Monday, January 30, 2023

Weekly Australian Health IT Links – 30 January, 2023.

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 to read this week, with some interesting data management initiatives!. 

The story on nuclear rockets is fun!

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https://medicalrepublic.com.au/treating-chronic-pain-with-telehealth/84510

27 January 2023

Treating chronic pain with telehealth

Pain Telehealth

By Lincoln Tracy

An Adelaide pilot used 'coaches' to deliver guided self-help support via telehealth.

Telehealth programs could provide better access to chronic pain management support, potentially improving patient quality of life and reducing costs.  

According to a recent paper in Pain and Therapy, one in five Australians over the age of 45 have chronic pain, and many people struggle to access the specialist help they require. 

A pilot study, conducted by an Adelaide-based tertiary pain unit, implemented a guided self-help (GSH) program to increase patient access to self-management strategies. 

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https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/australia-s-health-system-is-prime-target-for-hacks-minister-20230123-p5ceuq

Australia’s health system is prime target for hacks: minister

Ben Westcott

Jan 23, 2023 – 4.47pm

Australia’s hospitals and health care system are at high risk from cyberattackers targeting citizens’ personal data, Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil says, adding the country needs to step up its efforts to combat hacking attempts.

Speaking ahead of an international cybersecurity meeting due to be held in Australia within months, Ms O’Neil told Bloomberg News that while protecting citizens’ data was a “core national issue” for the Labor government, more work needed to be done to end Australia’s perception as a “soft target.”

“The question is, are we tackling the cybersecurity threat with an energy level commensurate to which we’re being attacked? And I would say that we’re not there at the moment,” she said in an interview late last week.

Australia will host an international ransomware task force in early 2023 to bring together countries including the US, UK and Germany in tackling the growing threat to cybersecurity.

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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/sa-gov-to-deploy-patient-reported-measures-platform-590121

SA gov to deploy patient reported measures platform

By Kate Weber on Jan 25, 2023 12:20PM

Two South Australian state healthcare organisations have partnered with digital health company The Clinician to roll out a state-wide program to enable patients to report on their experiences and health outcomes.

South Australia's Commission on Excellence and Innovation in Health (CEIH) and the Department for Health and Wellbeing (SA Health) will use the platform's capabilities to roll out the patient reported measures (PRM) program.

The PRM program will use The Clinician’s platform for data collection and to study reported measures across South Australia.

The first stages of the rollout have been planned for mid-2023 with subsequent implementations in 2024 and 2025, occurring over multiple stages at selected SA Health services.

It’s expected the digital solution will hit a target of around 5000 clinical users by mid-2025 with about 1 million patients enrolled.

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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/anz/sa-health-kicks-patient-generated-data-project-clinician

SA Health kicks off patient-generated data project with The Clinician

The programme targets to enrol about a million patients by 2025.

By Adam Ang

January 25, 2023 12:08 AM

SA Health, together with the Commission on Excellence and Innovation in Health, will start collecting and analysing patient-reported measures across South Australia through its new programme.

The Patient Reported Measures (PRM) programme will support clinical services to deliver "high-quality, patient-centred, and value-driven care" by encouraging patients to report on health outcomes and experiences. 

SA Health and CIEH have chosen digital health company The Clinician via an open tender process to help implement the programme. They will leverage the latter's ZEDOC platform, which will be integrated with SA Health's IT systems to automate the distribution, collection, and analysis of patient-reported outcomes and experience measures.

WHY IT MATTERS

According to The Clinician, the implementation of patient-generated data in clinical services will ensure that both patients and clinicians will have "all the information they need to make the best decisions together."

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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/telstra-health-hunts-for-new-cto-589815

Telstra Health hunts for new CTO

By Richard Chirgwin on Jan 25, 2023 6:36AM

Retirement creates opportunity.

Telstra Health is on the hunt for a new CTO, following the retirement of Russel Duncan at the end of 2022.

Duncan had served as CTO since 2017. He joined when the company he founded, Emerging Systems, was acquired by Telstra Health.

“As one of the founding members of Telstra Health, his immense contributions have significantly shaped the organisation to what it is today," a Telstra Health spokesperson said.

"Russel announced his retirement in December 2022 and Telstra Health thanks him for his remarkable contribution."

Dr Marc Belej is currently acting as CTO while a permanent replacement is sought. 

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https://www.innovationaus.com/gig-guide-digital-health-agency-finds-new-cdo-at-act-health/

Gig Guide: Digital health agency finds new CDO at ACT Health


Brandon How
Reporter

23 January 2023

Australia’s new digital health agency chief digital officer is Peter O’Halloran, who vacates the role of ACT Health chief information officer after nearly six and a half years.

Mr O’Halloran will join the Australian Digital Health Agency on February 27, having recently completed the roll-out of the territory’s Digital Health Record.

Before joining ACT Health in September 2016, Mr O’Halloran spent almost nine years at the National Blood Authority, including nearly seven and a half years as chief information officer.

He has received several awards in recognition of his work.

Taking to LinkedIn to announce his move, Mr O’Halloran said he is “excited to join the Australian Digital Health Agency at such a critical time”.

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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/australian-digital-health-agency-lands-act-healths-cio-590110

Australian Digital Health Agency lands ACT Health's CIO

By Richard Chirgwin on Jan 27, 2023 6:55AM

Takes role vacated by Steven Issa.

The Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) has chosen Peter O’Halloran, the long-time CIO of ACT Health, as its next chief digital officer.

O’Halloran announced his appointment to ADHA in a LinkedIn post.

“Between now and February 27, I am madly trying to close out a few key deliverables at ACT Health”, O’Halloran wrote.

“After 17 years working in the public health system (13-plus of these as a chief information officer), I did seriously consider moving away from healthcare, but the lure of healthcare ICT was too strong.

"The ability to work every day with exceptional technologists, clinicians, public servants and healthcare consumers to improve health outcomes for citizens is too exhilarating to resist.”

The agency began recruiting for the CDO role in November 2022, when Steven Issa left.

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https://www.ausdoc.com.au/news/kfp-stays-on-paper-after-computer-exam-fails-final-test/

KFP stays on paper after computer exam fails final test

Hundreds of GP registrars were preparing to sit the exam online

Siobhan Calafiore

24 January 2023

The RACGP has scrapped plans for a computerised Key Feature Problem exam with just two weeks to spare, announcing it will stick with a paper exam after identifying a software glitch. 

Hundreds of GP registrars were preparing to sit the exam on 4 February at exam halls across the country when the RACGP told them it was reverting to pen and paper. 

It would have been the first computerised Key Feature Problem (KFP) exam since the college’s disastrous attempt at an online at-home exam in 2020, which was abandoned after a major IT meltdown.

The college successfully ran a computer-based Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) exam last year and was forging ahead with a computer-based KFP after the software passed a test run last October.  

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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/anz/hammondcare-beefs-it-monitoring-across-its-aged-care-network

HammondCare beefs up IT monitoring across its aged care network

It has seen a 75% reduction in IT callouts since implementing Paessler's network monitoring software.

By Adam Ang

January 25, 2023 12:15 AM

Not-for-profit aged care service provider HammondCare has tapped German enterprise monitoring solutions provider Paessler to proactively monitor its IT infrastructure nationwide.

With more than 5,100 dedicated staff and volunteers, HammondCare delivers aged care, dementia care and palliative care to around 34,000 clients in over 92 service locations across Australia.

It has rolled out the Paessler PRTG, a round-the-clock network monitoring software, across its 76 care facilities. 

WHY IT MATTERS

"HammondCare’s primary objective in implementing the Paessler PRTG monitoring platform was to provide our team with proactive insights and alerts to minimise the regular incidents that were occurring previously," infrastructure and cloud manager Kasun Haputhanthri said.

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https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/the-times/astronaut-zibrio-scales-weigh-risk-of-elderly-falling/news-story/e0dbb9e51e07a4016bfb456b1c480ce5

Astronaut Zibrio scales weigh risk of elderly falling

By Peta Bee

The Times

11:00AM January 24, 2023

How well balanced are you? I am standing on a set of smart scales that will measure how much I wobble on my own two feet – how well (or poorly) I am maintaining equilibrium for 60 seconds.

Even when I feel I am standing steadily the Zibrio scales detect the slightest wayward motion, which is reflected in a score out of 10 displayed on the screen.

Developed by former NASA scientists, including the British neuroscientist Dr Katharine Forth, they are set to become the latest high-tech health-tracking trend to deliver data that might help to prevent the deleterious effects of ageing.

Already keeping tabs on your cholesterol, blood sugar and blood glucose levels? You can now add balance to the list of tests to take regularly.

It was while working at NASA that Forth came up with the idea of tracking balance for general good health.

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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/wa-communities-appoints-new-cio-589862

WA Communities appoints new CIO

By Jeremy Nadel on Jan 25, 2023 6:35AM

From another state government department.

The WA department of primary industries and regional development’s (DPIRD) chief information officer of four years Susan Wilson has left to take up a role as WA Communities’ CIO.

Colin Macdonald had been acting in the CIO role at WA Communities, which has portfolios such as child protection, community services, disability services, housing and remote First Nations communities, for the seven months to December 2022.

Commenting on Wilson’s appointment, a WA Communities spokesperson told iTnews, “The  [CIO] is responsible for ensuring all information systems, communications, technology, knowledge management and services align with the departmental outcomes and whole-of-government reform agenda.” 

“This includes policy development and planning for cyber security, digitisation, online integrated service delivery, risk management and supporting the implementation of strategic projects and systems."

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https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/dating-apps-put-on-notice-over-predators/news-story/32d16fe02b49e9ec2a7a4b2e4a9aa55c

Dating apps ‘put on notice’ over predators

By Joanna Panagopoulos

7:15PM January 25, 2023

The federal government has warned online dating app companies it will not hesitate to introduce tough mandatory codes if the industry fails to protect women from predators and sexual abusers.

A national roundtable between the federal and state governments and popular online dating app providers has been touted as an “important first step” to preventing violence and abuse but federal Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said “regulatory backstops” were available to ensure the industry complied.

Dating app representatives acknowledged they needed to “do more” on complaints handling after a user flagged inappropriate behaviour, Ms Rowland said.

They also understood the need to apply a “digital fingerprint” so repeat offenders couldn’t simply jump from one app to another, she said.

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https://www.racgp.org.au/racgp-digital-events-calendar/online-event-items/webinars/pathology-and-diagnostic-imaging-reports-in-my-hea

Pathology and Diagnostic Imaging reports in My Health Record

Webinar 1 Feb, 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM (AEDT)

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. We will discuss what you can do to ensure a patient’s report is uploaded to My Health Record and what steps to take if they request for this not to occur.

The session will also include an opportunity for questions.

Learning outcomes

  1. Identify if your local pathology lab or diagnostic imaging provider is currently able to upload to My Health Record
  2. Describe the ‘7-day-dalay rule’ for upload of pathology and diagnostic reports to a patients My Health Record and what exceptions are currently in place
  3. Demonstrate how to best navigate your clinical software to find the right reports in a patient’s My Health Record
  4. Articulate how a patient’s request is actioned if they do not want a report uploaded to My Health Record.

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https://www.themandarin.com.au/210338-javier-ribalta-a-lot-goes-on-behind-the-scenes-of-a-certified-pandemic/

Javier Ribalta: A lot goes on behind the scenes of a certified pandemic


By Melissa Coade

Thursday January 26, 2023

This is the perspective of a public servant who was in the room where it happened.

Services Australia staff rallied unlike they had ever done before when the COVID-19 pandemic reached our shores in 2020. Javier Ribalta PSM, an ACT-based project-management expert who played a central role in the set-up of the digital vaccine certificate, watched as his team and fellow public servants responded to the public health emergency with mobilisation and energy that filled him with pride.

“We’ve had to think outside the box, not only in very tight timeframes but also think about the entire scope of need from the population,” Ribalta told The Mandarin.

“As much as the project was about the great success of the online, self-serve proof of vaccination mechanism through MyGov, there are some that don’t have that access to want to have that access. So we also need to consider the impact on telephony and on other channels,” he said.

On Australia Day, Ribalta was recognised with a Public Service Medal (PSM) for his “exemplary leadership” in the coordination and negotiation between federal, state and territory governments, which saw the COVID-19 digital certificate integrated into check-in apps.

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https://itwire.com/business-it-news/security/optus-impersonation-scams-acma-alert.html

Wednesday, 25 January 2023 11:20

Optus impersonation scams: ACMA alert

By Gordon Peters

Scammers are continuing to impersonate the Optus brand to scam Australians, according to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) which has warned that it is receiving reports of convincing-looking email scams using Optus branding.

ACMA says these scams will often mention the recent Optus data breach and ask you to click on a link to update or confirm your details for ‘security reasons’ - and other examples might look like a payment reminder asking you to click on a link to pay a fake outstanding bill or update your payment method.

“Common among all of these scam messages is a sense of urgency – that if you do not act quickly, your account will be closed or suspended, or your service disconnected,” says ACMA, adding that the messages may also contain typos and/or sender email addresses that are not related to Optus.

“Do not click on any links in these messages. These scams are designed to steal your personal and financial information. Optus advise that they will never ask for your personal or sensitive information via email or messages,” warns ACMA.

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https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/the-three-cases-that-could-break-the-internet-20230124-p5cey9.html

The three cases that could break the internet

Stephen Bartholomeusz

Senior business columnist

January 24, 2023 — 11.57am

There are three court cases now before the US Supreme Court that have the potential to reshape the internet and the handful of mega tech platforms that dominate social media.

On Monday, the court asked the Biden administration for an opinion on whether laws enacted by Florida and Texas that would prevent the big social media companies from removing posts on their platforms because of the views they express are constitutional.

Next month the court will start hearing a case brought by the family of Nohemi Gonzalez, an American who was the victim of the 2015 ISIS terrorist attacks in Paris, which left 130 dead and hundreds wounded, arguing that recommendation algorithms used by Google’s YouTube video hosting service had helped ISIS recruit members.

By recommending content, the family argue, YouTube had gone beyond providing a platform for videos and should be held accountable for the effects of its recommendations.

The Texas and Florida cases bear on a broader issue. They centre on the rights of the platforms to moderate content and decide who has access to their platforms.

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https://gcphn.org.au/digital-health-foundation-series/

Content last updated 23/01/2023

Digital Health Foundation Series

The meaningful use of digital health in Australia is underpinned by healthcare organisations connecting to the Healthcare Identifiers Service.

This four-part webinar series will provide managers of medical practices, community pharmacies and other healthcare organisations with an understanding of the foundations of digital health and how to put in place the pre-requisites required to connect to digital health services (such as electronic prescriptions, My Health Record and secure messaging).

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https://jobs.unimelb.edu.au/en/job/911477/learning-designer

Learning Designer

Job no: 0058445
Location: Parkville
Role type: 
Full-time; Fixed-term initially until December 2023
Faculty: 
Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Sciences

Department/School: Centre for Digital Transformation of Health
Salary: UOM 7 – $98,402 - $106,519 p.a. plus 17% super

The University of Melbourne would like to acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Owners of the lands upon which our campuses are situated, the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung Peoples, the Yorta Yorta Nation, the Dja Dja Wurrung People. We acknowledge that the land on which we meet and learn was the place of age-old ceremonies, of celebration, initiation and renewal, and that the local Aboriginal Peoples have had and continue to have a unique role in the life of these lands.

About The Centre for Digital Transformation of Health

The Centre for Digital Transformation of Health is a cross-disciplinary centre that sits in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, and the School of Computing and Information Systems.

With a vision of connected healthcare, the Centre aims to address a critical gap in the translation of digital health research, which is clearly needed if the healthcare system is to benefit from research-led advances in digital health.

About the Role
As Learning Designer, you will be a key member of the team in a consortium with CSIRO and HL7 Australia that is delivering a national training program commissioned and funded by the Australian Digital Health Agency, the federal government agency responsible for digital health in Australia. The goal of this high-profile, national program is to build workforce capacity across Australia to deliver on national plans for the implementation of modern interoperability standards for healthcare IT (called FHIR).

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https://mpcn.my.salesforce-sites.com/Events/my-health-record-demonstration-in-zedmed

My Health Record demonstration in Zedmed

July 20 2022 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM  (Not sure why just published 23/01/2023)

Location: Webinar

Available to: Practice Nurses; Practice Managers; General Practitioners; Health and Social Service providers; Medical Specialist

Points available:

These one hour sessions are aimed at GPs, Specialists, Practice Managers, Practice Nurses and Aboriginal Health Workers interested in learning more about My Health Record and how to use it most effectively in routine practice. The instructor will demonstrate in the Zedmed software test environment how to:

• access your patients’ My Health Records in your software;

• use filters to find documents;

• view documents immunisation history, Medicines and Medicare information;

• learn how to enter access codes for patients with protected documents/records;

• upload documents to My Health Record; and

• understand security and access governance.

This session will afford an opportunity for participants to raise questions directly with the instructor and to discuss other issues encountered in using My Health Record. If you cannot find a session time that suits you, we may be able to provide an out of schedule session to accommodate you and your staff.

For more information on this or for follow up My Health Record support for your practice please contact education@digitalhealth.gov.au. 

This education is CPD accredited by AAPM, RACGP, ACRRM and NAATSIHWP.

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https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/your-health-in-your-hands-tickets-459329425677

Feb. 14 2023

Your health in your hands

Featured in

Learn about My Health Record, telehealth, eScripts and other digital health topics.

By Kangaroo Flat Library

107 followers

When and where

Date and time

Tue., 14 February 2023, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm AEDT

Location

Kangaroo Flat Library 23 Lockwood Road Kangaroo Flat, VIC 3555

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https://mphn.org.au/events/2023/1/31/aapm-live-webinar-my-health-record-participation-obligations-your-annual-policy-review

AAPM LIVE WEBINAR: My Health Record Participation Obligations - Your Annual Policy Review

My Health Record Participation Obligations - Your Annual Policy Review

This session will highlight components of the My Health Record security and access policy, which may need updating, and direct you to supporting resources available. 

The webinar will include an update of the latest My Health Record developments and hear from a Practice Manager who will share useful tips for maintaining policies in the practice.

Click here for more information and to register.

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https://mphn.org.au/events/2023/2/22/my-health-record-supporting-safety-quality-and-better-care-in-residential-aged-care-facilities-racfs-webinar

My Health Record: supporting safety, quality, and better care in Residential Aged care Facilities (RACFs), webinar

My Health Record: supporting safety, quality, and better care in Residential Aged care Facilities (RACFs)

Join Marwa Osman- Pharmacist & Digital Health Educator as she discusses digital health tools focused on supporting safety, quality and better care in Residential Aged care Facilities.

Click here for more information and to register.

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https://itwire.com/it-industry-news/telecoms-and-nbn/nbn-co-launches-new-speed-tiers-for-its-business-nbn-satellite-service.html

Thursday, 26 January 2023 22:03

NBN Co launches new speed tiers for its business NBN satellite service

By Kenn Anthony Mendoza

Telecommunications company NBN Co has launched new speed tiers of up to 150Mbps now available at mainland Australia and surrounding islands on the business NBN satellite service.

NBN Co listed the new wholesale speed tiers:
1. Up to 100Mbps/10Mbps ABS L3 services
2. Up to 150Mbps /15Mbps ABS L3 services
3. Up to 50/5Mbps VISP services
4. Up to 100/10Mbps VISP services

The launch followed consultation with retail service providers in 2022.

“The launch of the higher speed tiers is another milestone in the expansion of business NBN satellite service products and will help offer an enhanced experience throughout the whole chain, for not only the business end-user but also their customer base,” said NBN Co executive general manager fixed wireless Jason Ashton.

“Within Australia, there is no other geostationary satellite service that can offer these speeds. This is another example of NBN continuing to innovate and support the uplift the digital capability of Australia,” Ashton claimed.

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https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/the-times/nuclear-rocket-to-trim-mars-travel-time-from-seven-to-four-months/news-story/b55455172ee7dcf48d7f6b76d8f86d19

Nuclear rocket to trim Mars travel time from seven to four months

By Rhys Blakely

The Times

5:00PM January 27, 2023

NASA plans to build a nuclear-powered rocket to almost halve the time it takes to travel to Mars.

Passage to the red planet takes about seven months at present. Engineers believe that this could be cut to about four months using what is known as nuclear thermal propulsion.

The benefits of a shorter voyage would include less exposure to cosmic radiation for the crew. “If we have swifter trips for humans, they are safer trips,” Pam Melroy, the NASA deputy administrator and former astronaut, said.

NASA wants to send astronauts to Mars by the early 2040s, using a crewed mission to the moon as a stepping stone as soon as 2025.

The new, faster spacecraft would be equipped with a nuclear thermal engine, technology that has been on the agency’s radar for more than half a century. The aim is to test a prototype in space by the end of 2027.

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Enjoy!

David.

 

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