The E-Health Changes To The Practice Incentive Program (PIP) Seem To Be Causing Consternation.

We have had a couple of reports on the issue of the last day or so.

Examples are found here:

Sticks and no carrots as govt pushes GPs on e-health records

9th May 2012

Mark O’Brien

THE government will bar GPs who don’t participate in the personally controlled electronic health record system from receiving e-health PIP payments, while stripping money from the existing telehealth incentive program to fund it.

Last night’s budget announcements finally answered the oft-repeated question of how the National e-Health Transition Authority would continue to function and how the PCEHR would be rolled out once the current funding for both projects expired on 30 June.

The government will spend $233.7 million on e-health over the next two years, contributing $67.4 million to NEHTA and $161.6 million to operate the PCEHR and another $4.6 million on privacy and security safeguards for the system.

But that money will come from a total of $257.5 million stripped out of the existing telehealth initiative - which will now end on 30 June next year instead of in 2015 as originally planned - and the HealthConnect program which was designed to standardise secure electronic messaging.

RACGP president Professor Claire Jackson said it was “very disappointing” to see the government using the e-health PIP as “a stick” to prod GPs into using the PCEHR.

“There’s absolutely no detail about what’s going to be available to support practices in their preparation and readiness for the PCEHR and it launches in seven weeks,” Professor Jackson told MO.

More here:

http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/news/sticks-and-no-carrots-as-govt-pushes-gps-on-ehealth-records

and here:

GPs to pay, says AMA

10 May, 2012

David Ramli

Australia’s peak medical body has slammed Labor for cutting millions of dollars from incentive programs, claiming this could push general practitioners to the wall.

In the budget the government said it was raising the bar for GPs wanting to get money from its practice incentive programs (PIPs), which are designed to encourage doctors to adopt new ways of treating patients.

The move is set to save taxpayers $83.5 million over four years as Labor guns for a budget surplus.

But according to Australian Medical Association president Steve Hambleton it’s a bar that GPs simply can’t clear because the government has failed to deliver its programs.

One of the new conditions for getting PIP payments is that GPs take part in the $467 million Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR) system, which is designed to provide Australians with computerised medical notes whenever they visit doctors or hospitals.

Although its original launch date was July 1 this year, Health Minister Tanya Plibersek has been forced to downgrade expectations of what will be available. On Tuesday the government pledged an extra $234 million over three years to bring the system online.

“It’s premature to link the PIP payment to an infrastructure that doesn’t exist and is still being built,” Dr Hambleton said. “For example, in my practice my software can’t link to anything yet ... and it won’t be ready by July 1.

“This is just another blow to the engine room of health care.”

More here:

http://afr.com/p/national/budget/gps_to_pay_says_ama_2e3aY29RciaQFMDKxOEnSL

There are a range of issues around all this and at the present time it seems odd for the Government to be announcing new rules without having first discussed and agreed them with the profession - as would seem to be the case.

Here is what the budget said on the topic.

http://www.health.gov.au/internet/budget/publishing.nsf/content/2012-13_Health_PBS_sup1/$File/2.05_Outcome_5.pdf

Here is how the changes are described:

“In 2012-13, the Australian Government will introduce new eligibility requirements for the Practice Incentives Program (PIP) eHealth Incentive to encourage general practices to keep up-to-date with the latest developments in eHealth and to promote uptake of the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR).

The new requirements will encourage general practices to safely and securely share accurate electronic patient records to enhance the quality of care provided to patients and undertake activities such as electronic prescribing and use of the PCEHR system.

The Department will continue to consult closely with the National eHealth Transition Authority, the PIP Advisory Group, medical software developers and Medicare Australia in the development of the new requirements and to ensure that the appropriate software is available to practices with sufficient lead time to prepare for implementation. In 2012-13, the Australian Government will introduce new eligibility requirements.”

---- End Extract

Adoption of the NEHRS can really only occur when:

1.The system actually does something useful.

2. The system is demonstrably safe to use.

3. The system does not expose clinicians to any legal liabilities

4. The impact on clinical workflow and so on is minimal to non-existent.

5. All the integration and interfacing work with all systems is done.

6. There is confidence that the time spent looking up the record will be well spent.

Also it is also of interest to note that actual consumer adoption is hardly likely to run people over in the rush. Again from the budget papers the people registering (not actually even using) are projected as follows:

2012-13 500,000

2013-14 1,500,000

2014-15 2,200,000

2015-16 2,600,000.

That means that actual record holders will not reach 10% of the population until over 4 years from now. Clinicians are hardly likely to be checking PCEHR’s if there is only a 1 in 10 chance of a record - let alone something useful.

This thing is going to be a very slow burn - will probably not survive a change of Government - and is still to demonstrate any utility.

I still struggle to know just why a decent option analysis was not done before all this started. There are better ways to skin the e-Health cat!

Anyway - alienating the docs is a very bad idea and won’t help get acceptance in my view. They should have managed this much better!

David.

There Were A Few Wrinkles In The Detail of the Budget That Are Worth Pointing Out.

First it is useful to have a look at the Medical Observer summary.

Budget key points - Budget targets PIP for e-health, immunisation

9th May 2012

Mark O’Brien

Below are the main points affecting general practice from last night's federal budget papers, see today's regular e-news for more.

2012-13 FEDERAL HEALTH BUDGET KEY POINTS

e-Health

National e-Health Program – continuation: $233.7m SPEND

The Government will provide $233.7 million over three years to implement the National e-Health Program including the rollout of the PCEHR.

Allocation will also provide money for:

• NeHTA to further develop national standards and operate national infrastructure services;
• the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner to provide regulatory oversight of the national e-Health services; and
• the Department of Human Services and the Department of Veterans' Affairs to provide support services to PCEHR participants.

Other e-Health measures:

Telehealth incentive payments to be cut from July 2013: $183.9m SAVING

National Health Information Network (HealthConnect program): $73.6m SAVING

Workforce & Primary Care

Practice Incentives Program (PIP) - more effective targeting: $83.5 SAVING

The Government will improve the efficiency of the Practice Incentives Program (PIP) by more effectively targeting incentives to medical practitioners.

The Government will:

• include a requirement for general practices to participate in the PCEHR system to receive the e-Health PIP incentive;

Lots more details of other changes are found here:

http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/news/budget-key-points--budget-targets-pip-for-ehealth-immunisation

Crucial to a better understanding of what is going on is the document covering Outcome 10 in the Health Budget.

This can be downloaded from here:

http://www.health.gov.au/internet/budget/publishing.nsf/content/2012-13_Health_PBS_sup2/$File/2.10_Outcome_10.pdf

To be clear here is what they think they are doing:

Program 10.2: e-Health implementation

Program Objectives

Provide national eHealth leadership

The adoption of eHealth will improve the quality, safety, efficiency and coordination of health care by reducing the fragmentation of information across the health care sector. The Australian Government will lead the rollout of eHealth technology and services nationally by partnering with the state and territory governments to fund the National eHealth Transition Authority (NEHTA). NEHTA will continue to develop the foundational infrastructure and standards necessary for eHealth, including clinically safe, secure and interoperable eHealth specifications for adoption by public and private health care providers.

Develop systems to support a national eHealth system

The introduction of the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR) system in 2012-13 represents a key milestone in the Government’s strategy to increase Australians’ access to eHealth services. The PCEHR system will enable individuals to register for their record either online, by phone or via selected Medicare shops, and once created the individual will control access. The system will create a better and more efficient health care experience for participating consumers, with a smoother transition of information between care settings, a reduction in the time spent reiterating clinical history or waiting for test results to be located, and a reduction in adverse medical events. Consumers will be able to track their health progress, medications and allergies, while health care providers will have more up-to-date information at the point of care for better clinical decision making. Building on existing capacity and capability and expanding on the geographic footprints of the lead sites will enable a steady and incremental approach to ensure privacy, clinical safety and quality, and ensure that the tangible benefits of the PCEHR system can be monitored, evaluated and reported.

A national eHealth system will be reinforced by the operation and promotion of the Healthcare Identifiers (HI) service. These unique reference numbers give individuals and providers confidence that health information accessed through eHealth technologies is linked with the correct individual at the point of care.

Similarly, the National Authentication Service for Health will issue digital certificates to providers, ensuring that access to sensitive health information is secure. The Department will fund the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner to oversee eHealth legislation, provide consumers and health care providers with information and guidance, and initiate and conciliate complaints.

Provide eHealth services

In 2012-13, the Department will commence delivery of the Telehealth Pilot Program, which uses the National Broadband Network to give patients access to primary health care and specialist consultations from their own homes. The focus of the program will be on aged care, cancer care and palliative care.

----- End Extract

Note the subtle change in governance and note the emphasis on a steady incremental approach. It seems NASH is yet to start as it is talked about in the future tense.

An astonishingly different picture emerges here from the figures on the split of funding. The figures  that follow that shows just how the spending has slowed.

2011-12 Estimated Final $372,856 M(illion)

2012-13 Budget $82,102M

2012-14 Budget $117,464

and then in the years that are not funded $15,102M and $14,884M.

It is also important to go here to look at what is proposed for the PIP program:

http://www.health.gov.au/internet/budget/publishing.nsf/content/2012-13_Health_PBS_sup1/$File/2.05_Outcome_5.pdf

Here is how the changes are described:

“In 2012-13, the Australian Government will introduce new eligibility requirements for the Practice Incentives Program (PIP) eHealth Incentive to encourage general practices to keep up-to-date with the latest developments in eHealth and to promote uptake of the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR).

The new requirements will encourage general practices to safely and securely share accurate electronic patient records to enhance the quality of care provided to patients and undertake activities such as electronic prescribing and use of the PCEHR system.

The Department will continue to consult closely with the National eHealth Transition Authority, the PIP Advisory Group, medical software developers and Medicare Australia in the development of the new requirements and to ensure that the appropriate software is available to practices with sufficient lead time to prepare for implementation. In 2012-13, the Australian Government will introduce new eligibility requirements.”

---- End Extract

The detail will clearly come out in due course. Already I am seeing some pushback from the RACGP and AMA.

What is also interesting is this table:

http://www.health.gov.au/internet/budget/publishing.nsf/Content/budget2012-glance.htm

If you look at e-Health what you see is that in fact e-Health spending taken over the forward estimates has been dropped by $20M or so - by cutting telehealth and the National Health Information Network (I thought that died years ago - it was called Healthconnect!)

In summary I see in all this a lot of funds movement and a real cut in the total investments being made - especially in the next 12 months.

No one can imagine that the PCEHR is finished, that it is ready to switch on and that all the feeder systems are up and working. There are a lot of moving parts and it is hard to know what is actually funded and what are just pipedreams at this point. Clearly some operational funding is now with Medicare and so on.

I would love to know 2 things if anyone knows.

1. What the roughly $20M p.a. on the National Health Information Network was and what has this been doing over the last few years?

2. What this is about?

$35.0 million - Regional Queensland eHealth project;

See:

http://www.budget.gov.au/2012-13/content/overview/html/overview_21.htm

There is a lot more reaction coming - but I think those who seem to think the budget is wonderful news for the PCEHR and NEHTA are smoking something very potent and mood elevating!

At least one other commentator sees things similarly:

http://www.aussieviewsnews.com/2012/05/09/ehealth-pcehr-budget/

E-Health, PCEHR, Nehta: Losers in Australia’s Budget

Posted on May 9, 2012

What all those talking of funding boosts and so on are forgetting is that these funds are much less than in the previous two years and that there was essentially no-ongoing funding - so just how can this be a boost?
David.

Here Is The Ministerial Statement on The E-Health Area. Useful For Information And Some Really Nonsense Claims.

The following announcement is part of the Budget Papers.

Budget Delivers Certainty for eHealth System

Australian families will benefit from a $233.7 million investment to continue the rollout of a national, secure eHealth system which will deliver safer and better health services.

8 May 2012

Australian families will benefit from a $233.7 million investment to continue the rollout of a national, secure eHealth system which will deliver safer and better health services.

From 1 July 2012, interested Australians will be able to register to create a personal eHealth record, which will help ensure they can receive the care they need, where and when they need it.

Protecting living standards of Australian families has been a key priority of the Gillard Government from day one, and this important measure reflects that commitment.

“eHealth will deliver practical benefits to Australian families by reducing medication errors and allowing parents to keep better track of their children’s immunisation records,” Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said.

“It will be much easier for Australians with complex and chronic health conditions to ensure that all their health practitioners are able to access their medical history, making diagnosis quicker and more accurate.”

“We have made good progress in the past two years in the development of Australia’s eHealth system. This Budget provides certainty as we move from its development to its operation.”

eHealth spending in the 2012-13 Budget comprises –

• $161.6 million to operate the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR) system for the next two years, including registration and customer support, adoption support and benefits monitoring and evaluation;
• $4.6 million to maintain safeguards for privacy-related aspects of the PCHER system. This will mean that people can be confident that the privacy of their personal health information is fully protected; and 
• $67.4 million as the Commonwealth’s share of joint funding with the states and territories for the National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) work program for the next two years. This is to operate and maintain critical services and standards for the secure electronic exchange of health information, including healthcare identifiers, authentication services and eHealth standards.

“This Budget builds on the Government’s commitment of $466.7 million over two years to 30 June 2012 to build the national infrastructure for the PCEHR system, moving the nation’s paper-based health system into the digital age,” Minister Plibersek said.

“The rollout of the national eHealth system will be gradual and carefully managed – this is the sensible and prudent way to implement such a large and transformational infrastructure project,” Ms Plibersek said.

eHealth will support a better healthcare experience for patients and improved support and decision-making for healthcare providers. It has been estimated that net benefits from the current PCEHR program will reach $11.5 billion over 15 years to 2025.

Privacy is a fundamental element of the PCEHR system. The Budget funds the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner to have a privacy compliance and oversight role, handling privacy issues and complaints.

“Consumer confidence and trust in the appropriate handling of personal health information is at the heart of the project,” Minister Plibersek said.

The release is found here:

http://www.health.gov.au/internet/budget/publishing.nsf/Content/budget2012-hmedia04.htm

What needs to be noted here is:

1. We are seeing $80M p.a. rather than $230M p.a. being spent -this is a 60+ per cent cut.

2. NEHTA’s funding is now about $35M p.a. from the Commonwealth. That means NEHTA has been cut to a core funding of $70M p.a. down from a lot more over the last few years (95 and 120M or so)

3. A new spend on Privacy and Security.

No one needs to be under any illusion - the days of extravagant NEHRS spending are over until real benefits flow.

Just exactly what is this study that shows the benefits of $11.5B over 15 years? Has anyone seen it and just on what basis are the claims made?
Sounds like a load of rubbish to me and really a grossly deceptive claim. Why do pollies keep speaking unproven and vague rubbish like this?

David.

Well Now We Know. E-Health Has been Cut To Ribbons! Just As Expected. This Will Really Take a Decade If It Ever Happens.

Here is what the Budget has on e-Health.

National e‑Health Program — continuation

Expense ($m)

Department of Health and Ageing    ( 2011‑12) 33.4   (2012‑13 )  58.7 (2013‑14) 90.3  

Department of Human Services -  ( 2012‑13)  15.2  (2013‑14)   28.2

Department of Veterans' Affairs -  (2012‑13)  1.5   (2013‑14)   1.1  

Total - Expense (2011-12) 33.4  (2012‑13)  75.5  (2013‑14)  119.6

So the overall spending is.

2011-12 $33.4M

2012-13 $75.5M

2013-14 $119.6M

The Government will provide $233.7 million over three years to implement the National e‑Health Program.

This funding will ensure that from 1 July 2012, Australians will have the option of registering for a Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR) to support more informed clinical assessments and decision‑making, improve continuity of care and introduce efficiencies in health care service delivery. Patients who choose to participate will be able to securely access, and permit their health care providers to access, their health information.

This measure builds on the Government's previous e‑Health investments and includes funding to enable:

• the National E‑Health Transition Authority to further develop national standards and operate national infrastructure services;
• the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner to provide regulatory oversight of the national e‑Health services; and
• the Department of Human Services and the Department of Veterans' Affairs to provide support services to PCEHR participants.

To fully realise the significant benefits of this Commonwealth investment, State and Territory governments will need to continue to invest in core health information systems.

----- End Extract

It is pretty clear what this means and merely confirms what we have all know. The new Federal Minister has decided to take things a lot more slowly in an attempt to actually deliver over a much longer time.

I think this is very sensible - but it needs to come with a re-worked e-Health Strategy and much improved leadership and governance.

Will be fascinating to see how these funds are actually spent.

As you see what is happening each year is that the Department is getting more for operations and development costs are really dramatically cut back.

The first 2 years of the program was $467.00M and now we see investment of a great deal less. We now see 1/2 that amount over 3 years with a dramatic slowdown next financial year.

Essentially we are seeing a dramatic slowdown and sadly only a 2 year commitment of any funding. Pity about the out years

----- Rant On.

I have to say I am gobsmacked that we are also apparently having a $3.6 Billion package of handouts to those on under $80,000 per annum which is entitled “Benefits of the Boom”.  I thought we were trying to build a reasonable surplus - not buy votes from “Working Australians” Just why is it that the rest of the population is not to see these benefits in equal measure?

This really is wealth re-distribution on a scale we have not seen for quite a while. As Charlie Aitken remarked on Twitter - buy gambling and wagering stocks! Just rubbish policy in my view.

We have an economy that is firing on just one cylinder (mining) and we need to be investing and growing other sectors before the boom just passes - as all booms inevitably do. Not just spending the money for political advantage.

----- Rant Off.

Anyway the e-Health approach seems sensible and reasonable to allow a very major slowdown and to work out how to actually make it work. Now if we could sort out the leadership and governance of the program.....

David.

Sky News Is Reporting $250M For E-Health

Very Interesting.

The key issue will be over what period. If over 4 years as is usual we will all know what is happening.

The only way this will be good news if it is that amount per annum.

If the funding is over 2 years it is a major windback.

If the funding is over 4 years it is essentially cancelling the NEHRS in the foreseeable future.

We will know in a couple of hours. 

David.

I Wonder Is It An Accident That E-Health Is Not Mentioned But Tele-health Is In An Immediately Pre-Budget Article From The Health Minister ?

A little pre-Budget hint I wonder?

No more talking, we are ‘doing’ for rural health

8th May 2012

Tanya Plibersek

WHEN it comes to improving rural health services, it’s time for practical solutions.

The challenges are well known: shortages of health workers, older hospitals and health facilities and long distances to specialist centres, all have to be addressed so that rural Australians can get the health care they need, when and where they need it. 

We have to think smarter and work harder with an obvious starting point being how to increase the numbers of doctors, nurses and allied health professionals in the bush. 

One of the ways that we are making it more attractive for doctors to work in rural Australia is through significant bonus payments for doctors who choose to work in the most remote locations and retention payments to encourage others to stay in these areas. 

.....

Our investments in telehealth, where a patient consults a doctor or other health professional by video conferencing, is helping to remove the tyranny of distance. 

Imagine a cancer patient in Mandurah, Western Australia, speaking with her oncologist in Perth. She will be able to remain in the comfort of her own home with family and carers, while her specialist collects real time vital statistics such as blood pressure or heart rate. 

.....

The full (much longer) article is here:

http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/news/no-more-talking-we-are-doing-for-rural-health

All I can say is we may have to assume from this that the NEHRS is not going to feature in any large way. A few hours from now all will be clear.

If the fates are kind I hope to be able to get the basics for e-Health out some time this evening. We will see.

David.

Weekly Australian Health IT Links – 7th May, 2012.

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

There is really only one issue to be faced this week and that is the outcome for e-Health from the budget. It is released Tuesday evening and after that all will be a great deal clearer.

Until this happens we can all just relax and enjoy the nice Autumn weather!

Also while waiting you could do worse than spend a few minutes reading Grahame Grieves useful blog on HL7 - link about 1/2 way down this entry.

-----

http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/health+healing/news+features/your+medical+records+could+be+online,17621

Your medical records could be online

By Leanne Hudson First published: April 29th, 2012

Did you know?

The Australian Government is also setting up an electronic prescriptions scheme, aimed at cutting the abuse of prescription painkillers.

Imagine if any medical practitioner could access your healthcare records at the click of a mouse. The emergency department could treat you more quickly, specialists could compare test results instantly and you wouldn't have to remember the last time you had a tetanus shot.

Welcome to the world of eHealth, a program the  Government has invested $466 million in. Its aim is to create PCEHRs (Personally Controlled Electronic Health Records) that centralise a patient's healthcare information and, with their permission, present it to registered healthcare providers.

Advocates of the scheme say it will ensure a safer, more efficient healthcare system, but critics raise issues including privacy, access and consent. "I don't think privacy has been addressed enough," says Professor Julie Zetler, senior lecturer in the department of marketing and management at Macquarie University, who is researching the ethics of eHealth. Zetler also has concerns about security – how do you prevent unauthorised use of the records?

------

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-02/health-it-system-cost-john-hill/3984264

Rising cost to fix SA Health problems

By Nick Harmsen

Updated May 02, 2012 08:18:58

The South Australian Health Department will pay consultants $1.7 million to fix major issues with its new information technology system.

Health Minister John Hill has revealed officials were warned of potential problems two years ago.

The minister needed to hire external consultants to help reconcile $90 million of accounts due to major problems introducing a new IT system.

Last month, health officials revealed they had paid about $500,000 to fix the mess, but now the estimated cost is $1.7 million.

-----

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/costs-of-botched-payroll-to-double/story-fn59niix-1226344135847

Costs of botched payroll to double

• by: Michael McKenna, Queensland political editor
• From: The Australian
• May 02, 2012 12:00AM

THE cost of fixing Queensland Health's botched payroll system is set to spiral into one of Australia's most expensive bureaucratic bungles with the newly elected Liberal National Party government warning of a potential doubling of the estimated $220 million repair bill.

Health Minister Lawrence Springborg yesterday accused the Bligh Labor government of lying about the extent of problems with the $40m payroll system, which left thousands of health workers underpaid, overpaid or unpaid after it was implemented in 2010.

The payroll debacle -- which forced Queensland Health to claw back about $75m in overpayments from its employees last year -- was ranked in internal Labor polling ahead of the March 24 election as one of the top reasons for voters turning against the Bligh government.

-----

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-04/gp-shop-front-part-of-e-health-push/3990524/?site=newcastle

GP shop-front part of e-health push

Updated May 04, 2012 07:37:49

Hunter Urban Medicare Local needs to sign-up 20,000 people for the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record.

The organisation representing Hunter GPs is ramping-up preparations for its electronic health system by opening a new shop-front office today in the Hunter Street mall.

Hunter Urban Medicare Local needs to sign-up 20,000 people for the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record by the end of next month.

-----

http://www.cmaj.ca/site/earlyreleases/30april12_bloom-fading-from-e-health-golden-wattle.xhtml

NEWS

April 30, 2012

Bloom fading from e-health golden wattle

It sounded like a great idea in 2010: a personally controlled electronic health record that would allow Australians to access and share medical records in a nationwide database. The system, it was argued, would support better medical decision-making, reduce errors and save time and money.

To that end, the government set aside A$467 million and targeted an ambitious launch date of July 1, 2012.

Medical groups such as the Australian Medical Association lauded the notion, asserting that a shared electronic health record would help doctors deliver better care as they’d have access to a patient’s full clinical records no matter where he was treated. Health and consumer advocates were equally effusive. The proposed system would yield improved health outcomes, reduce medical mistakes and provide confidential health records.

-----

http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/news/weve-been-clear-dept-rejects-pcehr-criticism

‘We’ve been clear’: Dept rejects PCEHR criticism

1st May 2012

Mark O’Brien

THE health department has rejected suggestions it has been anything but “clear and unequivocal” about funding arrangements for GPs compiling PCEHR records, as doctors’ groups continue to question the details.

AMA president Dr Steve Hambleton has accused the department of using “weasel words” to obscure the fact there is no new funding for GPs to prepare e-health records.

The RACGP last week released a series of scenarios, developed with support from the department, to give GPs examples of how the PCEHR would work with existing MBS items.

-----

http://www.zdnet.com.au/e-health-myki-the-big-vic-budget-winners-339337031.htm

E-health, Myki the big Vic budget winners

By Josh Taylor, ZDNet.com.au on May 2nd, 2012

As the Victorian Government looks to cut spending and produce a surplus, the majority of tech funding in the Victorian Budget, released yesterday, targets e-health investments and the state's troubled transport smart card Myki.

Victorian Premier Ted Ballieu said yesterday that the Budget "delivers the right economic strategy to put Victoria's finances onto a stronger foundation for the future, while managing the tight financial constraints imposed by international economic uncertainty, a weaker national economy and consequent declines in state revenue".

The government has allocated $100 million over the next four financial years to the Victorian Innovation, E-Health and Communications Technology Fund. This will support health IT projects, including system and software upgrades and installations, according to budget documents. The Coalition-led government has also dedicated $8.3 million per annum in funding over the next two years as part of the state's contribution to National E-Health Transition Authority's (NEHTA) core operations.

-----

http://www.nehta.gov.au/media-centre/feature-story/977-australian-healthcare-product-purchasers-intention-statement-npc-and-eprocurement-edition-1

Australian Healthcare Product Purchasers Intention Statement NPC and eProcurement Edition 1

On behalf of the NEHTA Supply Chain Reference Group, we would like to announce the release of the Australian Healthcare Product Purchasers Intention Statement NPC and eProcurement Edition 1 PDF (395.71 kB)

As a part of NEHTA’s Supply Chain Reform Programme Review conducted in 2011, suppliers indicated that they were unclear as to how their product data loaded on the National Product Catalogue (NPC) was being used by Australian Healthcare Buyers. Accordingly, the purpose of this Intention Statement is to provide pharmaceutical, medical product and consumable suppliers, manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, etc. in the Australian healthcare market with a snapshot of current NPC and eProcurement activities in the public and some private healthcare provider market.

-----

www.medicalobserver.com.au/news/medicare-locals-performance-to-be-compared-not-gps-nhpa

Medicare Locals' performance to be compared, not GPs: NHPA

2nd May 2012

Byron Kaye

THE National Health Performance Authority (NHPA) has reassured GPs their individual work will not be tested when the organisation begins the task of assessing the effectiveness of Medicare Locals.

The new body hopes to use a set of 50 indicators endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) to publish comparison data of hospitals across the country. About 30 of these would be used as a “departure point” for assessing MLs, NHPA acting CEO Dr Diane Watson said.

Some GPs have raised concerns the practice would amount to a “My School” style league table, which would pit doctors against their peers regarding performance in matters that were often unquantifiable.

-----

http://www.zdnet.com.au/melb-students-through-to-imagine-cup-final-339337035.htm

Melb students through to Imagine Cup final

By Luke Hopewell, ZDNet.com.au on May 2nd, 2012

Four Victorian students have secured a place in the finals of the Microsoft Imagine Cup to be held in Sydney, thanks to an innovation enabling a "digital stethoscope"

-----

http://www.healthintersections.com.au/?p=899

HL7 Progress Report

Posted on May 5, 2012 by Grahame Grieve

This blog post is based on a presentation I made to The Australian Medical Software Industry Association (MSIA) at a recent meeting. The focus of this presentation was a CEO level summary of where HL7 is at, as context for how to understand the use of HL7 standards in Australia. Note that interoperability is a major piece of the landscape here in Australia, and most CEOs are somewhat (through to intimately) involved in it, and therefore at least familiar with the innards of a v2 message.

Use of HL7 in Australia

HL7 v2 was first used for exchanging patient management information in single-campus hospitals. Over the last 20 years, the use of HL7 v2 has grown from that to be used for diagnostic reports in hospitals and then between clinical providers, and also referrals and discharge summaries within and between providers. There is also some use for pharmacy messaging, though I am only aware of this internally to an institution.This use has been aided and fostered by a series of Australian standards known by AS 4700.x where x indicates the intended use of the standard.

-----

http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/685504

Study Confirms e-Prescribing Systems Reduce Medication Errors

A recent study in Australia confirmed what many U.S. health organizations and officials promote: e-prescribing systems help to reduce a variety of medication errors.

April 28, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- A recent study in Australia confirmed what many U.S. health organizations and officials promote: e-prescribing systems help to reduce a variety of medication errors. While many healthcare hospitals and clinics in the U.S. have already implemented e-prescribing and other online medical systems and processes, the government and organizations like the American Medical Association (AMA) continue to encourage their adoption. Widespread use of e-prescribing systems helps protect patients and avoid painful and costly medication errors.

e-Prescribing Method

Electronic prescribing, or e-prescribing, systems help to automate the process of ordering, dispensing and paying for prescription drugs. Typically a physician enters a script in a patient's record on the e-prescribing system, which is then forwarded to a pharmacy of the patient's choice. The prescription history, insurance coverage and any possible medication interactions or side effects for a patient are also tracked within the e-prescribing system. In addition, refills and other authorizations are managed through the e-prescribing interface.

-----

http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/news/latest-news/errors-rife-on-gp-scripts

Errors rife on GP scripts

3 May, 2012 Jo Hartley

One in 20 prescription items on GP scripts contain an error or inadequate instructions on monitoring the drug, a study commissioned by the UK general practice professional regulator has revealed.

Most of the errors were categorised as oversights rather than mistakes, such as the GP failing to write down how often a patient should take the medication or the prescription of an incorrect dose.

However around one in every 550 prescription items was judged to contain a serious error, which included prescribing penicillin to a patient with a known allergy to the drug, and failing to ensure a patient on warfarin was being regularly monitored.

-----

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/vision-of-future-experts-close-to-turning-bionic-eye-dream-into-reality-20120501-1xx71.html

Vision of future: experts close to turning bionic eye dream into reality

May 2, 2012

FIFTEEN years ago, the bid to create Australia's first bionic eye relied on university researchers pillaging old stereos for parts.

However today, 154 researchers led by biomedical engineers from the University of NSW could be less than a year away from their goal of saving the vision of degenerative eye disease sufferers.

In 1997, when the work began, Gregg Suaning and Nigel Lovell were unfunded, but dogged, researchers ripping old stereos asunder for spare parts in their attempts to build a bionic eye.

-----

http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/news/pioneering-electronic-eye-trials-a-success

Pioneering electronic eye trials a success

4th May 2012

Press Association

THE first UK clinical trials of an electronic eye implant designed to restore the sight of blind people have proved successful and "exceeded expectations", scientists say.

Eye experts developing the pioneering new technology said the first group of British patients to receive the electronic microchips were regaining "useful vision" just weeks after undergoing surgery.

The news will offer fresh hope for people with retinitis pigmentosa, they said.

Retina Implant AG, a leading developer of subretinal implants, fitted two patients with retinitis pigmentosa with the wireless device in mid-April as part of its UK trial.

-----

http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/consumer-security/consumers-win-more-power-over-credit-data-20120501-1xx4g.html

Consumers win more power over credit data

Geesche Jacobsen

May 2, 2012

THE Australian Privacy Commissioner is to get greater powers to investigate and resolve complaints about privacy breaches, the federal Attorney-General, Nicola Roxon, has announced.

Consumers will also have a greater ability to see information held about them by credit reporting agencies, and to have it corrected, a spokesman for Ms Roxon said.

The changes - to be introduced to Parliament in the winter session - are the government's response to a Senate committee review of proposed national privacy principles, which were developed in response to a 2008 report by the Australian Law Reform Commission.

-----

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/mobile-phone-radiation-emissions-may-be-cut/story-e6frgakx-1226347285450

Mobile phone radiation emissions may be cut

• by: NATASHA BITA, CONSUMER EDITOR
• From: The Australian
• May 05, 2012 12:00AM

AUSTRALIA'S radiation limits for mobile phones and transmitters may be changed for the first time in a decade, after a string of European countries lowered their limits.

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency is setting up a panel of experts to aid its review of scientific literature published since 2002.

"Should evidence arise to indicate that the exposure limits do not provide adequate protection, then the standard will be revised," ARPANSA said yesterday.

-----

http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/consumer-security/the-password-dilemma-20120403-1w9zt.html

The password dilemma

Matt Smith

April 30, 2012 - 12:18PM

Think about all the accounts you have online that require a password: email, Facebook, Twitter, Paypal, a multitude of forums, a handful of bank accounts.

Now think about how many of these accounts use the same, easy to remember password. The name of a relative, a footy team, or a cherished pet? Or did you make the worst mistake, and set your password as '123456', 'abc123', 'qwerty', or even the dreaded (but strangely common) 'password'?

You aren't alone with these mistakes, chances are that if your password is easy for you to remember, it's easy for a hacker to figure out.

-----

Enjoy!

David.

AusHealthIT Poll Number 120 – Results – 7th May, 2012.

The question was:

Do You Believe The Overall Design Approach Adopted For The NEHRS Was Optimal Given Experience Here and Overseas?

It Was Perfect

-  4 (9%)

It Needed A Bit More Thought

-  6 (13%)

It Had Some Major Design Flaws

-  6 (13%)

It Was Just Ill Conceived And Wrong

-  28 (63%)

Votes : 44

This looks pretty clear to me - over 70% reckon it has major flaws or worse.

Again, many thanks to those that voted!

David.