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
Lots happening under the surface this week. The inability of the Government to face the reality that profound change is needed in the myHR program is the big worry however. Any ideas on how to change their minds?
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17 million Australians to be automatically enrolled in My Health record
5 November 2018 — 5:18pm
About 17 million Australians will be automatically enrolled in the My Health record if they do not opt out by next Thursday, despite lingering significant privacy concerns about the federal government's controversial e-health system.
Legislation that would enshrine a patient's right to permanently delete their record, and ensure that police may only access a person's medical history with a court order, is yet to pass Parliament but politicians will not get a chance to debate the bill before the opt-out deadline passes on November 15.
A Senate inquiry into the rollout of the e-health system last month recommended that the opt-out period be extended by 12 months and legislation substantially rewritten to safeguard patients' safety and privacy, but Health Minister Greg Hunt refused an extension.
It is understood that the government has been considering other recommendations from the Senate report.
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Govt adds new safeguards to My Health Record
Stronger penalties for misuse.
The federal government has moved to introduce extra privacy and security changes to the legislation behind the controversial My Health Record just a week out from the end of the opt-out period.
The proposed amendments are focused on introducing tougher penalties for system misuse, including by employers, as well as strengthening provisions to safeguard against domestic violence.
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The state of Open Data 2018
A selection of analyses and articles about open data, curated by Figshare
22 Oct 2018
Figshare's annual report, The State of Open Data 2018, looks at global attitudes towards open data. It includes survey results of researchers and a collection of articles from industry experts, as well as a foreword from Ross Wilkinson, Director, Global Strategy at Australian Research Data Commons.
The report is the third in the series and the survey results continue to show encouraging progress that open data is becoming more embedded in the research community.
The key finding is that open data has become more embedded in the research community – 64% of survey respondents reveal they made their data openly available in 2018. However, a surprising number of respondents (60%) had never heard of the FAIR principles, a guideline to enhance the reusability of academic data.
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ResMed pays $1bn for US health software company MatrixCare
Sleep device maker ResMed is expanding its out-of-hospital software portfolio into long-term care settings through the $1 billion-plus acquisition of a US health company.
The Australian-listed company (RMD) announced today it had signed an agreement to buy privately held MatrixCare for $US750 million ($1.04bn).
ResMed said its target was a leader in US long-term post-acute care software, serving more than 15,000 providers across skilled nursing, life plan communities, senior living and private duty.
“The acquisition of MatrixCare is an excellent addition to the out-of-hospital software portfolio that we can offer our healthcare provider customers,” ResMed chief Mick Farrell said.
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- Updated Nov 6 2018 at 4:41 PM
ResMed buys US software company MatrixCare for $1b
by Jessica Gardner
ResMed has pushed further into the health software industry with a $US750 million ($1.04 billion) purchase of US company MatrixCare.
The purchase of MatrixCare, which is used in more than 15,000 locations across the United States with a focus on long-term care, is the third major software purchase for the Sydney and San Diego-based company that has its origins in manufacturing devices that treat sleep apnoea.
Minnesota-based MatrixCare provides software to organisations across the nursing, senior living and retirement industries. The software is used to manage care, nutrition management and payroll, among other offerings.
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Qld looks to ditch SMS for ambo dispatch
Wants mobile terminals for real-time data push.
Queensland’s Ambulance Service hopes to end its reliance on SMS and radio as the primary means of receiving call out information across the state.
The agency is planning to introduce mobile data terminal in its frontline ambulances to improve how it responds to the more than one million requests for assistance received each year.
Paramedics and emergency medical dispatchers outside of South East Queensland currently communicate by voice communication “either over radio or through mobile networks”, QAS said.
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1ST signs another large medical centre group to MyHealth1st platform
1st Group Limited (ASX: 1ST), the Australian digital health, media and technology group, today announced it has signed an initial 1-year contract to provide SmartClinics, a fast-growing network of 34 GP medical centres, with a range of MyHealth1st technology solutions to digitise more of their patients’ journeys, drive practice efficiency and improve health outcomes.
The MyHealth1st platform will replace the medical centre group's existing use of HealthEngine and HotDoc, competitors of the MyHealth1st platform in the GP category.
1st Group's platforms are Australia's leading solutions in Independant Optometry, Pharmacy & Veterinary markets, and also support large numbers of dental, physio, podiatry, hospitals, government agencies and corporate health service providers, with now over 8,000 sites across Australia and New Zealand.
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New alliance to drive innovation in aged care
02 Nov 2018
RMIT University has joined innovAGEING to create a knowledge alliance that will link research with product and service development in the aged care industry.
RMIT has joined forces with innovAGEING, Australia’s first innovation network for the aged care industry
“We’re excited with this partnership,” said Merlin Kong, Principal Adviser for innovAGEING. “Having consulted with industry in developing innovAGEING, there was strong interest in translating research into practice, and validating progressive models of care with research evidence.
“There was also interest in demand-driven design in aged care, and developing sustainable new business models—in this regard, our alliance with RMIT marks a meaningful step in addressing ongoing industry interests.
“Aged care is a broad industry, and RMIT is strategically positioned as a leader in cross-disciplinary, practice-based research with a focus on putting people first through innovative design and creative practice.”
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- Updated Nov 7 2018 at 11:00 PM
Billy, a health tech start-up keeping the elderly out of aged care, raises $5m
An Australian start-up that seeks to keep elderly people out of hospital and in their homes living independently for longer by monitoring them remotely has raised $5 million from one of South Australia's largest aged care service providers.
Billy uses a series of discrete sensors placed around the home to build a picture of daily activities for family of the elderly residents in their own home or in an assisted-living environment. Activity information can be shared with the family via a smartphone app and can be alerted if there is a change in pattern.
It gives data in real time and looks for changes in behavioural patterns, such as skipping medication or going to the toilet more than normal patterns, which could indicate another health problem.
That technology piqued the interest of Enabling Confidence at Home (ECH), one of the largest integrated providers of retirement village accommodation in SA. The non-profits chief executive David Panter said it also had the potential to be used globally.
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Aged-care providers urged to publish ‘atrocities’
- AAP
- 9:35AM November 8, 2018
Aged-care providers are being urged to prominently publish their shortcomings and sanctions so families can make informed decisions about where to send their loved ones.
South Australian Senator Skye Kakoschke-Moore is pushing for legislative changes to force aged-care companies to publish all noncompliance notifications and punishments on their websites.
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James Chalmers | 08 Nov 2018
Healthcare will be entirely reorganised around patients in as soon as a decade, one of Australia’s foremost digital health leaders has told a Brisbane conference.
In opening remarks at the HIMSS AsiaPac18 conference in Brisbane on Tuesday, eHealth Queensland CEO and CIO Dr Richard Ashby spoke of the provider-patient partnerships that are increasingly being seen in healthcare systems are simply a transitional state.
“Within 10 to 15 years it won’t be a partnership – the consumer will be completely dominant in the relationship,” he said.
“It’s their healthcare and they are going to demand that they are actually in charge of it.
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DHS adds new digital assistant to myGov
'Charles' in charge of new accounts and service linkages.
The Department of Human Services has added a fifth Microsoft Cortana-powered chatbot to its armoury to deal with questions pertaining to the myGov government services portal.
The new digital assistant, dubbed ‘Charles’, will give the more than 14 million users that currently use the central authentication platform instant access to answers for common customer queries.
Charles, which operates in both myGov's authenticated and unauthenticated space, will provide information about creating an account, linking new services and what to do if an account is locked or suspended.
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'We have to design for the human in mind': putting ethics into AI
7 November 2018 — 12:00am
Medical students are trained with the famous Hippocratic Oath in mind - first, do no harm.
Kriti Sharma, artificial intelligence technologist and inventor, would like her industry to adopt a similar oath - to first, "do no evil".
Sharma, vice-president of bots and AI at accounting software company Sage, is a vocal advocate for ethics in AI - and for the human experience to be at the centre of technology design.
"When we build AI systems we have to design for the human in mind from the beginning - how the human will feel in the equation," she says.
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Queensland privacy law reform on the horizon
In late 2017, the Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney-General released a report flagging its recommendations for changes to Queensland privacy laws.
While legislation has not yet been introduced to give effect to the recommendations, it is worth understanding the trajectory of the law to accommodate potential changes in current and future privacy practices and contracting arrangements.
The report comes almost 10 months after the government announced it was reviewing the Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld) (IP Act) and the Right to Information Act 2009 (Qld) (RTI Act). Our publication on that review and the corresponding consultation paper is available here. The report makes 23 recommendations for amendments to the IP Act and the RTI Act.
In relation to reviewing the IP Act, the report grappled with three sets of privacy principles – the Commonwealth Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), the Queensland National Privacy Principles (NPPs) which apply to Queensland health agencies, and the Queensland Information Privacy Principles (IPPs) which apply to non-health Queensland agencies.
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HIMSS AsiaPac 18 - Leadership voices: healthcare anytime, anywhere
November 06, 2018 07:13 AM
The opening plenary of the HIMSS AsiaPac 18 Conference saw an engaging discussion and sharing by the five esteemed panelists on some common global challenges of healthcare, current examples as well as their hopes of what can be achieved in the future.
The HIMSS AsiaPac 18 Conference in Brisbane officially started today with an opening plenary, Leadership Voices: Healthcare Anytime, Anywhere featuring five healthcare leaders and experts with experience from different parts of the globe. Dr Charles Alessi, Chief Clinical Officer, HIMSS, the moderator of the panel started with an opening question to the panelists – what are the drivers and challenges of healthcare?
Dr Manish Kohli, Senior VP and Chief Medical Information Office (CMIO), Aurora Healthcare and Chair, Global Board of Directors, HIMSS said that from his experience in the US and bringing a Cleveland Clinic to Abu Dhabi, healthcare systems around the world are struggling with the same issues – providing quality care, ensuring accessibility to care, reducing costs of care, enhancing the clinician experience as well as the patient experience.
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First Australian hospitals achieve highest global digital health standards
Two Australian hospitals have been officially recognised as the first hospitals to adopt the highest international standards of digital health at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society AsiaPac18 Conference and Exhibition.
St Stephen’s Hospital Hervey Bay (UnitingCare) and the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne are being accredited as Stage 7 – the most advanced stage of the HIMSS Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model.
St Stephen’s Hospital Hervey Bay has achieved EMRAM Stage 7 for its inpatient facilities and Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital has achieved Outpatient EMRAM Stage 7 for its outpatient clinics.
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South Australia Police to be able to compel passwords and biometrics from suspects
Suspects who fail to hand over passwords, fingerprints, or other biometrics to access devices will face five years in the slammer.
South Australia Police is set for a boost to its powers under proposed laws introduced on Thursday in Adelaide, which would enable police officers to compel passwords and biometrics from suspects.
The proposed laws would apply in cases of indictable offences or where a maximum penalty of over two years applies, following court approval.
"Our laws need to keep pace with technology, which is why there are now specific provisions that will allow investigators to seek approval from the Magistrates Court to compel people to provide information to access encrypted material," South Australian Attorney-General Vickie Chapman said.
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- Updated Nov 5 2018 at 12:15 AM
No Netflix moment in the world of healthcare disrupters
Australian healthcare companies have so far eluded the equivalent of upstart outfits such as Netflix and Uber, which have shaken up business models in the entertainment and taxi industries respectively. And unlike the financial services sector, there are no hordes of start-ups lining up to grab a slice of the incumbents' profits.
So far, the biggest disrupter to healthcare has been Google, which has allowed people to self-diagnose and become more informed than ever before about their health. The other major disrupter is social media, as people have flocked online to share experiences and rate doctors.
According to a CSIRO report, titled Future of Health, the transition to a more holistic, preventive and consumer-empowered health system presents a challenge. "This shift will require a change in the way consumers share their personal data and how they trust next-generation medical platforms. It will also require the modification of existing businesss models, which may damage short-term profitability," the report says.
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- Updated Nov 5 2018 at 10:15 AM
Thrivor app puts healthcare at patients' fingertips
by Carrie LaFrenz
At 40, Justin McLean had a successful career working for a big-four accounting firm, a happy family life and a deep interest in road cycling. Then he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer and his world changed.
After 13 months of treatment he came up with the idea of an app that connects patients and hospitals, and provides practical patient support.
Thrivor, launched last year, was initially funded by McLean and a wealthy individual to the tune of about $1 million. It is in the middle of raising a further $2 million from investors.
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Patient dominance in healthcare imminent, says Qld ehealth chief
James Chalmers | 08 Nov 2018
Healthcare will be entirely reorganised around patients in as soon as a decade, one of Australia’s foremost digital health leaders has told a Brisbane conference.
In opening remarks at the HIMSS AsiaPac18 conference in Brisbane on Tuesday, eHealth Queensland CEO and CIO Dr Richard Ashby spoke of the provider-patient partnerships that are increasingly being seen in healthcare systems are simply a transitional state.
“Within 10 to 15 years it won’t be a partnership – the consumer will be completely dominant in the relationship,” he said.
“It’s their healthcare and they are going to demand that they are actually in charge of it.
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TPG top of the pops in ACCC's third broadband speed test
Fixed-line NBN customers are benefitting from competition among Internet service providers to perform well in the ACCC's speed tests, though some consumers continue to get much lower speeds than others on the same plan.
The ACCC's third Measuring Broadband Australia report, released on Monday, shows that TPG Telecom was the fastest, followed by Aussie Broadband, iiNet, Optus, Telstra and MyRepublic.
Aussie Broadband took top spot in the second report, with TPG third, and iiNet, part of the TPG stable, second.
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- Updated Nov 5 2018 at 10:28 AM
NBN Co accused of failing to take 5G threat seriously
by James Fernyhough
NBN Co has been accused of failing to take seriously the threat 5G is posing to its business model, after the groundbreaking technology received just a single mention in the company's 182-page annual report.
Currently in development but not commercially available, 5G is expected to revolutionise the speed and reliability of wireless internet, with many touting it as the first true competitor to fixed-line broadband.
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Broadband: Australia cheapest in Oceania, but 84th among 195 states
Australia may be the cheapest place for broadband in the Oceania region but it ranks a lowly 84 globally. The cheapest broadband packages in 195 countries surveyed by the UK's Cable.co.uk site was in Ukraine and cost US$5 per month. The most expensive was in Mauritania, cost US$768.16 – and was slow, at just 0.7Mbps.
The website said it had analysed 3303 fixed-line broadband deals in these 195 countries between 15 August and 20 September, with the assistance of international consumer insight consultancy BVA BDRC. (Full data can be seen here). In last year's survey, Iran was found to have the cheapest broadband.
Australia was the only country from the Oceania region to figure in the top 100 on costs, sneaking in at number 84 with packages that cost an average of US$52.77. Twelve countries were studied in the region.
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Enjoy!
David.
