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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://developer.digitalhealth.gov.au/aged-care
Aged Care
The Australian Digital Health Agency is offering healthcare software developers financial assistance to design new or enhanced My Health Record–related functionality in clinical information systems and electronic medications management systems used by residential aged care facilities.
Industry Briefing (Webinar recording)
To listen to the webinar click on the following link:
Australian Digital Health Agency - Aged Care Industry Offer Briefing - Thursday, 4 November 2021
- Webinar recording: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/2803735278433240840
- Webinar presentation: https://developer.digitalhealth.gov.au/sites/default/files/aged-care-industry-offer-briefing-v1.0-final.pdf (PDF 436KB)
In the webinar held on the 4th of November, 2021 the following requirements were outlined:
- Introduction - My Health Record B2B Developer Guides
- Advance Care Planning v1.1
- eHealth Prescription Record v1.2.1
- eHealth Dispense Record v1.2.1
- Get Patient Document List and View Document - My Health Record B2B Developer
Details of the webinar:
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https://www.innovationaus.com/marise-payne-outlines-nations-red-lines-on-tech/
Marise Payne outlines nation’s ‘red lines’ on tech
Joseph
Brookes
Senior Reporter
19 November 2021
Dangerous disinformation and “arbitrary incursions on liberties” are the technology red lines that Australia won’t allow to be crossed, according to Foreign Affairs minister Marise Payne. On Friday she warned against the unchecked influence of Big Tech, which she said should have been addressed “yesterday”.
Speaking at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Sydney Dialogue on Friday, Ms Payne warned about the threat of disinformation to Australia and its Asia Pacific neighbors, particularly in public health areas like vaccines.
Ms Payne said the federal government was still trying to strike the “balance” between reigning in big tech and protecting free speech and open marketplaces, and time was running out to achieve it.
“My suggestion is we should be starting yesterday, which in fact is what we are doing in terms of the sorts of conversations and discussions that are being had,” she said.
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https://www.innovationaus.com/nsw-legislates-to-protect-check-in-data-from-police/
NSW legislates to protect check in data from police
Joseph
Brookes
Senior Reporter
15 November 2021
A government bill banning New South Wales police from accessing COVID-19 check in data is expected to become law this week, after passing the Upper House with bipartisan support and being endorsed by the state’s privacy watchdog.
It comes in the absence of a national approach and follows incidents of state police accessing the check in data for investigations not related to the pandemic.
Police have sought to access check in app data in Western Australia, Victoria and Queensland, sparking warnings from experts about scope creep, privacy infringements, and the undermining of trust in public health.
Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory governments have now made it illegal for police to access the data collected by check-in apps. Victoria’s protection of check in data is included in the state’s new pandemic bill, which is set for debate this week and has been met with public protests about its wider powers.
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https://digitalhealth.org.au/blog/strategic-think-tank-delivering-now-building-for-the-future/
Strategic Think Tank: Delivering now, building for the future
Nov 19, 2021 | Advocacy, Community Chats, Digital Health, Events, Innovation, Surveys
The Institute’s Fellows and Associate Fellows are the Who’s Who of digital health and health informatics in Australasia renowned for their national and global experience and perspectives on the future of healthcare.
Help us shape the AIDH 2022 agenda for advocacy and leadership in healthcare by joining this strategic think tank for senior leaders.
In the post pandemic environment, there are numerous opportunities and challenges where the Institute could take a role.
Bring your opinions and share your insights with your peers and the AIDH leadership team in this targeted consultation event.
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NSW government wants facial matching and verifiable credential tools for digital ID rollout
The state wants to give customers the option to apply or renew a licence or certificate without needing to be present in person.
By Campbell Kwan | November 18, 2021 | Topic: Innovation
The NSW government has announced it is working on a new whole-of-government approach towards digital identity aimed at giving customers the option to use digital credentials for various licences, certifications, qualifications, and eligibility documents.
Alongside the government's aspiration to roll out this approach, it has also expressed interest in procuring two new digital identity systems: One to deliver digital proof of identity and the other for digital identity sharing.
The NSW government envisions that the first system will have features such as facial matching and liveness detection to allow customers to easily provide their identity digitally for use cases such as renewing a licence or certificate.
"Imagine if you could also use your Service NSW app to prove your identity online and apply for or renew a licence or a certificate, such as a First Aid or Birth Certificate, with a few simple clicks anytime anywhere, without the need to be present in person?" the government said.
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https://www.seek.com.au/job/55018784?type=standout
Digital Health Lead
Adelaide Primary Health Network Limited
Adelaide
Full Time or Part Time (minimum 0.8FTE) – 12 month fixed term
Adelaide PHN is seeking an experienced Digital Health Lead to support our team of Digital Health Officers and Practice Support Team to implement the Australian Digital Health Agency Workplan 21/22 within our Adelaide PHN region. This newly created role will work within our Strategy and Engagement portfolio and is an exciting opportunity for an experienced, innovative, creative and passionate professional to support the digital capabilities of our Primary Health Care Providers. This role is for a 12 month fixed term.
About Us
Adelaide Primary Health Network (Adelaide PHN) is an independent, not for profit, primary health care organisation based in Adelaide.
We aim to improve the health and wellbeing of the Adelaide community by coordinating and integrating health and community services and by working in partnership to identify local needs and create strategies in response to keep people well and out of hospital; improving their experience AND their health outcomes – to deliver on our vision of A Healthier Adelaide by 2030.
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https://www.innovationaus.com/deeply-concerned-victorias-new-no-consent-health-data-sharing-scheme/
‘Deeply concerned’: Victoria’s new no-consent health data sharing scheme
Denham
Sadler
National Affairs Editor
18 November 2021
There are “serious concerns” over the Victorian government’s “unprecedented plan” to establish a centralised health data sharing system which would store information such as prescribed medications and hospital admissions, with no ability for individuals to opt-out.
The state government is planning to improve information sharing between health services through the creation of a new digital database and the involuntary collection of individual health data, in an effort to combat the currently fragmented patient health information system.
But the scheme has been criticised by the likes of the Australian Privacy Foundation, Liberty Victoria and the Australian Doctors Federation for its lack of consent required, potential for the database to become a “honeypot” for hackers, and that it could jeopardise doctor-patient confidentiality.
The Victorian budget in May included a commitment to reform and consolidate public pathology services in the state, including through improvements to laboratory information systems. This would include the creation of a health information exchange to be hosted and supported by the state health department – a centrally hosted solution in the cloud environment that is “highly available, scalable and reliable”.
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https://marketplace.service.gov.au/2/digital-marketplace/opportunities/17444
Operational Service Officer - APS5
Opportunity ID 17444
Deadline for asking questions Friday 19 November 2021 at 6pm (in Canberra)
Application closing date Tuesday 23 November 2021 at 6pm (in Canberra)
Published Thursday 18 November 2021
Category Support and Operations
Overview
Reporting to the Director, Customer Support, this position is responsible for providing operational oversight and governance of consumer support operations through provision of effective knowledge and training tools for escalations case work, allocating time-sensitive work tasks, monitoring and reporting on team activities, researching and responding to feedback and complaints, and reviewing requests, recommendations and decisions regarding access to My Health Records. It also provides expert knowledge, guidance and advice to other teams within the Agency
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https://www.innovationaus.com/critical-technologies-under-a-national-security-spotlight/
Critical technologies under a national security spotlight
Denham
Sadler
National Affairs Editor
17 November 2021
Quantum computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity services and autonomous vehicles will come under increased government scrutiny, particularly around foreign interference, as part of the federal government’s new critical technologies framework and action plan.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the strategy at the inaugural Sydney Dialogue event, run by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), on Wednesday morning.
The blueprint “aims to balance the economic opportunities of critical technologies with their national security risk”.
“Nations at the leading edge of technology have greater economic, political and military power. And in turn greater capacity to influence the norms and values that will shape technology development in the years to come,” Mr Morrison said in the speech.
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https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=e8a7ae3b-cb34-4ba4-9adb-9d13b8a92de1
Online Privacy Code: more transparency and minimum privacy standards for digital platforms
Herbert Smith Freehills LLP - Kaman Tsoi, Marine Giral and Nayan Bhathela
Australia November 15 2021
On 25 October 2021, the Australian Attorney-General’s department released, for public consultation, an exposure draft bill introducing amendments to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Privacy Legislation Amendment (Enhancing Online Privacy and Other Measures) Bill 2021 (Cth) or Online Privacy Bill) and a discussion paper seeking submissions on broader reforms to Australian privacy legislation. Our overview of the Online Privacy Bill and discussion paper is available here.
One of the main amendments proposed by the Online Privacy Bill is the introduction of a framework allowing the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) to register an OAIC- or industry-developed, enforceable online privacy code (OP code) that would be binding on all large online platforms, social media services and data brokerage services providers (OP organisations). This would supplement the current provisions under Part IIIB of the Privacy Act dealing with the development and registration of, and compliance with, APP codes that set out how one or more of the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) will apply to a particular entity or class of entities (and may impose additional requirements).
As detailed further below, large online platforms and social media services are broadly defined in the Online Privacy Bill. This means a wide range of organisations with online operations could be affected by the proposed OP code, going beyond the ACCC’s recommendation in its 2019 digital platform inquiry final report to create a privacy code enforceable against social media platforms, search engines and other digital content aggregation platforms.
Along with the removal by the Bill of the condition that a foreign organisation has to collect or hold personal information in Australia to be subject to the Privacy Act, this would also include an organisation that collects personal information of Australians from a digital platform that does not have servers in Australia.
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https://wildhealth.net.au/the-personal-health-data-revolution-will-be-televised/
18 November 2021
The personal health data revolution will be televised
By Fran Molloy
They watch you while you sleep – and though it’s a bit on the creepy side, sleep tracking is now a signature feature of today’s smartwatches.
Various watches from Apple, Samsung, Garmin, Fitbit and others also promise to count your steps, measure your run, log your pool laps, and record your heart rate. Some even calculate blood oxygen levels, run an ECG and alert users to an irregular cardiac rhythm.
The smartwatch revolution has brought the masses to the formerly-niche navel-gazing habits of devotees of the Quantified Self movement, an international group heavily into self-tracking tools that held its first conference in California in 2010.
We’re at the brink of a personal health information revolution, where endless terabytes can be available in real-time – could this be a game changer for primary health carers?
GP and digital health consultant Dr Amandeep Hansra says it’s pretty exciting to think that there’s such rich information that could help her understand her patients’ health better than short point-in-time measurements of health indicators during a clinical consultation.
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https://wildhealth.net.au/the-jigs-up-its-cloud-or-bust-govt-admits-to-vendors/
18 November 2021
The jig’s up: it’s cloud or bust, govt admits to vendors
In a meeting of the MSIA yesterday, the government laid down the law for the next decade of digital health, and that law is “the cloud”.
Sometimes it’s hard to spot when the technology and infrastructure of a particular market reaches its tipping point of transformational change … exactly where significant and meaningful changes began.
In 10 years’ time, when we look back and try to figure out where the moment of change really became clear for those working within Australian digital health, yesterday morning’s conference call between the members of the Medical Software Industry of Australia (MSIA) and Daniel McCabe, First Assistant Secretary, Benefits Integrity and Digital Health at the Department of Health, might be seen as that major point of inflection.
The inflection is a shift from server bound on premises legacy software systems, which currently dominate most of the countries digital health infrastructure, especially in primary, specialist and allied care, to “cloud based” systems.
According to some attendees of the meeting, McCabe, who is moving swiftly and with some precision, probably could not have made it clearer to all our major digital health vendors that if they haven’t already started embracing the cloud in a big way, they had better start soon, because that is entirely where the government sees the future of Australian digital health infrastructure.
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https://marketplace.service.gov.au/2/digital-marketplace/opportunities/17435
Customer Support Officer
Opportunity ID 17435
Deadline for asking questions Friday 19 November 2021 at 6pm (in Canberra)
Application closing date Tuesday 23 November 2021 at 6pm (in Canberra)
Published Wednesday 17 November 2021
Category Support and Operations
Overview
• Sound research and analysis skills, including use of: legislation, internal processes, consumer records and transactions, and information provided by consumers (in writing or during telephone interactions). • Strong attention to detail and ability to complete tickets and reproduce or record incident inspection and investigation data with accuracy. • Strong written and oral communication skills, and ability to discuss complex or technical concepts with consumers and internal teams. • Capable of completing work with limited direction, and willingness to assist colleagues when suitable. • Time management skills, including ability to complete tickets within defined timeframes, and monitor assigned and aged cases to prevent breaching service agreements and mitigate consumer impact. • Sound technical literacy and competency using a range of software products. • High level of resilience and ability to work in an environment which handles sensitive and confidential information (including outcomes of legal matters
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Wednesday, 17 November 2021 10:27
Why Australian hospitals are turning to IP networks to power their operating rooms
By Claudio Cardile
GUEST OPINION by Claudio Cardile, ANZ Managing Director, Barco: As healthcare technology has evolved in recent years, hospital operating rooms have changed beyond recognition. Everything from scanners and probes to cameras and visual monitors have shifted from an analogue to a digital realm.
Much of this equipment needs to be interconnected to allow medical staff to access the information they require to complete the often-complex tasks needed for patient treatment. Traditionally, this interconnectivity has been achieved by using dedicated - and often proprietary - networking equipment.
This is not ideal in operating rooms that typically have multiple audio-visual (AV) sources including MRI’s, CT scanners, Cath/Vascular labs and C-arm units. Routing and displaying these multiple video sources, simultaneously, in high definition can create challenges.
Traditional copper cable-based AV systems have been used for many years to integrate sources, however they add delays to the system and increase cable clutter.
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Ex-MI6 analyst breathes life into digital health universe
Terry Sweeney was shot while working for British intelligence. He pivoted into technology. Now he helps spearhead Australia’s nascent digital health sector.
Carrie LaFrenz Senior reporter
Nov 16, 2021 – 4.45pm
Terry Sweeney’s life-changing moment is clear as day.
He was shot in the lower abdomen in early 1999 while working as an analyst for MI6, embedded with an active British military unit in the former Yugoslavia.
At that moment Sweeney decided to exit the intelligence agency after three years and move back to his first love: technology.
“This was right when Y2K was around, and a lot of my friends were working in tech, and making good money and not getting shot,” he told The Australian Financial Review.
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https://marketplace.service.gov.au/2/digital-marketplace/opportunities/17399
Australian Digital Health Agency
Senior Cyber Security Architect
Opportunity ID 17399
Deadline for asking questions Thursday 18 November 2021 at 6pm (in Canberra)
Application closing date Monday 22 November 2021 at 6pm (in Canberra)
Published Tuesday 16 November 2021
Category
Cyber security
Overview
The Senior Cyber Security Architect provides security advice into the design, build and test of the Agency’s corporate and digital health systems to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of all information assets. The senior cyber security architect will work alongside a dynamic team of professionals to collaboratively achieve the Agency’s business objectives. The role will be dedicated to the Mobile Consumer Application Channel project. The Senior Cyber Security Architect will provide a wide range of experience, knowledge and skills, including, but not limited to: Contribute to the development and maintenance of the security architecture for the Agency’s systems and services. Assist with defining and maintaining ‘standard patterns’ that are aligned with the Agency’s Security Architecture and provide secure solutions to common design problems. Identify and incorporate appropriate security measures in the development of ICT projects and the information security program. Develop, maintain and review requirements, solution design documentation, test documentation, technical specifications, security documentation, standard operating procedures and other documentation related to large Information Communications Technology (ICT) systems. Participate in the selection of appropriate strategies to mitigate security risks. Support the Certification and Accreditation of Agency systems. Contribute to security assessment and compliance activities, such as IRAP assessments, security testing, and Threat and Risk Assessments. Support the procurement of security related products and services as directed by senior team members. Support the delivery of security products and services by external providers. Prepare and deliver presentations, minutes, briefing papers, guidance and advice for stakeholders at, business and technical levels. Follow all Agency policies, procedures and instructions and take reasonable care for your own health, safety and wellbeing in the workplace
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https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/congratulations-to-the-2021-brilliant-women-in-digital-health/
Congratulations to the 2021 Brilliant Women in Digital Health
Telstra Health has announced the successful recipients of the inaugural 2021 Brilliant Women in Digital Health awards, which recognises and celebrates women in digital health for their outstanding achievements, while raising awareness about the opportunities in the sector and inspiring others to follow their lead.
The 25 award recipients, plus the recipients of a team award, have been recognised for their contributions to mentoring, medical research, technology development, improving health outcomes using digital health, and introducing new digital processes for the delivery of health and aged care. The award recipients work across a range of organisations at the forefront of digital health, from public and private sectors, to universities and research institutions, and at innovative new start-ups.
Professor Mary Foley AM, Managing Director of Telstra Health, said: “These awards recognise the outstanding impact these women have made in contributing to the digital health sector in Australia.
“I’d like to thank each award recipient, as well as every person nominated for the 2021 awards, for your contributions and impact made in digital health. In addition, thank you to everyone who took the time to submit a nomination for someone else. It’s often the case that women do not seek to promote their successes, so through these awards we have been able to highlight the achievements of many who may otherwise would go unacknowledged.
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Trolls face $111,000 penalties for sharing intimate images as online regulator gets new powers
By Michaela Whitbourn and Laura Chung
November 17, 2021 — 12.01am
The nation’s eSafety Commissioner says she will use “all available powers” to keep Australians safe online as her office prepares for the rollout in January of tougher laws to tackle internet trolls sharing intimate images without a person’s consent.
From January 23, a suite of new powers under the Online Safety Act take effect, including a beefed-up regulatory regime for tackling image-based abuse. The regime also extends to images that appear to be of a person, capturing so-called deep fakes that have been doctored to use another person’s face or body.
On Wednesday, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant will deliver a speech to the Australian Cyber Conference setting out her regulatory priorities under the new laws, which also include a world-first adult cyber abuse scheme.
The new laws include “expanded powers to better protect all Australians across all platforms where this harm is occurring, including video gaming platforms, dating websites, and encrypted private messaging apps”.
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Dr Steve Hambleton, Australian Digital Health Agency’s Chief Clinical Adviser
Podcast - Nov 16, 11:08 AM ADHA Propaganda
0:00 - 11:25
Dr Steve Hambleton, Australian Digital Health Agency’s Chief Clinical Adviser
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Health and public policy consultancy Siggins Miller joins Deloitte
15 November 2021 2 min. read
Profile
· Deloitte
The health and human services practice of professional services firm Deloitte has brought on board influential healthcare and public policy consultancy Siggins Miller.
Founded close to 25 years ago, Siggins Miller is a consulting firm recognised for its influence on national health legislation, including work on pregnancy warnings on alcohol and plain tobacco packaging.
Siggins Miller was founded in 1997 by Mel Miller, who also serves as an adjunct professor in the Health and Behavioural Sciences faculty at the University of Queensland and professor in the Health Group at Griffith University, and her late husband Ian Siggins, an internationally recognised historian and human rights advocate who held a number of senior Australian public healthcare roles.
“I am thrilled Mel Miller, and the Siggins Miller team are joining Deloitte,” said Financial Advisory managing partner Dave McCarthy. “(They) have influenced some of the most important health and social policies of our time. Tobacco Plain Packaging policy. The My Health Record system. Compulsory pregnancy warning on alcohol. Big thinkers, scholarly and commercial. A brilliant team.”
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https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/careers/project-officer-november21
Project Officer
APS6
($99,860 - $112,659)
Multiple
divisions > Project Management
Brisbane,
Canberra, Sydney
Closing - 28 Nov 2021
Division Overview
Digital programs and engagement – responsible for external relationships, implementation and change and adoption, as well as being the place of excellence for driving program delivery, reporting and outcomes.
Technology services – responsible for the operation of high quality, trusted, reliable and secure national digital health infrastructure and health support systems.
Primary purpose of position
Working within the Agency’s project management policies, framework and procedures, an APS6 Project Officer will provide initiative and judgment in the application of project and operations management practices and provide technical, professional, and policy advice. Working closing with key external and internal stakeholders to understand, negotiate and resolve project outcomes. A Project Officer is accountable for:
- Acquiring, maintaining and applying an in-depth knowledge of the Agency’s project management framework, methodologies and activities.
- Providing accurate and specialised advice for project related activities including consultation, planning, schedules, reporting, change control, and administrative and logistical support.
- Engaging and collaborating with key internal and external stakeholders to achieve project outcomes.
- Providing support to ensure an Agency’s project and operations are compliant with the assurance and governance processes for policy, security, clinical safety, and design.
- Managing contracts, service agreements and purchase orders and ensure expenditure is monitored.
- Undertaking risk management activities for area of responsibility, ensuring compliance and delivery of outcomes.
- Monitoring and maintaining awareness of the mid and longer-term project outcomes.
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https://www.ausdoc.com.au/practice/heres-lowdown-vaccine-passports-aus
Here's the lowdown on vaccine passports in Aus
As borders begin to open, authorities have started issuing vaccine passports, but how do they work, and are they secure?
15th November 2021
The era of vaccine passports has begun in Australia, with two states releasing smartphone apps so people can quickly prove they’re double-vaxxed against COVID-19.
Only a few months ago, the Federal Government was touting the fact that the Medicare app could work as a vaccine passport.
But it copped criticism because the certificates were basically PDF documents that could be forged in about 15 minutes.
So, the NSW and Victorian governments have developed their own versions.
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https://developer.digitalhealth.gov.au/resources/faqs/national-secure-messaging-network-faqs
National Secure Messaging Network - FAQs
General
- How can we learn more about the NSMN and how our solution can
participate in it?
The Resources section of the National Secure Messaging Network web page contains more information.
NSMN solution design
How does a Sending System determine if a
Receiving System supports secure messaging?
Before sending a secure message, the Sending System must check whether the
Receiving System is able to receive a secure message generated by the Sending
System. There are three steps involved, using information about the Receiving
System retrieved from a Provider Directory:
(1) Check that the Receiving System has an Endpoint (https://hl7.org.au/fhir/pd/pd2/StructureDefinition-au-pd-sm-endpoint.html)
(2) Check that the Endpoint.connectionType has the following value: http://ns.electronichealth.net.au/smd/intf/SealedMessageDelivery/TLS/2010.
(3) Check whether the Endpoint.payloadType contains the payload type that the
sending system intends to send. For example, if the Sending System intends to
send an MDM-T02 message containing a referral, the sending system should
confirm that the Endpoint supports the following payload type: http://ns.electronichealth.net.au/er/sc/deliver/hl7Mdm/2012.
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David.
