Note: I have excluded (or marked out) any commentary taking significant funding from the Agency or the Department of Health on all this to avoid what amounts to paid propaganda. (e.g. CHF, RACGP, AMA, National Rural Health Alliance etc. where they were simply putting the ADHA line – viz. that the myHR is a wonderfully useful clinical development that will save huge numbers of lives at no risk to anyone – which is plainly untrue) (This signifies probable ADHA Propaganda)
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Note: I have also broadened this section to try to cover all the privacy and security compromising and impacting announcements in the week – along with the myHR. It never seems to stop! Sadly social media platforms get a large run this week.
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Why the internet needs new rules, and where to start
By Mark Zuckerberg
March 31, 2019 — 8.02am
Technology is a major part of our lives, and companies such as Facebook have immense responsibilities. Every day, we make decisions about what speech is harmful, what constitutes political advertising, and how to prevent sophisticated cyber attacks. These are important for keeping our community safe. But if we were starting from scratch, we wouldn't ask companies to make these judgements alone.
I believe we need a more active role for governments and regulators. By updating the rules for the internet, we can preserve what's best about it - the freedom for people to express themselves and for entrepreneurs to build new things - while also protecting society from broader harms.
From what I've learned, I believe we need new regulation in four areas: harmful content, election integrity, privacy and data portability.
First, harmful content. Facebook gives everyone a way to use their voice, and that creates real benefits - from sharing experiences to growing movements. As part of this, we have a responsibility to keep people safe on our services. That means deciding what counts as terrorist propaganda, hate speech and more. We continually review our policies with experts, but at our scale we'll always make mistakes and decisions that people disagree with.
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Clinical Messaging in Australia
Posted on March 28, 2019 by Grahame Grieve
The Australian Digital Health Agency is working hard on replacing faxing with secure messaging. Peter MacIsaac discusses one of the ancillary challenges this causes in Pulse IT today:
The second barrier to successful cross-transfer of messages is that the messages sent by almost all health services do not comply with Australian messaging or vocabulary standards.
Likewise the major clinical system vendors are not capable of processing a standard HL7 message, if one were to be delivered to them. Senders and receivers have each interpreted the international HL7 messaging standard independently of the agreed Australian standard and associated implementation guidelines.
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How to control the settings for secondary use of your My Health Record data
Now that over ninety per cent of Australians has a My Health Record, we need to start using it. That also means becoming familiar with the dashboard and settings. Most people are not aware that they can control who sees what information in their record.
For example, you have the option to switch off secondary use of data. Secondary use is when third parties use your health information for purposes not directly related to your care.
This includes public health policy development and research – but also many other purposes. If you want to know more, read my blog post about this topic.
When a new MyHR record is created, your data will automatically be shared for other purposes. If you do not want this, you need to click the ‘do not participate’ button.
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Data science, ethics, and the 'massive scumbags' problem
Discussions of ethics in data science and artificial intelligence are all well and good, but they won't go anywhere if the prime directive is making massive profits for venture capitalists.
"You're OK with doing business with evil people, right?" One of Australia's leading venture capital advisers had asked me that question back when the first dotcom bubble was about to burst, in the year 2000 or 2001.
I was involved with a startup, and we were meeting to discuss what the business plan needed to look like. The basic requirement, we were told, was a growth chart that went up and to the right at an acceptable rate. Investors needed to see that they'd get the return they'd expect.
It didn't matter what the startup actually did. Investors assumed you knew your technology, so you could easily baffle them with the bovine stuff. Your startup could be curing cancer or drowning puppies, as long as that chart went up and to the right. Up, and to the right.
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Rules drafted on how to access data under Consumer Data Right
The draft rules stipulate that data-holders must stand up a specialised service to take applications and administer data if approved.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on Friday released a draft document detailing the rules that would guide the implementation of the nation's new Consumer Data Right (CDR).
The CDR will allow individuals to "own" their data by granting them open access to their banking, energy, phone, and internet transactions, as well as the right to control who can have it and who can use it.
The draft rules [PDF] laid out three ways to request CDR data: Product data requests, consumer data requests made by CDR consumers, and Consumer data requests made on behalf of CDR consumers.
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The battle to control artificial intelligence
One man holds the future of artificial intelligence in his hands. But is Google the right company to usher in the future of humanity?
Hal Hodson
Mar 29, 2019 — 9.54am
One afternoon in August 2010, in a conference hall perched on the edge of San Francisco Bay, a 34-year-old Londoner called Demis Hassabis took to the stage. Walking to the podium with the deliberate gait of a man trying to control his nerves, he pursed his lips into a brief smile and began to speak. “So today I’m going to be talking about different approaches to building …” He stalled, as though just realising he was stating his momentous ambition out loud. And then he said it: “AGI”.
AGI stands for artificial general intelligence, a hypothetical computer program that can perform intellectual tasks as well as, or better than, a human. AGI will be able to complete discrete tasks, such as recognising photos or translating languages, which are the single-minded focus of the multitude of artificial intelligences (AIS) that inhabit our phones and computers. But it will also add, subtract, play chess and speak French. It will also understand physics papers, compose novels, devise investment strategies and make delightful conversation with strangers. It will monitor nuclear reactions, manage electricity grids and traffic flow and effortlessly succeed at everything else. AGI will make today’s most advanced AIs look like pocket calculators.
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Babel fish, FHIR and general practitioners
March 28, 2019
EMRs, the MHR, interoperability, the patient-centric imperative? Digital health has so far promised big and delivered little, especially at the coalface of health, general practice.
EMRs, the MHR, interoperability, the patient-centric imperative? Digital health has so far promised big and delivered little, especially at the coalface of health, general practice.
At last month’s launch of the Australian Digital Health Agency’s consultation on interoperability, the agency’s chief executive, Tim Kelsey, declared that Australia was now a world leader in digital health.
He listed the My Health Record (MHR) and the legislation that enabled it to occur as evidence of our rapid progress and leadership in patient empowerment. And having declared the MHR a success (so far, at least) he launched the next phase of the agency’s program to revolutionise Australian healthcare, a consultation phase on interoperability.
Interoperability is how all the parts of the healthcare system will talk to each other, and seamlessly and securely share vital patient data. It’s the healthcare system’s nirvana, if anyone can actually crack it. Done well, it will certainly save lives and a lot of money.
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Digital health - a human imperative
NSW Jun 12 ADHA Propaganda
CEDA NSW/ACT is delighted to welcome Australian Digital Health Agency, Chief Executive Officer, Tim Kelsey to the 2019 Trustee program.
Speakers
Tim Kelsey, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Digital Health Agency
Event overview
Guest speaker Tim Kelsey will provide CEDA Trustees with an update on:
- How the Australian National Digital Health Strategy is improving patient health outcomes through integration of digital health services;
- The Strategy’s priorities such as wider health system interoperability;
- The benefits of My Health Record and how they are improving consumer use;
- The Agency's work in improving the adoption, education, infrastructure and awareness of digital health in clinical and rural communities.
This briefing is by invitation only to CEDA Trustees. Trustees are senior leaders nominated by CEDA member organisations. At CEDA boardroom briefings Trustees hear from an informed, expert guest speaker in a private, small group setting. Invitations to boardroom briefings are a valued benefit of CEDA membership. Chatham House Rule applies.
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FOI documents reveal what GPs are getting out of My Health Record
Internal report suggests (some) doctors have found (some) clinical benefit
29th March 2019
Only one in two GPs using My Health Record think its clinical value justifies the time and effort involved in maintaining the system, the government’s own internal research has found.
Documents released under freedom of information laws suggest the Australian Digital Health Agency was aware it had a serious perception issue among its GP users in the months before the system went opt-out last year.
The agency commissioned two surveys of GPs, non-GP specialists, pharmacists and nurses in April and then again in August last year.
GPs — whose role in uploading and curating shared health summaries is seen as central to the system — were the least likely to recommend My Health Record to colleagues or request it for their own care.
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My Health Record best place for Advance Care Directives
ADHA Propaganda
With National Advance Care Planning Week occurring 1-5 April, medical leaders are reminding Australians to make sure their future health care preferences are uploaded to My Health Record, where they can be easily accessed when needed.
“National Advance Care Planning Week reminds us all of the importance of making your loved ones aware of your wishes in regards to health treatment, for a time in future where you may no longer be able to express your preferences. When you are sick, the burdens and stresses of decision-making may fall on those you love,” said says Adelaide GP, Dr Chris Moy, Chair of the Ethics and Medico-legal Committee of the Australian Medical Association and ambassador for National Advance Care Planning Week.
“Having conversations beforehand, documenting your wishes, and knowing where this information is stored and available can help ease this burden. My Health Record is equipped to store your advance care plan, allowing it to be accessed by your health care team at a place and a time in the future when it is needed. All Australians now have the opportunity to use this tool to ensure that they obtain health treatment in line with their preferences.”
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Regulate facial recognition: tech boss
Microsoft president Brad Smith has called for a global conversation on facial recognition, urging countries to regulate before democratic freedoms are impacted.
Luke Costin
Australian Associated Press March 29, 20193:32am
Microsoft's president has urged Australia and other countries to regulate facial recognition before democratic freedoms are impacted.
Brad Smith said a global conversation was needed to discuss issues such as bias and discrimination, commercial privacy and a potential impact on democratic freedoms if facial recognition is misused and abused.
At the moment, market leaders such as Microsoft and NEC are making the decisions on where to draw the line on each issue.
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My Health Record
Your My Health Record is a secure online summary of your health information. The Australian Digital Health Agency runs the My Health Record system. We oversee the privacy aspects of My Health Records.
