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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Lots of NBN activity and some moves from the ADHA. Otherwise all is quiet as we rest over the holidays.
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AMA submission to the role and functions of an Australian CDC
Published 22 December 2022
The AMA has been calling for a Centre for Disease Control (CDC) since 2017, and continuously advocated for a CDC throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 experience has illustrated the need for a nationally coordinated CDC across all jurisdictions in Australia.
The AMA submission to the Department of Health and Aged Care consultation on the role and functions of an Australian Centre for Disease Control emphasises that the CDC must be adequately funded and resourced over the long-term to undertake its multitude of functions, including rapid risk assessment, scientific briefings, public education, and disease prevention. An Australian CDC should be situated as the most trusted source of independent expert advice for pandemic preparedness, other public health emergencies and communicable and non-communicable disease prevention.
The AMA recognises the need for improved linkages with primary care, and believes they should go beyond guidance, and pertain to data collected in primary care. The AMA would like to see greater use of data held within general practice to inform and improve Australia’s health system and public health initiatives. The AMA would support the CDC working with the Australian Digital Health Agency on developing and improving coding compliance by clinical software vendors in the primary care space to enhance the value and meaningfulness of analytical outputs
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Body data start-up Bodd raises $5m to fuel push into US
By David Swan
8:47PM December 22, 2022
Retail and gaming luminaries have backed data and insights start-up Bodd, which has closed a $5m capital raise to fuel an expansion into the North American market.
The round, conducted by family offices and high-net worth individuals, was led by retail entrepreneurs Candice and Nick Hirons, who launched the ‘G-Star’ brand in Australia, with participation from Virtual Gaming Worlds founding chairman Tim Allison, Bodd’s executive chairman.
The start-up uses data from 3D scans to create better retail experiences for consumers and brands in the fashion, uniform, gym and pharmacy sectors. Its scanner, manufactured in Australia by Bosch, takes 60 seconds to make a full-body “passport”.
The tech is the result of five years of research from Bodd’s engineering team together with Swinburne University of Technology and RMIT, according to co-founder and chief executive Rob Fisher.
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Video recording – Digital Transformation Tech Talk webinar – 6 December 2022
At this webinar, our presenters spoke to aged care and IT professionals about how our digital transformation initiative intends to assist the sector in developing solutions that connect, automate, and modernise the aged care ecosystem.
1:26
Video type: Presentation
Resource published: 19 December 2022
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Roundup: Altera's Sunrise EMR fully rolled out in Gippsland and more briefs
Also, Archives NZ has disclosed a potential breach in digitised historical health records.
By Adam Ang
December 23, 2022 01:23 AM
Altera Digital Health completes Sunrise EMR rollout in Gippsland
Altera Digital Health's Sunrise EMR has been fully rolled out across major regional and subregional health services under the Gippsland Health Alliance in Victoria.
This comes as the third phase of Sunrise implementation in GHA's emergency department facilities has been completed.
According to Altera, the rollout is Australia's largest EMR deployment on Microsoft Azure. The health IT company won the competitive tender to deliver an EMR solution to GHA in late 2017 with the first implementation at Latrobe Regional Hospital.
Archives NZ discloses breach of historical health records
New Zealand's national archive Archives NZ has disclosed instances of unauthorised access to historical health records which happened three months ago.
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It’s easy to break good medicine habits during the festive season
It is important to keep your health in mind despite all the fun with friends and family across the festive season.
It can be easy to neglect or forget to adhere to regular medicines, but it is crucial to be prepared for your prescriptions.
Managing Director of Webstercare and inventor of the Webster-pak Gerard Stevens AM said it is one routine that is important to stick to.
“Most routines fly out the window at the end of the year, which is really important in order to relax and have a good time. However, every year millions of Australians suffer adverse medicine events as a result of not taking medications as prescribed. So it is really important to stick to your medication schedule. However, routine changes and cost pressures during the holiday period can put people at risk,” said Mr Stevens.
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https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/introduction-to-my-health-record-tickets-490321543937
Jan. 17
Introduction to My Health Record
Learn how to keep track of your digital health using My Health Record.
When and where
Date and time
Tue., 17 January 2023, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ACDT
Location
Ngutungka West Lakes 9 Charles Street West Lakes, SA 5021
About this event
1 hour
Discover the benefits of My Health Record as a secure way to store all your medication information together in the one place. We'll also show you how to conveniently link it to your myGov account.
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ADHA - Software
Developer Community Announcement
Electronic Prescribing Technical Framework Documents Updated
Good afternoon,
The Australian Digital Health Agency has released an update to the technical framework information to support software vendors to implement electronic prescribing.
This update includes changes to the Electronic Prescribing - Conformance Profile document.
The Electronic Prescribing – Conformance Profile v3.0.1 becomes effective from 1 January 2023. It supersedes Electronic Prescribing – Conformance Profile v3.0.
What does this mean?
No action is required of software providers at this time. Software providers developing software products with electronic prescribing functionality are required to conform to the revised Electronic Prescribing - Conformance Profile v3.0.1 after the effective date of 1 January 2023.
From 1 January 2023 and when a Prescription Delivery Service is conformant to this latest version of the profile, software providers who are in a position to have their product(s) assessed, will be assessed against the requirements of Electronic Prescribing – Conformance Profile v3.0.1.
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https://www.miragenews.com/increased-cyber-security-requirements-for-919580/
20 Dec 2022 3:40 pm AEDT
Increased cyber security requirements for systems connecting to My Health Record
Australian Digital Health Agency
The Australian Digital Health Agency (the Agency) is strengthening My Health Record protections through a new mandatory conformance profile for clinical information systems (including those used in GP clinics, pharmacies and allied health services) connected to the My Health Record system.
The security requirements profile will be effective from April 2023 following a 3-month period where industry is invited to provide feedback on the profile. Software vendors with clinical software products will be supported to implement changes in their products in a phased approach, to balance the need to strengthen security for all systems connected to My Health Record with the capability of software vendors to make necessary adjustments in a timely manner. The conformance profile was co-developed with stakeholders including regulators, software vendors and security experts.
The Agency is supporting industry with their preparation by providing visibility of the conformance profile in advance of the official implementation period. Questions and comments on the new conformance profile and the proposed phased implementation schedule from across the software industry can be sent to the Agency until April 2023.
The new security requirements profile contains an evidence-based list of security requirements that harden clinical information systems from cyber security attacks, uplift information security and provide better protection for consumer information. Each vendor with software products connected to My Health Record will be required to submit an extensive file of evidence to demonstrate conformance to each requirement, as well as participate in an observation session conducted by the Agency specialist team.
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universities, research institutes or collaborations from international organisations.
Increased cyber security requirements for systems connecting to My Health Record
Published 20 December 2022
The Australian Digital Health Agency (the Agency) is strengthening My Health Record protections through a new mandatory security requirements conformance profile (the profile) for clinical information systems (including those used in GP clinics, pharmacies and allied health services) connected to the My Health Record system.
The profile will be effective from April 2023 following a 3-month period where industry is invited to provide feedback on the profile. Software vendors with clinical software products will be supported to implement changes to their products in a phased approach, to balance the need to strengthen security for all systems connected to My Health Record with the capability of software vendors to make necessary adjustments in a timely manner. The profile was co-developed with stakeholders including regulators, software vendors and security experts.
The Agency is supporting industry with their preparation by providing visibility of the profile in advance of the official implementation period. Questions and comments from across the software industry on the new profile and the proposed phased implementation schedule can be sent to the Agency until April 2023.
The profile contains an evidence-based suite of security requirements that harden clinical information systems from cyber security attacks, uplift information security and provide better protection for consumer information. Each vendor with software products connected to My Health Record will be required to submit extensive evidence to demonstrate conformance to each requirement, as well as participate in an observation session conducted by an Agency specialist team.
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ADHA prepares new security standards for My Health Record connection
The new security requirements conform with the ACSC's Essential Eight strategies for mitigating cybersecurity incidents.
By Adam Ang
December 22, 2022 02:35 AM
The Australian Digital Health Agency is enforcing new security requirements for software providers whose products connect to the My Health Record system.
From April 2023, the agency will require clinical information systems, including those used in GP clinics, pharmacies, and allied health services, to enact the new mandatory security requirements conformance profile.
"All clinical information systems that use one or more My Health Record B2B web services will need to conform to the new profile," the ADHA said.
Currently in draft, the security conformance profile is said to contain an "evidence-based suite of security requirements that harden clinical information systems from cyber security attacks, uplift information security, and provide better protection for consumer information."
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Medtech firm uses AI to protect patient data
By Stuart Layt
December 22, 2022 — 11.43am
A Brisbane medtech firm is using artificial intelligence to create patient data sets for medical research, all while ensuring people’s privacy.
The firm, Max Kelsen, has spun off the project into a separate company called Propel, with a partnership announced for a three-year trial at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Victoria.
The company will focus on developing the new AI data project, which could revolutionise medical research.
Researchers often rely on data sets that are smaller than required or do not have the exact information they need, and have to be either compensated for in the modelling or supplemented with additional data sets.
Propel’s AI data product is intended to sidestep that by pulling from multiple data sets at once, using the AI component to strip out all identifying information from the patient data.
Max Kelsen co-founder and CEO Nicholas Therkelsen-Terry said with recent high-profile data breaches in the medical field, including the leaking of sensitive patient information from the Medibank hack, keeping patient information private was more important than ever.
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https://brisbanenorthphn.org.au/events/pathology-diagnostic-imaging-reports-in-my-health-record
Pathology and Diagnostic Imaging reports in My Health Record
Hosted by RACGP and Australian Digital Health Agency
This webinar will provide an update on the current uploads of Pathology and Diagnostic Imaging reports to My Health Record.
Join this session to find out if your local pathology lab or diagnostic imaging provider is currently able to upload to My Health Record and what your practice may need to do in order to enable this.
Delivered in collaboration with the Australian Digital Health Agency, you will learn how to best navigate your clinical software to easily find the right reports.
Event details
Date Feb. 01, 2023
Time 05:30 pm - 06:30 pm
Email: Phone: 03 8699 0006
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https://developer.digitalhealth.gov.au/specifications/national-infrastructure/ep-3648-2022
My Health Record Overviews, Guides and Conformance Material v1.6
This release of the My Health Record Overviews, Guides and Conformance Material have been updated to include the newly released the Security Requirements for My Health Record Connecting Systems Conformance Profile v1.0 (the profile). The profile boosts cyber security defences for clinical information systems connected to the My Health Record system.
Identifier: EP-3648:2022
Date: 10-10-2022
Size: 6.49 MB
Type: application/zip
SHA256 Checksum: b594a3ad826f1f5f283d7e6d3edbb0a97b07582e8ff13e726ea77e0c883af517
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https://developer.digitalhealth.gov.au/specifications/national-infrastructure/ep-3742-2022
My Health Record Software Vendor Welcome Pack v20221219
The My Health Record Software Vendor Welcome Pack is a collection of forms and guides to help new software vendors connect to the My Health Record system for the first time. Some of these documents are also used by existing software vendors to connect their updated software to the My Health Record system.
This version includes updated contact details along with information about the API Gateway Operator NOC process.
Contents in order of use:
Pre-Reading
1. Software Vendor Guide to the Connection Process
2. Software Vendor Support Contacts
Required for Product registration
3. Vendor Product Details Form
For use upon production access request
4. Vendor Declaration Form Instructions
5. Conformance Vendor Declaration Form
For use once the software has been granted production access
6. Managing Your B2B Software in Production
You can download the full set of documents below or scroll further for links to the individual documents.
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https://developer.digitalhealth.gov.au/security-conformance-profile
Security Conformance Profile
Overview
A new security conformance profile has been released for clinical information systems (CIS) systems connected to My Health Record effective from April 2023.
The Agency will phase the implementation of the profile, with different vendor cohorts required to pass conformance at varying intervals as outlined in the timetable. This new profile and implementation timetable is initially released as a draft, for review and comment. All feedback received on the draft profile and proposed implementation timetable will inform the final release of the security profile.
This new profile is known as the Security Requirements for My Health Record Connecting Systems Conformance Profile v1.0
(refer to release note)
This page describes what vendors need to do and how to get assistance at any stage of the process.
Please note that all clinical information systems that use one or more My Health Record B2B web services will need to conform to the new security profile.
The Agency is committed to providing support to vendors to make sure their systems pass conformance. Information sessions will also be available, following the final release of the profile, which will provide an overview of the security profile and detail of the steps to conform.
You can email the Agency at help@digitalhealth.gov.au to share your views during the review period.
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ADHA drafts new security standards for My Health Record interconnection
By Ry Crozier on Dec 21, 2022 9:15AM
Software vendors have up to 24 months to make changes.
Systems that interconnect with the government’s My Health Record will need to meet elevated security standards that align with the Essential Eight over the next two years.
The Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) said in a statement late Tuesday that it would introduce a new - mandatory - security requirements “conformance profile” for clinical software vendors.
“All clinical information systems that use one or more My Health Record B2B web services will need to conform to the new security profile,” the agency said in accompanying release notes.
"The agency is cognisant of the inherent cyber security risks posed by systems connected to and accessing the My Health Record system, as well as potentially vulnerable aspects of the national infrastructure and all services under its care.
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Wednesday, 21 December 2022 11:28
Increased cyber security requirements for systems connecting to My Health Record
By Gordon Peters
The Australian Digital Health Agency is strengthening My Health Record protections through a new mandatory conformance profile for clinical information systems, including those used in GP clinics, pharmacies and allied health services, connected to the My Health Record system.
The agency says security requirements profile will be effective from April 2023 following a 3-month period where industry is invited to provide feedback on the profile.
“Software vendors with clinical software products will be
supported to implement changes in their products in a phased approach, to
balance the need to strengthen security for all systems connected to My Health
Record with the capability of software vendors to make necessary adjustments in
a timely manner. The conformance profile was co-developed with stakeholders
including regulators, software vendors and security experts,” the agency said.
The Digital Health Agency says it is supporting industry with their preparation
by providing visibility of the conformance profile in advance of the official
implementation period - and questions and comments on the new conformance
profile and the proposed phased implementation schedule from across the
software industry can be sent to the agency until April 2023.
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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/anz/alcidion-expand-defences-access-health-records
Alcidion to expand Defence's access to health records
Its health analytics platform will also be deployed in more ADF settings.
By Adam Ang
December 22, 2022 02:39 AM
Melbourne-based Alcidion will be delivering more health technology capabilities for the Australian Defence Force.
In a statement, the company said it has extended its partnership with Leidos Australia, the consortium contracted to deliver digital health technologies to the ADF.
Alcidion has received an additional contract worth A$8.4 million ($6 million) over 57 months to deploy its health analytics platform Miya Precision to more ADF settings, including Deployed and Strategic Aeromedical Evacuation settings.
It will also provide access to the Miya Observations and Assessments modules, which come on top of existing Miya Precision modules that the Defence already has access to; these are now licensed for use in both Strategic Aeromedical Evacuation and Tactical Aeromedical Evacuation.
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Wednesday, 21 December 2022 21:32
NBN Co pushes fibre in its 2023 corporate plan
The NBN Co has published its 2023 corporate plan, outlining how it is pushing fibre deeper into fixed line communities.
It also details its partnership with the Australian Government, which will fund fixed wireless upgrades, to make higher speed tiers available to more homes and businesses across Australia.
NBN Co is eyeing around 10 million premises—or up to 90% of homes and businesses on the fixed line network—to access NBN Home Ultrafast, offering speeds of 500Mbps and close to 1Gbps by 2025.
This is being delivered through the Government’s investment of $2.4 billion, which will enable an additional 1.5 million homes and businesses to upgrade to full fibre connections.
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Protect against price hikes, climate change among set of government expectations for NBN Co
By David Swan
9:17PM December 20, 2022
The Federal Government has issued a new statement of expectations to NBN Co – its first under Communications Minister Michelle Rowland, who has called for a reset of the project’s pricing model amid planned price rises.
The government, which says it will retain NBN Co in public ownership for the foreseeable future, has laid our priorities including keeping internet affordable for families while delivering speed and reliability upgrades across the network.
The government had pledged full-fibre NBN access to 1.5 million homes and businesses by 2025 as part of its most recent federal budget.
In a shift from its predecessor, the government in its new statement acknowledges that the NBN will not be able to deliver a commercial return across all delivery areas.
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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/nbn-cos-new-expectations-emphasise-affordable-broadband-589320
NBN Co's new expectations emphasise 'affordable' broadband
By Ry Crozier on Dec 21, 2022 2:14AM
As the company struggles to demonstrate value.
NBN Co is working under a revised statement of expectations that requires the company to be more transparent in the way it operates and makes strategic decisions.
The revised statement of expectations [pdf] is considerably more detailed than previous iterations, and emphasises NBN Co’s commercial objectives, but also a deeper purpose for its existence.
“The enduring purpose of the NBN is to provide fast, reliable and affordable connectivity to enable
Australia to seize the economic opportunities before it and service the best interests of consumers,” the statement reads.
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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/tpg-telecom-predicts-nbn-50mbps-and-100mbps-price-convergence-589331
TPG Telecom predicts NBN 50Mbps and 100Mbps price convergence
By Ry Crozier on Dec 21, 2022 9:52AM
In as little as one year, if new pricing model passes.
TPG Telecom has predicted the cost of 50Mbps and 100Mbps services on the NBN could be the same within a year if a new pricing model is allowed to pass.
In a submission [pdf] published by the ACCC, TPG Telecom said that one effect of the current special access undertaking (SAU) pricing proposal will be to remove any price difference between the two tiers.
“Under the SAU variation proposal, NBN Co is proposing to immediately increase prices for the 50/20 Mbps speed tier,” the telco said.
“TPG Telecom’s preliminary analysis shows the SAU variation proposal could see the average cost for the 50/20 Mbps speed tier being the same as the 100/20 Mbps speed tier within one year, thereby rendering the 50/20 Mbps speed tier obsolete over time and removing any reasonable price relativity between these two products.”
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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/telstra-tpg-network-sharing-tie-up-blocked-by-accc-589332
Telstra-TPG network sharing tie-up blocked by ACCC
By Ry Crozier on Dec 21, 2022 10:10AM
Regulator saw only 'some benefits' in the arrangement.
Telstra and TPG Telecom’s planned network sharing arrangement has been blocked by Australia’s competition watchdog.
A flurry of late submissions from the telcos failed to convince the ACCC that the arrangement would be of benefit to customers, and would not create adverse impacts.
“We examined the proposed arrangements in considerable detail,” ACCC commissioner Liza Carver said.
While there are some benefits, it is our view that the proposed arrangements will likely lead to less competition in the longer term and leave Australian mobile users worse off over time, in terms of price and regional coverage.”
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NBN ‘won’t deliver a commercial return’ in all cases, government says
Lucas Baird Reporter
Dec 20, 2022 – 5.00am
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has recognised that the national broadband network “will not be able to generate a commercial return in delivering all of its obligations”, particularly in rural areas, re-writing the statement of expectations for the infrastructure around its new direction.
Ms Rowland reaffirmed that NBN Co would stay in public hands for the “foreseeable future” under the Albanese government – a break from the privatisation policy pursued by its predecessors – which has had the entity change its tune on wholesale pricing and write off the recovery of $31.5 billion in losses.
In a rewritten statement of expectations, the minister also acknowledged that there must be a trade-off between the NBN’s commercial aims and its policy goal to deliver “fast, reliable and affordable” internet to Australians.
“The government recognises that NBN Co will not be able to generate a commercial return in delivering all of its obligations, particularly in regional and remote Australia, and it is expected the company will take a flexible approach to supporting these activities,” the statement of expectations says.
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Enjoy!
David.
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