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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Not much happening as the new Government gets it feet under the desk(s).
Will be interesting to see if there is any movement in he Digital Health space that is not the ADHA business as usual!
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New smartphone app to compare emergency department waiting times
By Mary Ward
May 30, 2022 — 5.00am
NSW residents will soon be able to compare hospital emergency department waiting times and book specialist appointments using a phone app as health authorities urge people to visit emergency only when necessary.
The Patient App, scheduled to be released by the middle of the year, will use data from NSW Health’s surveillance systems to tell the public which emergency rooms are busiest.
“There’s a whole lot of information NSW Health publishes that not a lot of people know about,” said Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello. “It’s currently just lying around in dark corners.”
The first iteration of the app will contain data on waiting times as well as hospital parking availability, using the state government’s Park & Pay platform.
Emergency departments in NSW are under pressure as both COVID-19 and influenza create higher patient loads and rates of staff absenteeism. Last week, NSW Health secretary Susan Pearce asked the public to consider whether they definitely needed to attend an emergency department before setting off, due to longer waiting times.
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Register for the eReferrals to the SLHD webinar
30 May 2022
General practices using Best Practice, Medical Director and Genie can easily and securely submit electronic referrals using Healthlink Smartforms technology directly from their clinical software. The Sydney Local Health District now has over 65 clinics accepting electronic referrals with more being connected in 2022. The recently released RPAH Maternity eReferral will be demonstrated.
Paul Bennett, Program Manager Sydney Health Pathways and eReferral SLHD Project and Sarah Friend, eReferrals SLHD Project Officer will conduct an interactive presentation using Medical Director and Best Practice software to demonstrate how easy the process is and also to answer your question.
Click here to register for the webinar.
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https://itwire.com/it-industry-news/strategy/oracle-acquisition-of-cerner-approved.html
Friday, 03 June 2022 01:38
Oracle acquisition of Cerner approved
By Staff Writer
Enterprise applications provider Oracle has announced that all required antitrust approvals have been obtained for its proposed acquisition of Cerner, including European Commission clearance.
Cerner is a leading provider of digital information systems used within hospitals and health systems to enable medical professionals to deliver better healthcare to individual patients and communities.
Oracle says it expects to complete the tender offer promptly following the expiration of that offer at midnight Eastern time on June 6, 2022.
Completion of the tender offer remains subject to the conditions described in the tender offer statement on Schedule TO filed by Oracle with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on January 19, 2022, as amended.
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https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/professional/extension-to-subsidised-sms-e-scripts-needs-long-t
Extension to subsidised SMS e-scripts ‘needs long-term plan’
The SMS fees will continue to be reimbursed until September, but some GPs are concerned about the uncertainty once the current extension expires.
01 Jun 2022
On 18 May, the Department of Health (DoH) sent a letter to
healthcare providers to inform them that reimbursements of electronic
prescription tokens sent via SMS will be extended until ‘at least’ 30 September
2022.
This is a further extension to the announcement
in August last year, and includes reimbursement for both original electronic
prescription tokens and the cost of repeat tokens, as well as the 15 cents
electronic prescription fee to be maintained until the Request for Tender
process is finalised.
The RACGP supports
the further extension and states it will continue to work with the DoH and
the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) to advocate for an ongoing funding
model that supports uptake and provision of electronic prescriptions.
But while also supportive of the extension, Dr David Adam, RACGP Expert
Committee – Practice Technology and Management member, is frustrated with the
ongoing uncertainty.
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Melbourne-based Northern Health taps The Clinician for patient registration platform
The platform enables remote patient health assessment and immediate triaging by staff.
By Adam Ang
May 31, 2022 12:37 AM
Northern Health, a health provider serving Melbourne's northern region, has engaged digital health firm The Clinician to develop its new patient registration and intake platform.
The newly built digital platform replaces the provider's old intake technology as part of the state-wide expansion of its Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED).
WHAT IT DOES
According to a media release, The Clinician's ZEDOC digital health platform has been configured to simplify the digital patient intake and clinical tracking processes at VVED.
It features a digital registration form supporting 22 languages; SMS verification; automated clinical tracking; and streamlined integration with the telehealth service of HealthDirect, Australia's public health information service.
Launched in April this year, the platform enables patients to register and complete an online health assessment through their devices, allowing them to seek non-urgent medical care. Staff can also immediately access intake reports for triaging and following up on patients via video call.
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Northern Health, The Clinician team up to expand Vic virtual ED
Wednesday, 01 June, 2022
Northern Health has partnered with The Clinician, a digital health company, to develop a patient registration and intake platform as part of the statewide expansion of the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED).
Through this service, patients can access non-critical emergency care on their own devices, in the comfort of their own homes. The Clinician's digital health platform (ZEDOC) has been configured to provide the VVED with a streamlined digital patient intake solution and clinical tracking dashboard for timely access to virtual emergency care.
The Clinician has been working with Northern Health to replace the VVED's original intake technology with an improved digital front door solution. Launched in April 2022, individuals seeking non-urgent medical care can now register their details and complete a digital health screening assessment on their own devices. Through ZEDOC's tracking dashboard, VVED staff can access intake results immediately for triage and follow up patients via video call.
Taking less than eight weeks from ideation to implementation, The Clinician team worked with Northern Health to include important features such as a registration form available in 22 different languages as well as SMS verification, automated clinical tracking and a streamlined integration with HealthDirect's telehealth service.
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https://www.miragenews.com/state-of-the-art-augmented-reality-technology-790871/
30 May 2022 4:10 am AEST
State-of-the-art augmented reality technology launches at Westmead Children’s Hospital to support those with haemophilia
Sanofi
Press Release Australia MAT-AU-2201215
State-of-the-art augmented reality technology launches at Westmead Children’s Hospital to support those with haemophilia.
Sydney, 30 May 2022 – An Australian-designed, first-of-its-kind Augmented Reality technology has been unveiled today at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead (CHW). The technology will enable young people living with Haemophilia to view the potentially irreversible impact of disabling joint disease.
Haemophilia, an incurable, inherited rare blood disorder, is estimated to impact more than 3,000 Australians.1 Haemophilia is diagnosed when there is not enough clotting factor VIII(8) or IX(9) in the blood to help control bleeding in the body.1 This bleeding most commonly occurs in the joints of the knees, elbows and ankles,2 and can lead to joint disease if not treated adequately. As haemophilia is also an inherited condition diagnosed at birth, joint disease caused by haemophilia can begin to develop as early as the age of 20.2,3
The Augmented Reality Joint Scanner, which will be used by clinical staff at the Kids’ Factor Zone at Westmead Children’s Hospital’s Paediatric Haematology Unit, will help educate young patients and their families on the possible future impact of joint disease and the importance of maintaining a regular treatment program to help prevent bleeding episodes.
The Scanner utilises a ‘leap motion’ 3D camera attached to a computer to scan and map a person’s hand when placed under the device. A specially designed software then overlays imagery onto the user’s hand to replicate normal ageing and the impact of joint disease. While the Scanner uses only the user’s hand as its reference point, it cleverly allows the user to expand the replicated view on the screen beyond the hand to see what is happening elsewhere in the body, focusing on specific joints known to be impacted by haemophilia including the shoulder, knee, or ankle.
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Five digital trends impacting health care
By Andrew Aho*
Monday, 23 May, 2022
Innovation in digital health is flourishing. With rising consumer demands, rapid advancements in technology and more complex care needs, healthcare organisations are under pressure to deliver digital-first, seamless and connected healthcare experiences.
What trends are shaping the future of healthcare delivery? Which opportunities are ripe for innovation? And how can healthcare leaders ensure their organisations are equipped to take advantage of the emerging opportunities?
1. Rising data volumes create complexity
Over a decade ago, the world’s total data storage capacity was around 487 exabytes. By 2025, it’s estimated that we’ll be creating the same volume in under two days.
The healthcare sector is one of the biggest contributors to this data explosion, accounting for around 30% of the world’s data volume. The increased use of medtech devices, apps and monitoring technologies means more data is flowing into healthcare organisations than ever before.
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https://wildhealth.net.au/tas-sets-aside-150-million-for-state-wide-emr/
2 June 2022
Tas sets aside $150 million for state-wide EMR
By Holly Payne
Tasmanian treasurer Michael Ferguson has announced a “game changing” investment into digital health of $150 million over four years.
The money will go toward funding a fully integrated healthcare system and is expected to increase capacity by better connecting primary care with the hospital sector.
The $150 million will just fund the first phase of the state’s digital health transformation, a state-wide electronic medical record system.
It is anticipated that more than $475 million will be allocated to the project over the next decade.
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https://wildhealth.net.au/what-was-hot-at-cxo-healthcare-cloud-summit/
2 June 2022
What was hot at CXO Healthcare Cloud Summit
After two years of covid delays the CXO Healthcare Cloud Health Summit finally went live. It was an alchemy of clever and curious minds, all deliberating cloud possibilities and how to push Australia’s digital health skywards.
Wild Health captured the spirit of the conference in conversation with speakers including FHIR guru Grahame Grieve, Best Practice’s Danielle Bancroft, and special guest Paul Wilder who had just disembarked from his flight from San Francisco.
Delegates caught up with the latest case studies, debates and posed a few curly questions to panelists including, ‘Does a stake need to be out in the ground to move the sector to the cloud?’
Edweana Wenkart, CEO of Pen CS, advocated for the stake.
“This is what we’re here for. We’re here to aspire to do things better and to deliver better technology solutions. I don’t think interoperability is the challenge. Technically we’re very capable. The biggest challenges that we’re still facing is around governance and commercial models and how do we fund the system to want to make change?” Ms Wenkart said.
You can listen and subscribe to the show by searching for “Wild Health Podcast the Medical Republic” in your favourite podcast player.
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https://www.hinz.org.nz/news/607480/Innovation-key-to-health-system-transformation.htm
Innovation key to health system transformation
Thursday, 2 June 2022
NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth
The new structure of the health
system will provide significant opportunities for innovation, says senior
member of the Health Transition Programme, Claire Braatvedt.
Braatvedt spoke at a Canterbury Health Innovation event at WebTools in
Christchurch on May 31 and said the data and digital team going into Health NZ
believes strongly in innovation being a key component of transformation.
“All of the progress towards connectivity and equity and person-centred care …
is going to come out of innovation and it’s going to come out of local
innovation,” she told the audience.
Under the newly reformed health system, Health NZ will manage a chain of
national hospitals and commission all of the primary and community care.
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https://www.hinz.org.nz/news/607372/Third-Age-Health-expands-use-of-Celo-for-collaboration.htm
Third Age Health expands use of Celo for collaboration
Wednesday, 1 June 2022
NEWS
Third Age Health is expanding the use of Celo’s secure
communication and collaboration solution to include all clinicians and aged
residential care partners.
Tony Wai, Third Age Health chief executive, says the implementation is expected
to drive improvements in clinical efficiency, patient safety and quality of
care.
The aged residential care provider piloted the platform earlier this year, to
support their clinical team ahead of the Omicron outbreak, and is now
implementing it more widely, diverting all internal clinical communications
through Celo.
“Our clinicians often work in complex environments with multiple teams in aged
care facilities who work shifts and there can be high staff turnover; this can
make communication challenging,” he says.
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Third Age Health brings clinicians, aged care partners to Celo's communications platform
The aged care provider first adopted Celo's platform in January in preparation for a surge in COVID-19 infections.
By Adam Ang
June 02, 2022 04:12 AM
New Zealand-based aged care provider Third Age Health has expanded its use of Celo Health's internal clinical communications platform to include its clinicians and aged care residential partners.
The aged care provider, which runs over 50 residential aged care facilities and some primary healthcare services across New Zealand, first used Celo's platform early this year to ensure uninterrupted communication between its staff in preparation for a surge in COVID-19 infections.
It is now onboarding its clinicians and partners to the platform, expecting the process to "drive improvements in clinical efficiency, patient safety, and quality of care".
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Budget 2022: New Zealand earmarks nearly $400M for health system data, digital infra
It includes funding for Hira tranche two and the new Dunedin hospital.
By Adam Ang
June 02, 2022 02:49 AM
The New Zealand government has set aside over NZ$600 million (around $400 million) in its Budget 2022 to invest in the health system's data and digital infrastructure and capability.
WHAT IT'S FOR
The budget includes investments over four years of:
· NZ$320 million to continue building data and digital infrastructure and capability, including support to data and analytics; information sharing; potentially fixing or replacing out-of-support District Health Boards (DHB) technology infrastructure and systems; and the launch of the Hira tranche two.
· NZ$155.3 million for setting up digital solutions across the Southern Health system and building the country's first digital hospital in Dunedin; and
· NZ$125.315 million to expand existing population health and disease management digital capability and infrastructure to future-proof the health system from emerging pandemics and support the delivery of future public health programmes.
Additionally, the government is giving NZ$10.8 million over three years to implement a common data and digital platform for public health units, enabling the new National Public Health Service to operate as a "single, cohesive national service".
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ADHA Request For Information
Log4j and Spring Framework vulnerabilities
31 May 2022
Please read and respond to this Request For Information,
which is important to maintaining the security of Australia's digital health
sector.
What's happened?
Recently two critical vulnerabilities in widely used software libraries have
created vulnerabilities in many of the applications and devices that
incorporate those software libraries. The Australian Cyber Security
Centre issued alerts about critical vulnerabilities in:
Apache Log4j2 library; and
Spring Framework library.
See
this linked PDF (202K) for further details of these vulnerabilities
and their potential impacts.
Given the criticality, and widely dispersed nature, of the Log4j and the Spring
Framework vulnerabilities, the Agency, as the System Operator for the My Health
Record system, is writing to health software vendors and hosted service
providers whose software and/or infrastructure connects to the My Health Record
system, when used by healthcare organisations.
This includes:
· conformant software vendors
· repository operators and portal operators
· hosted service providers and contracted service providers
· mobile application/platform providers
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https://www.seek.com.au/job/57177316?type=standout
Lead, Education Development
First People Recruitment Solutions Sydney
Government & Defence Government - Federal
APS6 hourly rate contract Contract/Temp
31 May, 2022
About the Department
Our client a highly sort after Federal Government Department tasked with improving health outcomes for Australians through the delivery of digital healthcare systems and the national digital health strategy for Australia
About the Role
Reporting to the Manger Education Development in the Community Engagement branch, this position is responsible for working with stakeholders and subject matter experts to create online and digital learning resources for healthcare providers and consumers in support of the Australian Digital Health Agency's strategic plan.
Duties
- Develop eLearning modules using the Articulate 360 suite of software
- Develop animation to accompany eLearning using Vyond or other animation software
- Use the Adobe creative suite to create assets to accompany eLearning
- Design, develop and implement effective, flexible and innovative learning development initiatives online learning, webinars, instructional manuals, digital content and video tutorials and other solutions to build capability within the healthcare workforce
- Input relevant content into engaging eLearning storyboards and liaise with graphic designers and web developers
- Liaise with PEAK bodies and other medical associations to accredit educational materials.
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https://www.afr.com/technology/coalition-leaves-behind-a-costly-nbn-legacy-20220527-p5ap5z
Coalition leaves behind a costly NBN legacy
As broadband technologies continue to evolve, with 5G and new satellite technologies in particular, NBN Co will face more competition which will make its economics even more challenging.
Gary McLaren Contributor
May 30, 2022 – 2.00pm
Immediately after the election the ACCC released NBN Co’s proposed new special access undertaking (SAU) which, if accepted, would govern the prices of fixed broadband services for most Australians until 2040.
The ACCC also released a 52-page consultation paper which contained extensive criticism of NBN Co’s proposed broadband pricing regime.
It is a dense read but the key message from the ACCC’s consultation paper is that, if the SAU was accepted, Australians could expect the prices of all broadband services to rise inexorably to eventually be the same as the price of a 100 Mbps download service.
Users would effectively be forced to pay much more for lower speed services as they rise to the price of the 100 Mbps service, the price of which would also be able to rise at the rate of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) plus 3 per cent.
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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/nbn-co-opens-fttc-to-fttp-upgrade-offer-to-160000-premises-580871
NBN Co opens FTTC-to-FTTP upgrade offer to 160,000 premises
By Richard Chirgwin on Jun 3, 2022 10:18AM
Hopes to cover a million premises by year-end.
A month after revealing plans to upgrade some customer copper lead-ins to fibre, NBN Co has kicked off the replacement of fibre-to-the-curb (FTTC) products with fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP).
The network operator said as of today, 160,000 premises in NSW, Victoria and South Australia can seek the upgrades.
Fibre lead-ins will be designed and constructed at no cost to retailers, once a customer orders the service.
NBN Co first revealed its intention to roll out an FTTC-to-FTTP upgrade program last month.
At the time it said it needed only to complete consultation with retailers, “define the process by which customers living in eligible premises currently served by FTTN or FTTC will be informed that their premises is eligible to receive higher speed services”.
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NBN Co sizes up six-figure customer exodus a year to fixed wireless
By Ry Crozier on May 24, 2022 6:30AM
Ratchets up regulatory pressure.
NBN Co is expecting an exodus of customers from its network to alternative 4G and 5G fixed wireless services of at least 250,000 a year for the next two years.
The network operator revealed the figures in a lengthy submission [pdf] to the ACCC in support of revisions to its special access undertaking, the key document that governs price and non-price terms through to 2040.
“Increasing competition from 4G and 5G network operators is driving sustained and increasing net churn off the NBN,” the company said.
“Based on contemporary market conditions, net churn for FY22 is forecast to be 3.1 percent or 263,000 customers.
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Enjoy!
David.
2 comments:
My Health Record for specialist practices
Why is a Federal Government Agency promoting specific (and Narrow) commercial vendors? it look like the Government is endorsing the companies listed? Why not list all of them?
This is in breach of a policy and code or two under APS rules - sacking offence
@ Carter - goes to the heart of the nation's troubles - the public service has become sloppy. Whether the Labor Government goes through with it's promise to repair the public service or just removes a few heads is yet to be seen.
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