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This weekly blog is to explore the news around the larger issues around Digital Health, data security, data privacy, AI / ML. technology, social media and related matters.
I will also try to highlight ADHA Propaganda when I come upon it.
Just so we keep count, the latest Notes from the ADHA Board were dated 6 December, 2018 and we have seen none since! Its pretty sad!
Note: Appearance here is not to suggest I see any credibility or value in what follows. I will leave it to the reader to decide what is worthwhile and what is not! The point is to let people know what is being said / published that I have come upon.
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https://www.innovationaus.com/privacy-tsar-wants-police-blocked-from-covid-check-in-app-data/
Privacy tsar wants police blocked from COVID check-in app data
Ben Grubb
Editor
7 September 2021
Australia’s privacy watchdog says police access to COVID-19 check-in app histories has the potential to “undermine” contact tracing efforts and should be prohibited.
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), in which Privacy Commissioner Angelene Falk sits, was responding to recent evidence of multiple requests by law enforcement officials across Australia attempting to access the check-in histories of state and territory COVID check-in apps.
Federal Privacy Commissioner Angelene Falk.
If law-enforcement access remained unconstrained, as remains the case in some states and territories, it could discourage individuals from providing accurate information, the OAIC said.
As reported by InnovationAus in June, Western Australian police twice accessed data from the state’s COVID-19 contact tracing check-in app, forcing the state government to introduce urgent legislation to prevent it from happening again. The data was reportedly sought in order to find potential witnesses to a crime committed near a cafe.
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https://medicalrepublic.com.au/three-numbers-that-matter-62-40-and-15c/53379
10 September 2021
Three numbers that matter: 62%, 40% and 15c
When it comes to MBS interpretation, impending covid disaster and digital health funding, a few little numbers can say a lot.
Who is to blame for so much Medicare item confusion?
According to a TMR/Healthed survey of just under 1000 GPs on 31 August, more 62% of GPs find MBS descriptors ambiguous or confusing.
Sixty-two per cent?
Is that 62% of GPs that can’t do their job properly and make some simple decisions on whether to charge certain items or not, or is there something else going wrong here?
In the same survey, only 10% of GPs said they were using the dedicated Medicare email interpretation service AskMBS to get clarity.
Hmm … why only 10%? Is the service hopeless, do GPs simply not know about it or are they perhaps apathetic about using it?
We need to ask a few more questions to drill down on the exact problem here (we’re going to do that in coming weeks) but it feels like it’s a mix of poor service and poor awareness of the service.
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https://centraladelaide.health.sa.gov.au/my-health-record/
ADHA Propaganda
My Health Record
My Health Record is an online summary of a person’s health history. This important health information can be viewed by authorised SA Health staff (clinical, nursing, allied health) and may assist us in clinical decision-making.
Patient information from our service, such as discharge summaries, medical imaging and pathology reports are also uploaded to a patient’s My Health Record to ensure better connected health care for patients.
This is a Federal Government initiative and it’s your choice to have a My Health Record.
View the video below to learn more about how GPs use My Health Record.
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https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/racgp/in-practice-professional-development-and-clinical
In Practice: Professional development and clinical training
CPD webinars, new information on electronic prescribing, and available positions on RACGP committees are all featured this week.
09 Sep 2021
The latest In
Practice round up also includes resources on the business of general practice,
details of an upcoming gambling harm awareness webinar, library training
sessions and a chance to learn more about quality improvement activities.
GP Insights: Navigating the
pandemic and what lies ahead
Webinar: Tuesday 21 September, 7.00–8.00 pm (AEST)
The fourth edition of the CommBank
GP Insights report explores how the economics of running a practice has
shifted amid the pandemic.
It provides insights into impacting trends, including the allocations of
elevated technology budgets, the success of telehealth, and the operational and
financial impact of the ongoing vaccination program.
Presenters of the free webinar are CommBank Smart Health Head of Operations,
Caitlin Wilson, and practice intelligence platform Cubiko CEO, Chris Smeed.
Register
online.
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Mornington Peninsula Library Service
presents
Workshop: Introduction to My Health Record - Online via Zoom 17 September
· Fri 17th Sep, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM ADHA Propaganda
Are you overwhelmed by the Digital world of health care? Would you like to learn more about My Health Record?
Are you overwhelmed by the Digital world of health care? Would you like to learn more about My Health Record?
Recommended for adult audiences.
My Health Record can store all your health information in one place with any access to that information remaining in your control. Mornington Peninsula Libraries can teach you how during this workshop.
Join us online via Zoom for an information session about My Health Record, Australia’s national digital health record system. Learn how to manage your own health information online and where to access health and well-being resources through the library.
Free but Bookings Essential.
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No help but big potential harm from wearable body fat tests
Journalist
September 9, 2021 — 2.20pm
There are so many devices available now, waiting to track different vitals and statistics about your body. Some of these features are useful, like heart rate, ECG, and fall detection. Some are less useful if not combined with actionable information, such as sleep monitoring and inaccurate blood oxygen tests. But what’s concerning now is the rise of portable body composition testing, which has the potential to do great harm without any obvious benefits.
Bioimpedance analysis, more commonly known as body composition tests, first made their way into people’s homes on smart body scales from companies like Withings and Fitbit. They’ve now made the jump to wearables, most notably on the new Samsung Galaxy Watch4. These tests say what percentage of your body is fat, muscle and bone.
This rise in popularity and portability has Danni Rowlands, National Manager of Prevention Services at The Butterfly Foundation, concerned.
“People who have personality traits that are competitive, perfectionist, high achieving, overly preoccupied or obsessive are likely to experience potential harm from these devices. They are especially concerning for those who are susceptible to or experiencing an eating disorder or disordered eating,” she said.
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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-09/prove-vaccine-certificate-passport-how-to-covid/100447740
NSW's roadmap out of COVID restrictions gives more freedoms to those who have had both jabs — here's how to prove you are fully vaccinated
September 10, 2021
If you're vaccinated, you can download proof right now
NSW has announced fully vaccinated residents will get more freedoms when the state hits 70 per cent double doses.
That's expected sometime next month but of course people will need to demonstrate they've been vaccinated in order to benefit from the changes.
Here's how to make sure you have your ticket out of restrictions, and how the rules might be enforced when the time comes.
How do I prove I'm vaccinated?
Currently, you can prove your vaccination status with either an immunisation history statement or a COVID-19 digital certificate.
Plans are in the works for a new method before NSW begins enforcing its rules, but we'll get into that in a moment.
If you want to access proof documents right now, the first thing you'll need to do is get vaccinated.
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https://www.miragenews.com/electronic-prescribing-qa-sessions-628822/
9 Sep 2021 3:06 pm AEST
Electronic prescribing Q&A sessions
Australian Medical Association
GPs are invited to join a Q+A Support session on Electronic Prescribing held by the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA).
Multiple sessions are available to help suit your schedule, including:
· 14 September, 12-12.30 PM AEST
· 21 September, 12-12.30 PM AEST
All questions are welcome and there is no requirement to have used electronic prescribing prior to joining a session. The ADHA would like to hear about the experiences of practices already generating electronic prescriptions, and discuss feedback from your patients.
Questions can be asked during the session, or by submitting questions anonymously through the questions platform. If you would like to submit your questions prior to the session to ensure they are addressed, please use the registration form.
All healthcare providers, pharmacists and administrative staff are welcome to participate.
Register for your preferred session here.
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https://wildhealth.net.au/the-most-important-15c-in-the-history-of-digital-health/
9 September 2021
The most important 15c in the history of digital health?
The decision not to reduce the 15c eScript transaction fee is a small but significant win for vendors and may signal a better way to fund digital health innovation.
Late last year I was called by the CEO of the Medical Software Industry Association (MSIA), Emma Hossack, who was in quite a fluster about 15c.
At the time I could not make head nor tail of what she was talking about – some hitherto unknown transaction fee that the government had paid over the years to the eScript exchange vendors, when an eScript was sent, which was then divided in some ratio between the doctor patient management system (PMS) vendor, the pharmacy dispensing system vendor, and the eScript exchanges (either eRx or Medisecure).
I understood at the time that the government was proposing to decrease the overall amount of 15c down to 12c, but I didn’t quite get why they were doing it or why Hossack really cared. In the scheme of things it all seemed pretty menial, and being so small and divided up so much it felt like this wasn’t that big a deal.
But it was.
I should have been listening more carefully.
If the government pursued the 15c rebate reduction, it would have been a strong indication that digital health was being run more by Treasury than it was by the policy and strategy people in the Department of Health (DoH) – not good.
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https://apo.org.au/node/313938
Bridging Queensland’s digital divide
8 Sep 2021
Felix Zerbib, Rachel Nolan, Edward Cavanough, Scott Brown
Publisher
Digital divide Digital literacy Digital communications Digital inclusion Queenstown
Resources
Bridging Queensland’s digital divide (report)
Bridging Queensland’s digital divide (fact sheet)
Description
As the world moves increasingly online, digital inclusion is necessary for people to be fulsomely engaged in economic, social and civic life. Despite that reality, many Australians remain significantly excluded from the digital world through lack of infrastructure access, affordability issues, or lack of ability to use technology.
This report explores the state of digital inclusion in Queensland, showing the state falls behind a number of other Australian jurisdictions on aggregate measures of digital inclusion.
Publication Details
Copyright: McKell Institute 2021
License type: All Rights Reserved
Access Rights Type: open
Post date: 8 Sep 2021
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https://everi.events/event/14053875-a/digital-health-literacy-my-health-record-seminar-ellenbrook
City of Swan Libraries presents
Digital Health Literacy: My Health Record Seminar (Ellenbrook)
· Thu 16th Sep, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ADHA Propaganda
· 90 Main St, Ellenbrook WA 6069
Join Tim Coghill of Technologically Speaking to get all your My Health Record questions answered!
Please note that this is a program for adults and young people aged 16+.
What is My Health Record? How is your medical information used, and how can you make sure it's safe and secure? Get an introduction to the government's online health record management system and find out everything you've been wondering about My Health Record, including how to manage your online account. You'll be able to ask technology expert Tim Coghill your questions in this session - and enjoy a complimentary morning tea!
In accordance with hygiene requirements, social distancing will be maintained throughout this program and hand sanitizing stations and cleaning products will be available for use.
Please book in as spaces are limited. For all inquiries contact Ellenbrook Community Library on (08) 9207 8787.
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https://www.caama.com.au/2021/09/08/the-next-steps-for-a-digital-health-strategy/
The next steps for a digital health strategy
September 8, 2021
CAAMA RADIO NETWORK AUSTRALIA · Dr Andrew Roachford interview
Dr Andrew Roachford is a managing director of a digital health company in Indonesia and a leading commentator on digital health innovation
He says doctors servicing regional and remote communities are integral to the development of technology and is urging doctors around Australia to comment on improving the digital health sector via an online health survey from the Australian Digital Health Agency.
He also says that it is more important than ever for consumers, healthcare providers, industry, and researchers to influence the future of digitally-enabled healthcare in Australia.
Those living in the country are encouraged to fill out a national online survey to determine the future of digital health.
You can fill out the national survey at https://nationalstrategy.digitalhealth.gov.au
Dr Roachford spoke with CAAMA’s with Philippe Perez in the audio above.
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From transactional to personal: the future of virtual care
InterSystems Corporation
(Australia)
By Kerry Stratton
Tuesday, 07 September, 2021
When COVID-19 hit, healthcare providers around the world transitioned quickly to deliver medical consultations remotely. Using phones, videoconferencing software and electronic medical records (EMRs), healthcare providers were able to address the immediate needs of many patients without requiring in-person consultations.
Despite the quick technological pivot, these systems sometimes left me longing for the ‘old normal’ — the personalised touch I had been used to. I yearned for the days of visiting one of my favourite primary care doctors in person — he always made me feel understood and supported no matter how trivial the reason for my appointment. I always left the clinic with a smile.
On the COVID report card, most health providers get a tick for transitioning to telehealth. However, many of these telehealth consultations were transactional in nature and did not use the most advanced technology. In fact, in Australia, the majority of telehealth consultations were conducted over the telephone. In the ‘new normal’, if I had a serious, chronic or a more immediate debilitating condition, a telehealth consultation during the height of the pandemic just wouldn’t have cut it.
Even when videoconferencing is used, connection issues, technology malfunctions and the ubiquitous reminder that “You’re on mute!” make these experiences challenging. Additionally, clinicians are often distracted by the myriad of patient information being poorly presented on their computer screen. They can see a patient’s entire medical history, yet the patient has no idea what’s on the screen, which makes it feel like a one-sided conversation.
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‘Breach of trust’: Police using QR check-in data to solve crimes
September 6, 2021 — 5.00am
The nation’s privacy watchdog has called for police forces to be banned from accessing information from QR code check-in applications after law enforcement agencies have sought to use the contact-tracing data on at least six occasions to solve unrelated crimes.
There are also growing calls from backbench MPs and civil liberties groups to phase out the compulsory check-in applications once the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is over.
Queensland Police gained access to the Check In Qld app in June through a search warrant after the theft of a police-issued firearm, which led to an officer being stood down. Western Australian Police has used its data twice without a warrant, which led to the state then banning police from accessing the data, while Victoria Police has tried but been rebuffed on at least three occasions.
NSW, South Australia and the Northern Territory have ruled out the use of the check-in app data by police.
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Comments more than welcome!
David.
