Monday, May 16, 2022

Weekly Australian Health IT Links – 16 May, 2022.

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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A pretty quiet week it seemed to me this time. Any major news I missed?

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https://www.ausdoc.com.au/news/gps-need-reliable-discharge-summary-system-concludes-inquest?brandTid=0

GPs need 'reliable' discharge summary system, concludes inquest

An elderly patient's GP was left unaware that she had been prescribed both metoprolol and verapamil while hospitalised, says NSW coroner

11th May 2022

By Heather Saxena

A GP never received a discharge summary that would have alerted him that an elderly patient had been prescribed both verapamil and metoprolol while hospitalised, a NSW coroner has found.

While the patient’s death 17 days later was most likely caused by ischaemic heart disease, it was possible the medication mix-up at Sydney’s Ryde Hospital contributed, said Magistrate Derek Lee.

“[It] is plain that a discharge summary from a hospital is intended to convey important information to a patient’s usual treatment providers,” the coroner wrote last week.

“Although there is no evidence in this case that the conveyance of such information would have prevented the eventual outcome, such information may well be more critical in a different scenario.

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https://www.itnews.com.au/digitalnation/video/ai-increasing-accuracy-and-efficiency-in-cancer-screening-579869

AI increasing accuracy and efficiency in cancer screening

By Velvet-Belle Templeman on May 12, 2022 7:00AM

Dr Helen Frazer is leading the research at St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne using AI to improve the accuracy of breast cancer screening and shorten the time to return results to patients.

St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne has partnered with BreastScreen Victoria, St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, the Australian Institute of Machine Learning at the University of Adelaide and the University of Melbourne to support the research program, and its being overseen by Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery.

Despite the screening program being largely considered as a successful public health initiative over its 30 year term, Frazer believes that AI can not only save lives in this space, but improve the experience for women.

“We're now working with five of our top performing algorithms and their ensemble and the exciting thing is that we've moved into this real world setting. So we've been testing and validating our models in a real-world retrospective cohort of women of over half a million women,” she said.
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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/defence-e-health-records-platform-build-to-create-almost-190-jobs-579784

Defence e-health records platform build to create almost 190 jobs

By Justin Hendry on May 10, 2022 11:56AM

Leidos breaks silence on $329m project.

Leidos Australia expects to create almost 190 new jobs across the country, after securing a $329 million contract to deliver the Australian Defence Force’s new e-health record platform.

As revealed by iTnews last week, the systems integrator and its team of partners scored the contract for the Health Knowledge Management (HKM) solution after a extensive procurement process that first began in 2018.

The solution is the final component of the multi-year, billion-dollar JP2060 deployed health capability project, and will replace the legacy Defence eHealth System (DeHS) currently used by Defence.

DeHS, which is based on EMIS clinical software, was initially implemented by a CSC-led consortium (now DXC Technology) in 2014 for a cost of $133 million – $110 million more than its initial budget in 2009.

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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/anz/australia-embarks-first-phase-its-digital-transformation-aged-care-following-royal

Australia embarks on 'first phase' of its digital transformation of aged care following royal commission

The Aged Care Royal Commission in 2021 found "the aged care system is well behind other sectors in the use and application of technology" and recommended government investment.

By Lynne Minion

May 12, 2022 04:56 AM

Australia's Department of Health has embarked on the "first phase of the journey" in its ambitious digital transformation agenda for aged care by calling on industry volunteers to codesign APIs needed for data sharing with the federal government.

Speaking at the Department's first "Tech Talk" webinar into the substantial digitisation program, Fay Flevras, First Assistant Secretary for the Digital Transformation and Delivery Division, said, "Today is the first step, certainly, in engaging specifically around the technology" that will help in delivering "a once in a generation aged care reform".

WHY IT MATTERS

In 2021, the Aged Care Royal Commission's final report led the Australian Government to agree, or agree in principle, to 126 of 148 recommendations to improve the sector and announce an $18.8 billion reform package. Of those recommendations, over 30 are significantly dependent on ICT and digital enablers to implement.

"Importantly, all of this relies on a connected, streamlined, interoperable, digital ecosystem, a better connected aged care network that is consolidated, standardised, automated and modern," Flevras said.

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https://www.itnews.com.au/digitalnation/video/cover-story-ai-driving-solutions-in-healthcare-gender-equality-and-wildlife-conservation-579755?

COVER STORY: AI driving solutions in healthcare, gender equality and wildlife conservation

By Velvet-Belle Templeman on May 10, 2022 7:00AM

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are making significant inroads in solving intractable problems in healthcare, gender inequality and wildlife conservation.

The Women in AI Awards Australia and New Zealand 2022 awards the top-performing female leaders and innovators using AI to drive impact in their sectors and who are also providing a social good.

Digital Nation Australia spoke to the winners and runner-ups of the most prestigious award of the night, the Innovator of the Year award, as well as the winner of the WAI Trailblazer. Between them, the four winners shared a prize pool of $30,000.

AI in breast cancer screening

Dr Helen Frazer, radiologist, breast cancer clinician and clinical director at BreastScreen at St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne, won the WAI Innovator of the Year award, for her work in transforming women’s experience in breast cancer screening, and saving lives.

“We have curated a very large, globally unique data set for breast cancer AI research,” said Frazer.
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https://www.innovationaus.com/mygov-app-on-track-to-launch-this-year/

myGov app ‘on track’ to launch this year

Denham Sadler
National Affairs Editor

11 May 2022

A myGov smartphone app is “on track” to launch at some point this year after private beta testing began last December.

It’s been nearly three years since the federal government flagged a need for a single government app to provide access to myGov services, and nearly six months since Deloitte’s $5.5 million contract to develop such an app came to an end.

In October last year Services Australia deputy chief executive of transformation projects Charles McHardie said in a speech that the “first iteration” of the myGov app was expected to be launched in December.

But there has been no updates on the app since this speech, and this first iteration has not been seen.

According to a Services Australia spokesperson, the app went into private beta testing in December, and will be launched later this year as planned.

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https://www.wqphn.com.au/events/79/670-Digital-Health-Q-A-Series-RACGP-ADHA

Digital Health Q & A Series - RACGP & ADHA

Date: May 17, 2022 12:00:00

The RACGP and the Australian Digital Health Agency are running a series of 30-minute lunchtime webinars in May as part of the ‘Digital health live Q&A series’.

Strengthen your capabilities in electronic prescribing, learn how you can help your patients access digital health tools and discuss the future of digital health.

For more information and to register, click the links below.
 

12 May 2022
Electronic prescribing Q&A
Find out more and register
17 May 2022
Supporting patients to access digital health tools
Find out more and register
23 May 2022
The future of digital health
Find out more and register

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https://marketplace.service.gov.au/2/digital-marketplace/opportunities/21487

Australian Digital Health Agency

RFQ DH4394 - National Clinical Governance in Digital Health - End to End Event Management

Opportunity Type Professional Services and Consulting (Seek proposals and quotes)

Opportunity ID 21487

Deadline for asking questions Thursday 12 May 2022 at 6pm (in Canberra)

Application closing date Monday 16 May 2022 at 6pm (in Canberra)

Published Tuesday 10 May 2022

Panel category Marketing, Communications and Engagement

Overview

The Agency is planning to undertake our first major event in clinical governance. The National Summit on Clinical Governance in Digital Health is proposed to be held in Sydney in September 2022. The event is expected to engage digital health and clinical governance leaders from government, private health, peak bodies, universities, and the software industry, as attendees and presenters. The aim of the Summit is to demonstrate that safety and quality in digital health must be a high priority. It will be a call to action for key executives in the healthcare sector with responsibility for digital health clinical governance implementation to attend and participate in driving this change. We expect the number of delegates to be between 100 and 200. Our vision is for a digitally led, immersive experience with is both in person and virtual. Deliverables: 3 concepts A simple overview and rationale with examples to demonstrate how the ideas will come to life are sufficient. Where possible, reference materials should be supplied to provide examples. Please refer attached requirements document for specific details.

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https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/newsroom/events-and-webinars/my-health-record-improving-data-quality-in-your-practice

My Health Record - Improving data quality in your practice

This session will help you understand the importance of high-quality patient clinical records and provide practical examples of how to improve your practice’s data quality through a Quality Improvement activity.  This session will help guide practice managers and clinical staff in understanding 

  • Clinical risks of poor data;
  • The importance of coding clinical information to ensure quality diagnosis and medical history data; 
  • Importance of quality prescription and medicines data; and 
  • The benefits of up-to-date and accurate data 

Event details

When Friday, 20 May 2022
10:00am - 10:30am (AEST)

Where Online

Hosted by Australian Digital Health Agency

Register here

Contact us General enquiries

Phone: 1300 901 001
8am - 5pm (AEST/AEDT) Monday - Friday
Email: 
help@digitalhealth.gov.au

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https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK2205/S00178/starship-launches-support-tool-to-address-youth-mental-health.htm

Starship Launches Support Tool To Address Youth Mental Health

Monday, 9 May 2022, 9:46 am
Press Release:
Starship Foundation

Today, Starship, and the Starship Foundation in partnership with ASB, launch a new communications app to help address the growing mental health needs of New Zealand young people.

Called Village, the app is designed to help rangatahi (young people) aged 13 to 25 take control of their mental well-being by connecting users with a network of trusted individuals, friends or whānau, called “buddies”.

Founded on the premise that it takes a village to raise a child, the innovative app was co-designed by New Zealand rangatahi and whānau.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, admissions of children and adolescents to hospital following self-harm events have increased by 25% in the 15-19 year age group and 50% in the 10-14 year age group. Over 5,600 young people presented to hospital emergency departments around the country with self-harm in 2021 alone.

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https://www.themandarin.com.au/189106-ipaas-spirit-of-service-awards-presented-in-canberra/

IPAA’s 2022 Spirit of Service Award winners


By Anna Macdonald

Friday May 13, 2022

The recipients of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (ACT) Spirit of Service Awards have been revealed, with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Department of Social Services, the Australian Taxation Office, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Australian Signals Directorate, and the Royal Australian Mint named the winners.

IPPA ACT president Katherine Jones PSM presented the awards during a gala event at Canberra’s National Arboretum on Thursday night, while also praising the initiative and innovation across the entire Australian Public Service.

In the Breakthrough category, DFAT’s Australia Passport Office won for delivering the back-end solution for Australia’s International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate.

Impressing the judges was the Passport Office’s outcome given a short timeframe and the level of global collaboration required to pull the vaccination project off. The judges noted as well the possibility of the process paving the way for future digital travel projects. 

The runner-up was Australian Digital Health Agency, for its COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard.

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https://themarketherald.com.au/beamtree-asxbmt-signs-a10-1m-rippledown-contract-with-ampath-2022-05-10/

Beamtree (ASX:BMT) signs A$10.1m RippleDown contract with Ampath

ASX:BMT      MCAP $62.28M

Ashleigh Melanko Markets Reporter   - 10 May 2022 12:32 (AEST)

  • Beamtree (BMT) signs a US$7 million (A$10.1 million) five-year contract with Ampath for its RippleDown software
  • RippleDown is Beamtree’s proprietary software that automates the clinical and administrative process by reducing the time pathologists spend reading results
  • This partnership follows a successful proof-of-concept pilot trial that examined how RippleDown can help Ampath laboratories drive better healthcare services
  • While the contract is for a five-year term, there is an option for termination after two years by giving three months notice
  • Beamtree is up 17.7 per cent with shares trading at 30 cents

Beamtree (BMT) has signed a US$7 million (A$10.1 million) five-year contract with Ampath for its RippleDown software.

RippleDown is Beamtree’s proprietary software that automates the clinical and administrative process in healthcare settings.

It reduces the time pathologists spend reading test results and improves the quality of data entry to drive financial efficiency.

It consists of RippleDown Expert that automatically generates patient reports and RippleDown Auditor that ensures healthcare claims are accurate.

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https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/scientists-unveil-first-picture-of-milky-way-s-monster-black-hole-20220512-p5aky8.html

Scientists unveil first picture of Milky Way’s monster black hole

By Will Dunham

May 12, 2022 — 11.38pm

Washington: Scientists on Thursday provided the first look at the monster lurking at the centre of our Milky Way galaxy, unveiling an image of a supermassive black hole that devours any matter wandering within its gargantuan gravitational pull.

The black hole - called Sagittarius A*, or SgrA* - is only the second one ever to be imaged. The feat was accomplished by the same Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) international collaboration that in 2019 unveiled the first-ever photo of a black hole - that one residing at the heart of a different galaxy.

Sagittarius A* possesses 4 million times the mass of our sun and is located about 26,000 light years - the distance light travels in a year, 9.5 trillion kilometres - from Earth.

Black holes are extraordinarily dense objects with gravity so strong that not even light can escape, making viewing them quite challenging. A black hole’s event horizon is the point of no return beyond which anything - stars, planets, gas, dust and all forms of electromagnetic radiation - gets dragged into oblivion.

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Enjoy!

David.

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