I just wondered if anyone knew if such documents existed and better still what they say?
I am struggling to even begin to imagine what could be additionally usefully done for $120M p. a. given the costs we are already aware of involved in just keeping the system ticking over (many millions p.a. - at least 30M p.a. I would guess). Remember, in total, Version 1 cost many, many hundreds of billions.
All leaks and contributions gratefully received and published!
David.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Former Howard Government Cabinet Minister Tells Us What To Do With E-Health. Stop It Before We Go Blind!
Writing in the Fairfax press today Amanda Vanstone wrote the following.
"When you look for big savings you need to look at the big expenditure items. One of our biggest expenditures is on health, along with welfare and education. If it was possible to get e-health up and running, we would all be better off. It had its inception under Tony Abbott back when he was health minister and sadly is still stuck somewhere in the system. I think we should say enough is enough and just outsource the job to the private sector. It will cost to set up but the savings, in both better health care and dollars, will be enormous."
Read the full commentary here:
http://www.theage.com.au/comment/budget-2015-what-joe-hockey-should-be-announcing-tomorrow-night-20150510-ggxah7.html
Certainly this is a sentiment it is hard to disagree with. Failing to recognise that keeping on at something you have persistently failed at, on both sides of politics makes little to no sense! A totally new approach is needed - not more of the same and more waste!
David.
"When you look for big savings you need to look at the big expenditure items. One of our biggest expenditures is on health, along with welfare and education. If it was possible to get e-health up and running, we would all be better off. It had its inception under Tony Abbott back when he was health minister and sadly is still stuck somewhere in the system. I think we should say enough is enough and just outsource the job to the private sector. It will cost to set up but the savings, in both better health care and dollars, will be enormous."
Read the full commentary here:
http://www.theage.com.au/comment/budget-2015-what-joe-hockey-should-be-announcing-tomorrow-night-20150510-ggxah7.html
Certainly this is a sentiment it is hard to disagree with. Failing to recognise that keeping on at something you have persistently failed at, on both sides of politics makes little to no sense! A totally new approach is needed - not more of the same and more waste!
David.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
A Random Thought On What The Government Is Up To On The PCEHR?
Is it possible, with new governance, shutting NEHTA, trials and legislation to get passed etc. that the Government is thinking $125M per year is cheap to get this thing off our back into the very vague future?
After all the funds are little more than a rounding error in the Health Budget.
It might drag on into a pitiful fizzle after the next election no matter who wins.
Views and Comments?
David.
After all the funds are little more than a rounding error in the Health Budget.
It might drag on into a pitiful fizzle after the next election no matter who wins.
Views and Comments?
David.
Here Is The Formal Government Release On The PCEHR Revamp. They Just Don’t Get It!
Patients to get new myHealth Record: $485m ‘rescue’ package to reboot Labor’s e-health failures
The Abbott Government will deliver a rebooted personalised myHealth Record system for patients and doctors that will trial an opt-out, rather than opt-in, option as part of a $485 million budget rescue package to salvage Labor’s failed attempts to develop a national electronic medical records system.
Page last updated: 10 May 2015
May 10 2015
The Abbott Government will deliver a rebooted personalised myHealth Record system for patients and doctors that will trial an opt-out, rather than opt-in, option as part of a $485 million budget rescue package to salvage Labor’s failed attempts to develop a national electronic medical records system.
Minister for Health Sussan Ley today announced the Abbott Government would redevelop the significantly underperforming Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR) system set up under the previous Labor Federal Government.
Less-than one-in-ten Australians are currently signed up to Labor’s PCEHR system, which is opt-in, with an independent review last year finding this was not a large enough sample to make it an effective national system or worth the time and effort for patients and doctors using it.
Ms Ley said a functioning national electronic medical records system was essential to ensure doctors, nurses and pharmacists across the country had instant access to the information needed to treat patients safely and efficiently without having to “gamble on unknowns” in their medical history.
“As patients, we’ve all been in situations where we’ve had to attend another GP surgery because we were out-of-town or couldn’t get an appointment with our regular doctor. It can be a time consuming and often frustrating experience for patients and doctors alike.
“And as a parent of three children, I recognise the benefits of having your family’s personal health information safely stored and accessible to healthcare providers. In the case of allergic reactions or medicine emergencies, having fast access to critical health data could be a matter of life or death.
“In this modern world where technology makes information sharing boundless, there’s no excuse for Australia not to have a functioning national e-health system and that’s what the Abbott Government’s revamped myHealth Record aims to achieve.”
Ms Ley said the Government was committed to implementing the key recommendations from the independent review into why Labor’s e-health system had failed to attract patients signing up.
“We’re committed to delivering strong primary care system for Australians and all of the feedback I’ve received from doctors and patients throughout my recent Medicare consultations is that a functioning national e-health system is critical to achieving this.
“That’s why we’ve delivered this $485 million rescue package to ensure Labor’s mistakes aren’t repeated a second time.”
Ms Ley said transforming the system from opt-in to opt-out for patients was a key recommendation of the independent review of Labor’s PCEHR.
“Doctors have indicated they’re much more likely to use the system if all their patients have a record.
“We also need full coverage if we’re to cut down on inefficiencies created by not having one seamless records system, such as double ups with testing, prescriptions and other procedures.”
In addition to improving patient health outcomes, it’s also been identified that a fully-functioning national e-health system could save taxpayers $2.5 billion per year within a decade by reducing inefficiencies, with an additional $1.6 billion in annual savings also delivered to the states.
However, Ms Ley said it was important the Government trialled the implementation of opt-out to ensure public confidence in the system was maintained.
“The real problem with the sluggish uptake of the current e-health system is not the concept, but the previous Labor Government’s trademark rushing of the rollout without thinking it through properly.
“It’s important that all Australians are signed up to ensure we have a functioning system and trialling an opt-out model means we can do it carefully, methodically and ensure the appropriate protections are in place to give patients peace of mind.”
Ms Ley said clinicians participating in the opt-out trials would receive hands-on training and follow-up support to build their confidence and understanding in using the system – another recommendation.
The decision to transform the PCEHR into a new myHealth Record will also see the system made more user-friendly and better reflect the needs of health professionals, including better alignment with existing clinical workflows within practices, and to ensure additional information such as current medications lists, and known adverse drug interactions are easily identified by practitioners.
Ms Ley said the Government would use the Budget to deliver on another key recommendation to strengthen governance arrangements for the rollout and management of a national e-health system.
“The current governance arrangements set up by Labor have been heavily criticised as overly complicated and bureaucratic and fail to represent the health sector in general.”
Ms Ley therefore announced that, in line with the recommendations of the review, the National E-Health Transition Authority will be replaced with the Australian Commission for eHealth from July 2016, and a transition taskforce will be established to manage the transition between the two.
The PCEHR operations and associated governance arrangements will also transition from the Department of Health to the new Commission, with the e-health policy function remaining with the Department.
“These governance changes have been discussed with and are supported by states and territories, and will improve the accountability and transparency of arrangements,” Ms Ley said.
ENDS
James Murphy
Assistant Media Adviser
THE HON SUSSAN LEY MP
Federal Member for Farrer
Minister for Health
Minister for Sport
Phone: 0478 333 974
Email: James.Murphy@health.gov.au
Assistant Media Adviser
THE HON SUSSAN LEY MP
Federal Member for Farrer
Minister for Health
Minister for Sport
Phone: 0478 333 974
Email: James.Murphy@health.gov.au
Here is the link
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/health-mediarel-yr2015-ley050.htm
See my earlier blog for the questions raised by all this!
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/health-mediarel-yr2015-ley050.htm
See my earlier blog for the questions raised by all this!
David.
Thus Far We Do Not Really Have Enough Detail To Really Understand What The Government Plans With The PCEHR.
Overnight we have had two reports on the PCEHR and NEHTA for the future.
Australians to benefit from Sussan Ley's ehealth health records revamp
Date May 10, 2015 - 12:00AM
Adam Gartrell
Australians will get easier access to their medical records and be at less risk of treatment and prescription blunders under a revamped e-health system that will cost the Abbott government at least half a billion dollars.
The new myHealth Records system will be announced by Health Minister Sussan Ley on Sunday. It will build upon and replace some elements of a struggling scheme introduced by Labor in 2012, which has already cost taxpayers more than $1 billion.
Tuesday's federal budget will set aside $485 million over the next four years to get the new system up and running but costs will continue beyond that.
The government believes that once the system is fully operational it could save the federal budget in the order of $2.5 billion a year. The states would also benefit from billions of dollars in savings through a reduction in diagnosis, treatment and prescription errors that lead to thousands of hospitalisations every year.
…..
The biggest change to Labor's Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record system will be a transition to an opt-out system.
That means that if a series of initial limited trials go well, all Australians will be given an e-health account and have their records put online, unless they choose to be excluded. Labor's system was opt-in, leading to a disappointingly small take-up rate – only about 2.2 million people, or 10 per cent of the population.
The government will also invest money in streamlining the system to make it more user-friendly so more doctors, nurses, pharmacists and hospitals want to be a part of it. So far, only a few hundred of the country's 1300 hospitals have adopted e-health.
The governing body NEHTA – the National E-Health Transition Authority – will be scrapped and replaced by the "Australian Commission for e-Health". The government says it will be less complicated and bureaucratic.
…..
The full article is here:
There is also coverage here:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-10/government-to-fund-ehealth-for-all-australians/6457940
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-10/government-to-fund-ehealth-for-all-australians/6457940
Budget 2015: New 'opt out' e-health system to see all Australians given electronic record
By medical reporter Sophie Scott
All Australians will now have an electronic health record as part of a new e-health system, and people will have to opt out if they do not want to take part.
The previous arrangement, commissioned in 2012, was an "opt in" system where patients could choose to join, but it was plagued with problems.
Health Minister Sussan Ley said research showed the best way was to put everyone on the system by default.
If a person did not want to be on the system, they would need to opt out.
"A personally controlled electronic health record is theirs," she said.
"It's not going to be out of their control and we are going to give the community the confidence they need."
A review of the personally controlled electronic health records released in 2014 found significant challenges with the opt-in system and a lack of focus on those who needed the e-health records the most.
It recommended moving to an opt-out system.
Ms Ley said it was important that all Australians sign up to e-health to ensure the system functions well.
More here:
As the title says it is hard to know what this actually means and the questions are legion.
For example:
What is the revamped PCEHR actually for and how can we know if it is actually making a clinical difference?
Where is the evidence supporting the planned investment and will the basis of the investment and the supporting business case be made public?
What are the trials that are planned, what will be the criteria separating success from failure and for how long will they last? For any credible trial there will need to be at least a few months planning, a few months of implementation and then at least a year of operation before evaluation. Anything less will be nonsense and a waste of money and if it is to be done properly then there will a delay for national implementation for at least two years, assuming the trials are successful.
Just what is envisaged to support and encourage GP and other clinician use and just what is the strategy for clinician engagement with their known concern with personal control of the national record?
What is the intent for the information content of the new system - a pile of .pdfs or something more useful?
Has the system been re-designed to have a clear purpose and objectives and is there a written strategy and design that has be properly consulted with all the relevant stakeholders?
Just what are the assumptions that underlie the claimed benefits of the new system and what is the evidence they are credible given global experience that the benefits are hard to realise in virtually all HIE circumstances.
What secondary uses is it intended to deploy the information held in the PCEHR for?
Just what NEHTA functions will continue, what will stop and what will be the fate of the huge document pile produced by them?
What governance framework will be applied to the Australian Commission for e-Health or will the secrecy, incompetence and opacity continue?
Will an Audit of the old PCEHR be undertaken to see what worked and what didn't?
Surely new Legislation will be needed. What will that say? Won't getting this passed delay the trials?
How is the Government going to counter the "This looks like an Australia Card" concerns?
Australians are not all that keen on compulsory systems.
Will an Audit of the old PCEHR be undertaken to see what worked and what didn't?
Surely new Legislation will be needed. What will that say? Won't getting this passed delay the trials?
How is the Government going to counter the "This looks like an Australia Card" concerns?
Australians are not all that keen on compulsory systems.
All in all in the next week or so we will need to see some much more detailed announcements and more evidence of fundamental change and very high quality planning or we will be able to be even more certain than ever that this won’t end well!
What do you think is the chance there has been quality and consultative planning around all this?
I wait to be proved wrong given it is the old, failed team who seem to have put this proposal together, but I reckon we will see more good money thrown after bad.
David.
Huge PCEHR News To Be Announced Today! PCEHR Stays And NEHTA Goes.
According to Fairfax and ABC On-Line the PCEHR is to receive $485M over 4 years and NEHTA is to be scrapped for a new Australian Commission For E-Health.
The system is to remain personally controlled but to become opt-out. Apparently trials are planned.
More to follow later.
David.
The system is to remain personally controlled but to become opt-out. Apparently trials are planned.
More to follow later.
David.
AusHealthIT Poll Number 269 – Results – 10th May, 2015.
Here are the results of the poll.
Should The Government Spend 'Hundreds of Millions Of Dollars' More To Revamp / Fix The PCEHR?
For Sure 11% (9)Probably 6% (5)
Neutral 5% (4)
Probably Not 25% (21)
No Way 53% (45)
I Have No Idea 1% (1)
Total votes: 85
The vast majority (78% to 17%) think the Government should not spend the money!
Good to see such a good number of responses!
Again, many, many thanks to all those that voted!
David.
Saturday, May 09, 2015
Madness Is Loose Within The Abbott Government - Maurice Newman Had Gone Off the Reservation!
This appeared a day or so ago.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/the-un-is-using-climate-change-as-a-tool-not-an-issue/story-e6frg6zo-1227343839905
Apparently Climate Change is a UN Conspiracy.
The man is a raving nutter and needs to be treated as such. The science is settled and he must be suffering from some disease that means he can't think clearly any more!
This sort of rubbish needs to be debunked!
See here for sanity!
https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/
The sooner the Government fires him as an advisor to the PM the better!
David.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/the-un-is-using-climate-change-as-a-tool-not-an-issue/story-e6frg6zo-1227343839905
Apparently Climate Change is a UN Conspiracy.
The man is a raving nutter and needs to be treated as such. The science is settled and he must be suffering from some disease that means he can't think clearly any more!
This sort of rubbish needs to be debunked!
See here for sanity!
https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/
The sooner the Government fires him as an advisor to the PM the better!
David.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)