal to NBN Co's social responsibility towards all Australians requesting additional broadband capacity during this time of need. The letter was also copied to Paul Fletcher, Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts.
The five telcos represent more than 96% of the 8.3 million Australians connected to the NBN.
They said, "Australians are suffering from the impact of COVID more today than at any other time since the outbreak began. Australia’s most populous states remain in lockdown and State borders remain closed as daily case numbers continue to hit record highs.
"We appreciate that NBN Co understands its heightened level of social responsibility during this national crisis caused by COVID, and has supported Australians working online, educating their children online, and staying connected with loved ones they cannot see in person. We are thankful for the relief that NBN Co has provided in the past.
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Enjoy!
David.
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