The ADHA Will Do Almost Anything To Have You Use The #myHealthRecord And Not Use Other, Possibly Simpler, Routes To Your COVID Info.

This popped up a week of so ago.

Media releases • My Health Record

My Health Record has all COVID-19 information including proof of vaccinations

Published 17 January 2022

The Australian Digital Health Agency is reminding people that My Health Record has proof of COVID-19 vaccinations.

Agency Acting CEO Paul Creech said more and more Australians were using My Health Record and consumers should take advantage of theirs to help manage the impact from Covid-19.

“COVID-19 test results come from pathology providers and the majority of pathology providers in Australia routinely upload test results to My Health Record,” he said.

“We’ve seen huge demand since last July, with more than one million views a month by consumers across Australia.”

“Previously, people needed to wait seven days to view their test results, however for COVID-19 test results, consumers can read them as soon as they are uploaded to their record and in the majority of cases this would be sooner than they would receive an SMS.” 

Mr Creech said My Health Record provides people with:  

• an immunisation history statement that shows all vaccinations recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register, including COVID-19 vaccinations.
• a COVID-19 digital certificate that shows only COVID-19 vaccinations, which is available once you have had your first two doses of a vaccine approved for use in Australia.  

My Health Record has a new dashboard with everything COVID-19-related in one place - your COVID-19 vaccination details and test results, medical conditions, relevant medicines and allergy information (eg anaphylaxis), plus links to the COVID-19 vaccine clinic finder and side effect checker.

See an example at: mhr-covid-19-dashboard-example-a3.pdf (digitalhealth.gov.au)    

You can also download your COVID-19 digital certificate from your My Health Record to a digital wallet.  

How to find your immunisation information 

Accessing immunisation information in My Health Record can be done easily, whenever and wherever, via desktop or mobile.

If you are having problems linking to My Health Record via myGov, there is a FAQ page that can help on digitalhealth.gov.au. 

The My Health Record Help line is 1800 723 471. It is available 24 hours, 7 days a week.  

Use of My Health Record can ensure healthcare providers have visibility of pre-existing conditions and medicine history at the time of immunisation because this may be useful in assessing potential allergic reactions or side effects.  

It’s important to have up to date contact information in My Health Record for notifications, including changes in people’s immunisation information. 

You need to have linked your My Health Record to your myGov.

To get started: 

Check what information is already in your My Health Record so you can talk to your healthcare providers about uploading missing documents or adding a shared health summary. 

Most Australian pharmacies use software systems that automatically upload information about a consumer’s dispensed medicines to My Health Record and with immunisation information being automatically uploaded from the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR), it makes it easier for you and your doctors to ensure you get the best care. 

COVID-19 vaccination data flows into My Health Record from all states and territories after it has been reported to the AIR. Providers can access this through their clinician information system or National Provider Portal.  

People can set up notifications so they stay across changes in their record, including changes in their immunisation information. They should make sure their contact details in their profile are up to date.  

If you are not seeing immunisations in your record, check your Medicare Information Settings. There is a yes/no setting to include immunisation information in your record. If yours is set to no, change it to yes and the immunisation information will flow into My Health Record.  

COVID-19 Pathology test results and My Health Record 

Remember to ask your pathology lab to upload your COVID-19 test results if they haven’t already. 

Many Australians will start travelling again this summer.  

While away from home you can take any request form to one of these collection centres and they will be able to share results with your doctor and My Health Record.  

Location	Labs that can upload all test results to MHR
WA	Path West  Western Diagnostic Pathology
ACT	Laverty Pathology
NSW	Laverty Pathology
NT	Western Diagnostic Pathology
QLD	Mater Pathology, QML Pathology
SA	Abbott Pathology, SA Pathology
TAS	TML Pathology
VIC	Dorevitch Pathology

See a list of all pathology and diagnostic imaging providers that can share diagnostic reports with My Health Record.  

Each month more and more consumers are viewing their own information, with nearly 1.6 million pathology report views by consumers in November 2021. There has been a 580 per cent increase in pathology views by consumers in the past year.   

There were more than 23.2 million people with a My Health Record in November 2021 and more than 95 per cent of those records have data in them.  

There were 311 million medicine documents in the system, uploaded by GPs and pharmacies.  

There were 202 million clinical documents in the system, uploaded by providers like hospitals, pathologists and radiologists.  

Media contact

Mobile: 0428 772 421 Email: media@digitalhealth.gov.au   

About the Australian Digital Health Agency

When it comes to improving the health of all Australians, the role of digital innovation and connection is a vital part of a modern, accessible healthcare system. Against the backdrop of COVID-19, digital health has seen exponential growth in relevance and importance, making it more pertinent than ever for all Australians and healthcare providers.

Better patient healthcare and health outcomes are possible when you have a health infrastructure that can be safely accessed, easily used and responsibly shared.

To achieve this, the National Digital Health Strategy is establishing the foundations for a sustainable health system that constantly improves. It underpins and coordinates work that is already happening between governments, healthcare providers, consumers, innovators and the technology industry.

For further information: www.digitalhealth.gov.au.

The Australian Digital Health Agency is a statutory authority in the form of a corporate Commonwealth entity.

Here is the link:

https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/my-health-record-has-all-covid-19-information-including-proof-of-vaccinations

What this blurb does not mention is that there are other and simpler ways!

How to get proof

Find the best way to get proof of your COVID-19 vaccinations for your situation.

If you’re 14 or older, you need to get your own proof of COVID-19 vaccinations using either:

• your Medicare online account through myGov
• the Express Plus Medicare mobile app.

There are different ways you can show proof of your COVID-19 vaccinations:

• a COVID-19 digital certificate
• your immunisation history statement
• an International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate for overseas travel.

How you get proof depends on your situation. This includes if you need to create a myGov account, link services or enrol in Medicare.

Use our tool to find out the easiest way to get proof of your COVID-19 vaccinations, based on your situation.

We also have information about how to get proof of your COVID-19 vaccinations in Easy Read format.

Lots of details here:

https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/how-to-get-proof-your-covid-19-vaccinations?context=60091

Note hardly a mention of the #myHR!

As far as results for PCR tests are concerned – most who take the tests will SMS you with the result if you wish!

Here we have another blurb showing how life can be as simple, or simpler, with no #myHR in sight!

David.

 

Commentators and Journalists Weigh In On Digital Health And Related Privacy, Safety, Social Media And Security Matters. Lots Of Interesting Perspectives - February 01, 2022.

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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! It’s 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/govts-anti-trolling-bill-should-be-scrapped-law-council/

Govt’s anti-trolling bill should be scrapped: Law Council

Denham Sadler
National Affairs Editor

26 January 2022

Legislation aimed at preventing online trolling is unlikely to be effective, may lead to increased censorship by tech giants, and leave victims with no legal recourse, the Law Council of Australia has warned.

The federal government is currently consulting on its proposed Social Media Anti-Trolling Bill, which would enable those who believe they have been defamed to identify anonymous posters of the material via a court order, and reverse the High Court’s Voller decision that administrators of social media pages are liable for defamatory comments posted by third parties.

In a scathing submission on the legislation, the Law Council said the reforms will do nothing to address social media trolling, and may actually restrict the recourse available to people, encourage social media giants to censor posts and should be delayed until a nation-wide review of defamation laws is completed.

“While the intentions of this draft bill are laudable, it is not likely to achieve the outcomes it seeks and we think there are better alternatives already being investigated,” Law Council of Australia president Tass Liveris said.

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https://www.zdnet.com/article/telecommunications-sector-officially-designated-for-cdr-and-open-finance-is-underway/

Planning for telecommunications CDR rules and open finance are underway

Consultation for the telecommunications CDR rules and standards will commence shortly.

Written by Campbell Kwan, Journalist

on January 25, 2022 | Topic: Innovation

The federal government has formally designated telecommunications as the next sector to see the Consumer Data Right (CDR).

A sector can only be part of the CDR regime after the federal government formally designates what classes of information or data can be used in applying the regime into that specific sector.

For the telecommunications sector, the classes of information designated for applying the CDR will be generic and publicly available product data, product data that relates to particular products used by consumers, and basic consumer and account data such as data available to consumers on their bills or through online accounts or mobile apps.

Now the formal designation is complete, the government will commence consultation with industry and government stakeholders on the rules and standards to apply to the telecommunications sector.

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https://www.zdnet.com/article/inman-grants-reappointment-as-australian-esafety-commissioner-comes-with-new-powers/

Inman Grant's reappointment as eSafety commissioner comes with new powers

With the Online Safety Act now in effect, the eSafety commissioner can order social media platforms to more expeditiously take down cyberbullying content.

Written by Campbell Kwan, Journalist

on January 24, 2022 | Topic: Security

The federal government has reappointed Julie Inman Grant as the country's eSafety commissioner. 

The reappointment comes simultaneously with the Online Safety Act, which passed last year, officially coming into effect.

"The Online Safety Act commences operation [on Sunday] and Ms Inman Grant's reappointment provides certainty, particularly to community organisations and industry who have been working with the office of the eSafety Commissioner for some time," said Paul Fletcher, the Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts.

Inman Grant was first put into the role in 2016, months after the Office of the eSafety Commissioner was established under the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). 

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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/national-facial-recognition-database-to-transition-to-new-provider-575262

National facial recognition database to transition to new provider

By Justin Hendry on Jan 28, 2022 1:20PM

As part of managed services shakeup at Home Affairs.

The Department of Home Affairs has moved to replace the managed services arrangement behind its three major identity matching services, including the controversial national facial recognition database.

The super-agency began scouring the market for a new service provider on Thursday to ensure its identity matching services (IDMS) solution remains “highly reliable” for users across the economy.

IDMS is a bundle of systems operated by Home Affairs on behalf of the federal, state and territory governments to help prevent identity fraud and aid law enforcement with criminal investigations.

It include the document verification service (DVS) – used for basic identity document checks – and one to one and one to many facial verification through the face matching services (FMS) facility.

The IDMS also comprises the national drivers licence facial recognition solution (NDLFRS), which together with an interoperability hub that connects matching requests with FMS is commonly referred to as ‘the Capability’.

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https://www.zdnet.com/article/home-affairs-seeking-support-to-build-out-australias-identity-matching-system/

Home Affairs seeking support to build out Australia's identity-matching system

A government tender has been published seeking new components to build, deploy, and host the country's identity-matching services.

Written by Aimee Chanthadavong, Senior Journalist

on January 28, 2022 | Topic: Security

The Department of Home Affairs is looking for an organisation to help it build and deploy components for the country's identity-matching services (IDMS), as well as host and manage elements of the existing IDMS system.

The IDMS was established to prevent the use of false and stolen identities, provide law enforcement with tools to help identify persons of interest, and enable other government agencies to deliver services. This was established after the political heads of Australia's states and territories unanimously agreed to it in 2017.

It comprises three components, with one being the documentation verification service (DVS), a national online service used to check in real time whether a particular evidence-of-identity document that has been presented is authentic, accurate, and up to date.

Another is a face-matching services hub (FMS), which acts as "broker" that facilities identity-related requests for biometric and biographic data between requesting agencies and data holding agencies.

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https://itwire.com/business-it/tech-leaders-make-their-world-data-privacy-day-thoughts-public-on-jan-28,-2022.html

Friday, 28 January 2022 12:33

Tech leaders make their World Data Privacy day thoughts public on Jan 28, 2022

By Alex Zaharov-Reutt

It's World Data Privacy Day, during Privacy Awareness Week, with some top tech leaders making their thoughts public on how to stay private.

World Data Privacy Day is today, January 28, although the Office of The Australian Information Commission and Stay Safe Online are celebrating a data privacy week, and this year, individuals are encouraged to “Own Your Privacy” by learning more about how to help protect the valuable data that is online, and businesses to “Respect Privacy”.

So, what are some top tech leaders stating?

David Maunsell, CEO of Haventec states:

“Our lives have become increasingly dependent on online and digital interactions that generate massive amounts of data containing private information. We often see the responsibility of data privacy fall into the hands of consumers, expecting them to understand the intricacies of cyber security to protect themselves.”

“Meanwhile, regulatory bodies have called on businesses to know and respect their customer’s right’s while also protecting every bit of data they hold for their customers. Enterprises are resorting to increasingly complex and expensive mechanisms to protect sensitive information resulting in a poor customer experience.

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https://wildhealth.net.au/are-our-booking-engines-having-an-existential-moment/

27 January 2022

Are our booking engines having an existential moment?

Booking Engine Money PE VCs

By Jeremy Knibbs

After years of rapid growth in customer base and functionality our major booking engines look like they are all struggling to work out where they go from here.

This week’s announcement that 1^st Group has acquired telehealth video software vendor Visionflex was confusing for a whole lot of reasons.

Although there are obvious links between a booking engine group and a telehealth video software vendor in that a booking engine can add the telehealth functionality to their clients offering, the objective could be just as easily achieved through an integration with a vendor. In fact, by going the integration path with a range of vendors, you can offer your clients a more flexible range of options in video telehealth.

If you read deeper into the ASX announcement of this deal you quickly realise that it’s not actually 1^st Group acquiring Visionflex. It’s the major shareholders of Visionflex getting into the booking engine business.

When the deal is completed, Visionflex’s major shareholders will control 57% of the company and although initially the board will be 3:2 in favour of the old guard, the new guard is well and truly in control.

What does the new guard have in mind?

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https://wildhealth.net.au/600-increase-in-mhr-pathology-views/

25 January 2022

600% increase in MHR pathology views

Apps COVID-19 Government MHR

By Holly Payne   ADHA Propaganda

Hear ye, hear ye!  

Visitors to the My Health Record pathology site have multiplied by almost six times – an increase of 580%, to be exact – over the past year.  

The virtual record has been routinely criticised for its limited functionality and low uptake in the past, making this increase a relatively novel development. 

The Australian Digital Health Agency (noble guardians of the MHR) credit the uptick to consumers accessing covid-19 PCR results. 
 
According to ADHA, results are often uploaded and available to view on MHR before people receive a text from the pathology lab.  

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https://itwire.com/security/data-privacy-laws-will-increasingly-dominate-business-worldwide.html

Thursday, 27 January 2022 11:25

Data privacy laws will increasingly dominate business worldwide

By Staff Writer

Data privacy will continue to become a more significant consideration and it’s going to be exceedingly difficult to do business anywhere in the world without encountering data privacy laws, according to Richard Marr, General Manager, APAC, Auth0, a product unit of Okta.

Marr made his comments today to coincide with Data Privacy Day in Australia, also observing that as technology has changed, data privacy laws have had to evolve, especially in making it easier for consumers to understand and influence how their data is being used.

“GDPR itself was a response to consumer demand for privacy and security, and it serves as a benchmark for other data privacy laws, including Australia’s,” added Marr.

Acording to Marr, as cyber threats multiply in volume and techniques used to target the institutions and their users become increasingly sophisticated, we are seeing more regulatory changes in Australia. 

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https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/streaming-services-edge-out-commercial-freetoair-tv-for-first-time/news-story/83f2c3ebe4e4613e76ab8478d60dd56d

Streaming services edge out commercial free-to-air TV for first time

James Madden

11:00PM January 23, 2022

Australians’ consumption of online subscription services such as Netflix and Binge surpassed that of linear commercial free-to-air television for the first ever time in 2021, marking a seismic shift in established viewing trends that will likely provoke further disruption to media policy.

The second annual media content consumption survey, commissioned by the federal Department of Communications and conducted by the Social Research Centre, found that 62 per cent of Australian adults reported watching screen content on an online subscription service in 2021 (up from 60 per cent in 2020), while 58 per cent said they viewed linear commercial free-to-air television at some point in 2021 (down from 61 per cent in the previous year).

It is the first time a survey of this magnitude has found that more Australians watch online subscription services than linear commercial free-to-air television.

There was also a decrease in viewership in 2021 of publicly owned free-to-air television (excluding catch-up TV), dipping to 50 per cent from 53 per cent in 2020. Nearly three in five respondents (56 per cent) used free video streaming services such as YouTube, Twitch or Tubi.

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https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/law-council-wants-antitrolling-law-delayed/news-story/eeabfeb4e3d7cb4e84e134e08d2b64f7

Law Council wants anti-trolling law delayed

Chris Griffith

2:01PM January 24, 2022

The Law Council of Australia wants the federal government to delay its anti-trolling bill until a wider review is completed. In its submission on the Social Media (Anti-Trolling) Bill 2021 exposure draft, it says proposed defamation reform may not accurately target the problem.

The council is not alone in its critique of how to stop trolls on social media. While supportive of taking some action, lawyers, defamation experts and social media companies themselves have questioned the approach.

Criticism has included that defamation law reform is effectively only available to wealthier Australians, and that defamation law won’t capture the myriad of cases where social media comments are not personally defamatory, but nevertheless devastating for people relentlessly attacked on social platforms.

“While the intentions of this draft bill are laudable, it is not likely to achieve the outcomes it seeks and we think there are better alternatives already being investigated,” says council president, Tass Liveris, who also commends the government for considering the issue.

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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/telcos-wary-as-gov-presses-on-with-consumer-data-right-expansion-575028

Telcos wary as gov presses on with consumer data right expansion

By Ry Crozier on Jan 24, 2022 5:38PM

Argue that promise of lower internet bills may not materialise.

The government is hoping that Australian internet and phone customers will be able to lower their bills by understanding their usage patterns better, but the industry is unconvinced of the plan.

The federal government on Monday afternoon formally expanded the consumer data right (CDR) to the telecommunications sector, in addition to applying to the banking and energy sectors.

In banking and energy, customers are able to request data that providers hold on them and then give it to another provider, either for further analysis or to transfer services between providers.

The extent to which this can be replicated in the telecommunications sector was questioned by Telstra in July 2020, and a year-and-a-half on, those doubts remain.

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https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/internet/online-safety-act-now-in-force-to-tackle-cyberbullying-child-sex-abuse-and-powerful-big-tech/news-story/4be191df7485e6bca5fc5640e55c6032

Online Safety Act to tackle cyber bullying and child sex abuse

Sexual predators and “vile” internet trolls will be targeted by tough online safety laws designed to crack down on cyber abuse.

Ellen Ransley

January 23, 2022 - 11:06AM

NCA NewsWire

Social media giants, sexual predators and online bullies have been put on notice, with Australia’s eSafety commissioner granted greater powers to police the internet.

The Online Safety Act, which passed parliament in 2021, officially came into effect on Sunday.

Changes included in the Act include a world first cyber abuse take-down scheme to better protect children and adults from online bullying.

The eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has also been given the authority to order online platforms to remove the “worst of the worst” content – including child sexual abuse material and terrorist material – no matter where it is hosted.

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David.

 

Weekly Australian Health IT Links – 31 January, 2022.

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

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It is that time of the year for quarterly results for small public companies and we have a couple mentioned below. Also a few capital raisings are mentioned!

Otherwise, now Australia Day is past is should really be back to normal!

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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/anz/st-vincents-rolls-out-safescript-telephone-service

St. Vincent's rolls out SafeScript telephone service

The service supports prescribers and pharmacists in issuing safe and appropriate monitored medicines.

By Adam Ang

January 27, 2022 09:46 PM

Sydney-based St. Vincent’s Alcohol and Drug Service has launched SafeScript NSW's Clinical Advice Line, a telephone advice service supporting prescribers and pharmacists.

SafeScript NSW, a real-time prescription monitoring system, provides medical professionals with access to real-time information about their patient's prescription history for certain high-risk medicines. 

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

The phone service provides advice related to the safe and appropriate prescription and dispensing of monitored medicines. It is staffed by clinical advisors, such as senior nurses and clinical nurse consultants. The SafeScript team at St. Vincent's is also joined by the hospital's experts in the fields of addiction, pain medicine, and psychiatry.

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https://www.hospitalhealth.com.au/content/aged-allied-health/article/how-data-can-help-prevent-overdiagnosis-1398110998

How data can help prevent overdiagnosis

By Dr Daniel Capurro, Dr Douglas Pires and Dr Simon Coghlan
Monday, 24 January, 2022

Can knowing too much harm us? When it comes to medicine, in some cases, yes, absolutely.

Finding and treating diseases early saves lives and reduces health costs. It is why health systems have been increasingly undertaking proactive screening – administering clinical tests on individuals who don’t have any symptoms but may be at risk. Examples include screening for diseases like bowel cancer or breast cancer.

The ubiquity of digital technologies in our lives has the potential to take proactive screening to a new level – digital screening. This involves using information collected by our smartphones, smartwatches, keyboards, social networks, and wearable technology and analysing it using artificial intelligence algorithms to identify at-risk individuals.

For example, the early onset of Parkinson’s Disease could be identified from the changing patterns of how someone types, while the risk of heart problems can be identified from abnormal heart rhythms detected by a smartwatch.

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https://wildhealth.net.au/who-won-and-who-lost-the-covid-app-wars/

Who won (and who lost) the covid app wars?

Apps COVID-19 Government

By Fran Molloy

You know you’re in an ongoing pandemic when neither TikTok nor Instagram feature in Australia’s top five free iPhone apps for 2021.

In fact, they were bumped off the list by government apps – from Express Plus Medicare app at number one (handy for downloading your vaccination certificate), to Check In QLD, Service NSW, Service Victoria and finally myGovID.

Stark in its absence was the Federal government’s eye-wateringly expensive and much-hyped COVIDSafe app, launched with much fanfare in April 2020. The advertising bill alone for the disappointing app came in at $6.9 million, with the total cost for app development and ongoing maintenance pegged at more than $9 million.

Despite limp assertions that the COVIDSafe tool had “made a positive contribution to identifying and verifying Covid-19 contacts” made in the government’s own report on COVIDSafe’s effectiveness from May to November 2021 – the same report shows in that six-month period just 13 Australians testing positive for covid agreed to share their data, and only two potential close contacts were identified.

Meanwhile, state-government-run QR check-in apps have seen record user numbers; by November 2021, NSW Minister for Digital Victor Dominello told Parliament that Service NSW had seen more than 7.5 million users rack up more than one billion check-ins via the app, which also integrated the digital vaccine certificate.

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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/accenture-wins-163m-deal-for-single-nsw-gov-erp-system-574968

Accenture wins $163m deal for single NSW gov ERP system

By Justin Hendry on Jan 24, 2022 1:04PM

Platform to be used by at least 40 agencies.

Accenture has won a $163.7 million deal with the NSW Department of Communities and Justice to deliver a single enterprise resource planning (ERP) system for four initial state government clusters.

The contract for the first phase of the government ERP systems consolidation known as the Process and Technology Harmonisation (PaTH) program was revealed by the department last month.

It comes more than two years after the Secretaries Board first endorsed the consolidation of ERP systems at five clusters, and the Department of Customer Services began initial scoping work.

But as reported by iTnews, the Communities and Justice department recently assumed responsibility for the project, with Customer Services now not expected to take part in the first phase.

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https://wildhealth.net.au/whats-your-emergency-paramedics-the-final-digital-frontier/

27 January 2022

“What’s your emergency?” – paramedics the final digital frontier

Big Data Hospital Interoperability Technology

By Fran Molloy

As the Omicron variant of covid surges around Australia and the world, ambulance ramping is commonplace, and paramedics can queue for hours in hot PPE while they wait to hand over an endless stream of inebriated, injured, sick and distressed people to hospital staff.

But despite the advent of paperless hospitals and the inexorable adoption of electronic medical records, patient handovers from ambulance to ED remain an analogue process, involving at best a printout of patient vital signs, treatment and trends, and the call details from 000 – but usually perhaps just a verbal summary to an admitting nurse or doctor.

“Over the 20 years that I have been a paramedic, the information flow in this job has barely changed,” says Gary Wilson, secretary of the Australian Paramedics Association (NSW).

Wilson says that 000 call-takers record the call, sending details to the ambulance mobile data terminals (MDTs) – and the quality and quantity of that information varies widely.

“Sometimes there’s a lot of information, which can be overwhelming when you’re driving with lights and sirens responding to a scene – other times you have hardly anything to go on.”

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https://www.itnews.com.au/digitalnation/news/unsw-researchers-use-silicon-in-quantum-computing-breakthrough-574961

UNSW researchers use silicon in quantum computing breakthrough

By Digital Nation Staff on Jan 24, 2022 7:00AM

UNSW researchers have established a viable solution for 99 percent accurate quantum computing processing using silicon.

The UNSW team, led by Professor Andrea Morello and the Netherlands’ Delft University of Technology, led by Professor Lieven Vandersypen used a method called gate set tomography to certify their quantum processors’ performance.

According to Morello, “When the errors are so rare, it becomes possible to detect them and correct them when they occur. This shows that it is possible to build quantum computers that have enough scale, and enough power, to handle meaningful computation.”

"This piece of research is an important milestone on the journey that will get us there.”

This breakthrough in the emerging technology paves the way for real world manufacturing and application of quantum chips that are compatible with current silicon chip factories.

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https://medicalrepublic.com.au/aged-care-provider-rolls-out-cloud-based-smart-wfm/61772

28 January 2022

Aged care provider rolls out cloud-based Smart WFM

By Holly Payne

A new workforce management system has helped Sydney aged care provider Montefiore decrease its reliance on temporary agency staff, creating better continuity of care.

Smart WFM has deployed a cloud-based central application system to monitor staff availability and rostering at Sydney’s Montefiore.

Importantly, the app enables reallocation of shifts when staff are unable to attend because they are self-isolating or can work at only one facility because of pandemic working arrangements.

The implementation was timely, given that the final report from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Safety and Quality was especially critical of substandard staffing levels, which the commissioners said fell “well short of good or even acceptable practice standards”.

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https://www.hinz.org.nz/news/593625/Tech-key-to-Omicron-response.htm

Tech key to Omicron response

Tuesday, 25 January 2022  

NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth

The three phases of the government’s response to Omicron will involve greater use of technology, including text notifications for cases and close contacts and automated contact identification.

A number of technology solutions are being developed ‘at pace’ and more information will be available over the coming weeks.

Associate Minister of Health Ayesha Verrall has announced a three phase Omicron response plan that aims to slow down and limit the spread of an outbreak.

She says a ‘self-service model’ for contact tracing and rapid antigen testing will be key to responding to a high volume of cases.
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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/anz/aged-care-provider-third-age-health-taps-celo-internal-communications

Aged care provider Third Age Health taps Celo for internal communications

The sign-in with the messaging platform comes as the aged care provider braces for an Omicron surge.

By Adam Ang

January 27, 2022 09:48 PM

New Zealand-based aged care provider Third Age Health has set up its internal communications in partnership with HIPAA-compliant messaging platform Celo Health.

Third Age Health runs over 50 residential aged care facilities, as well as some primary healthcare services across New Zealand. 

Its partner offers a messaging system that enables seamless and secure collaboration among healthcare teams. One notable feature of its app is On-Call, which allows staff to instantly reach one another. Another feature is a reporting dashboard which provides insights for improvements in resource allocation and other processes. 

Celo Health currently partners with around 800 healthcare organisations in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.

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https://www.miragenews.com/telstra-health-secures-five-year-contract-to-711504/

24 Jan 2022 2:44 pm AEDT

Telstra Health secures five-year contract to deliver 1800RESPECT

The Morrison Government is pleased to announce Telstra Health as the successful provider to deliver 1800RESPECT – the national family, domestic and sexual violence counselling service, following an extensive open and competitive procurement process.

Minister for Women’s Safety Anne Ruston said the Government was committed to ensuring 1800RESPECT continues to provide the highest quality support as the national front door for all Australians seeking help when affected by family, domestic and sexual violence.

“Through this process we are ensuring the future service meets the diverse and complex needs of people seeking support, as our understanding of trauma and the pervasive nature of gendered violence continues to evolve,” Minister Ruston said.

“New technology will be built into the service from July to provide additional options for users including text messages, video calls and follow-ups on referrals with users when safe to do so.

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https://www.themandarin.com.au/179554-new-1800respect-provider-to-expand-tele-support-options/

New 1800RESPECT provider to expand tele-support options

By Melissa Coade

Thursday January 27, 2022

Australia’s 1800RESPECT telephone counselling line will have extra options for clients, including text messages, video calls and referral follow-ups, from July 2022.

Minister for women’s safety Anne Ruston announced the new measures on Monday, noting that Telstra Health would implement them in delivering the national family, domestic and sexual violence support.

Telstra Health was chosen for the five-year government contract, valued at around $200 million, after ‘an extensive open and competitive procurement process’, the minister added.

Telstra Health was chosen for the five-year government contract, valued at around $200 million, after ‘an extensive open and competitive procurement process’, the minister added. 

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https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/doctor-care-anywhere-in-funding-push-as-telehealth-booms-in-pandemic/news-story/957a98da94e7259f0e74c616690cfadc

Doctor Care Anywhere in funding push as telehealth booms in pandemic

Jared Lynch

7:24PM January 28, 2022

ASX-listed telehealth outfit Doctor Care Anywhere has more than doubled its full-year revenues, exceeding expectations and sending the company’s shares surging by more than 9 per cent.

Doctor Care Anywhere chief executive and former psychiatrist Bayju Thakar said telehealth consultations had managed to save healthcare funders more than 20 per cent while improving clinical outcomes.

For this reason, he is pushing for the federal government to permanently fund virtual appointments beyond the end of June.

“We have been lobbying and actively pushing for those Medicare rebates to stay because the most disadvantaged people in the Australian geography need that opportunity to be able to access where the supply is rich – in urban not rural,” Dr Thakar said.

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Alcidion.com

Q2 FY22 Quarterly Activities Report and Appendix 4C

 

Melbourne, Australia – Alcidion Group Limited (‘Alcidion’ or the ‘Company’) today releases its Appendix 4C for the quarter ended 31 December 2021 (Q2 FY22) and a business update detailing operational highlights.

Highlights:

• Signed largest contract, as part of a Consortium led by Leidos Australia, to deliver key capability for a Healthcare IT project for the Commonwealth of Australia - $23.3M TCV over 6 years
• Q2 positive operating cashflow of $1.5M, driven by Q2 cash receipts of $9.9M with total YTD cash receipts of $16.4M
• New contracted revenue sold in Q2 of $27.7M with $6.2M of that to be recognised in FY22
• Acquired Silverlink PCS Software Ltd (Silverlink), positioning Alcidion to become a cloud-native, modern, and modular Electronic Patient Record (EPR/EMR) provider
• Successful $55.0 Million capital raising via Institutional Placement and Entitlements issue to fund the Silverlink acquisition
• At the end of Q2, total contracted revenue to be recognised in FY22 stands at $27.1M - up 25% on prior year Q2 (this includes $3.8M from Silverlink)
• A further $1.9M of scheduled renewal revenue is expected to be converted to contracted revenue over the course of FY22
• Cash balance of $18.9M as at 31 December 2021

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https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/financial-services/canaccord-genuity-pushed-alcidion-shares-pushed-ahead-of-raising/news-story/12d3bef3137a9ee1476afdf4e52c6c8e

Canaccord Genuity pushed Alcidion shares pushed ahead of raising

Cliona O'Dowd

6:18PM January 27, 2022

Canaccord Genuity recommended clients buy shares in Alcidion less than a fortnight before it was named as the lead manager of the company’s $55m capital raising.

The equities research note – titled “Finger on the digital pulse” – was distributed to clients on November 24, placing a 42c per share price target on the health technology company and flagging the potential for “new contract announcements and expansions”.

On December 7, the company put its shares into a trading halt and said it would provide an ­investor update about a capital raising.

At the time, Alcidion shares were trading at 34c. On Thursday, shares rose 1c to close at 24c.

An investigation by The Australian has revealed numerous instances where Canaccord – which runs one of the country’s most active investment banks specialising in smaller companies – has made share recommendations to clients without explicitly disclosing there may be a conflict of interest. Earlier this week, The Australian reported that Canaccord had placed a “speculative buy” rating and published a highly favourable research note about Eagle Mountain Mining eight days before the copper explorer said it was undertaking capital raising – which was being conducted with the assistance of the bank.

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https://www.afr.com/technology/eucalyptus-raises-60m-eyes-off-new-obesity-management-drugs-20220111-p59nch

Eucalyptus raises $60m, eyes off new obesity-management drugs

Jessica SierJ ournalist

Jan 27, 2022 – 6.00am

One of Silicon Valley’s most respected technology investors has led a $60 million funding round in Eucalyptus, a fast growing Sydney-based online health start-up, as it weighs up the potential of bringing new weight loss drugs to Australia.

The Series C round, which was first flagged by Street Talk was led by big name Silicon Valley investor Mary Meeker’s Bond Capital, with Blackbird, NewView Capital, W23 Ventures, OneVentures, Airtree and Athletic Ventures also tipping in funding.

Eucalyptus builds and launches various digital healthcare brands and services from a centralised platform.

It has five offerings in the market: men’s health brand Pilot, women’s fertility and telehealth service Kin, skincare brand Software, sexual wellness company Normal, and menopause service Juniper.

The fresh funding – which adds to $30 million raised last year – will be used to double down on the software development of the centralised platform, and a planned launch in the United Kingdom which has similar health regulations to Australia.

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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/nbn-co-sheds-1200-satellite-customers-since-december-575010

NBN Co sheds 1200 satellite customers since December

By Ry Crozier on Jan 25, 2022 12:05PM

Operator says change is mostly 'seasonal'.

NBN Co lost over 1200 active satellite customers between the start of December and early January, and 1772 customers since its active user base peaked at 112,600 in early September 2021.

The downward trend is captured in the company’s weekly progress reports, which also show that the company is approaching an active satellite user base level that is par with the first quarter of 2021 - about a year ago.

An NBN Co spokesperson told iTnews that the “small decline in Sky Muster active premises is largely seasonal” and that the end of Covid-related lockdowns also played a part in this year’s numbers.

“Historically, we see declines in incremental active premises growth in the Christmas and school holiday period,” the spokesperson said.

“This is typically followed by an increase as people start returning to work and school in mid-to-late January. 

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Enjoy!

David.

I Think This Report About Alcidion And A Recent Capital Raising Needs Close Scrutiny.

There is a very old saying that Nero’s wife not only need to be above approach but also must be seen to be above approach.

With that in mind I noticed this:

Canaccord Genuity pushed Alcidion shares pushed ahead of raising

Cliona O'Dowd

6:18PM January 27, 2022

Canaccord Genuity recommended clients buy shares in Alcidion less than a fortnight before it was named as the lead manager of the company’s $55m capital raising.

The equities research note – titled “Finger on the digital pulse” – was distributed to clients on November 24, placing a 42c per share price target on the health technology company and flagging the potential for “new contract announcements and expansions”.

On December 7, the company put its shares into a trading halt and said it would provide an ­investor update about a capital raising.

At the time, Alcidion shares were trading at 34c. On Thursday, shares rose 1c to close at 24c.

An investigation by The Australian has revealed numerous instances where Canaccord – which runs one of the country’s most active investment banks specialising in smaller companies – has made share recommendations to clients without explicitly disclosing there may be a conflict of interest. Earlier this week, The Australian reported that Canaccord had placed a “speculative buy” rating and published a highly favourable research note about Eagle Mountain Mining eight days before the copper explorer said it was undertaking capital raising – which was being conducted with the assistance of the bank.

Canaccord firmly denies that its work with companies has any influence over the content of its research notes, used by investors to decide what equities to buy, which are expected to be entirely independent.

In a statement on Thursday, Canaccord said its research analysts were “completely independent from its sales and investment banking operations”.

“This independence is reinforced by information barriers and compliance systems designed to separate research from other parts of our business and manage any conflicts of interest that arise.

“A research analyst would have no visibility over any discussions that the investment banking team would have on a proposed capital raising,” the company said.

Canaccord added that its information barriers and disclosure practices reflect those of other integrated global investment banks.

Lots more comment here from regulators:

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/financial-services/canaccord-genuity-pushed-alcidion-shares-pushed-ahead-of-raising/news-story/12d3bef3137a9ee1476afdf4e52c6c8e

Before other comment I needs to be noted that, as of the end of November the shares were trading above 30 cents – and that after all the goings on – the raising and very recent results- the shares closed at 24 cents  on 28/1/2022– so not a great recommendation so far!

This price is just below the institutional issue price of 25 cents. It is worth noting that the shares were about 50 cents on June 30 2021.  So far some shareholders are rather in the red!

My worry with all this is how someone who wants an investment in Digital Health can possibly come to understand the motives and forces that much be happening with all this, and be confident of their investment.

It is the sort of goings on here that are sure to ensure the ‘mug investor’ may be well advised to stay clear – despite the fact that Alcidion, on its fundamentals, looks to be a more than worthwhile investment prospect.

This small end of the market needs both much more disclosure and supervision to make it fair for all and to make sure no ‘hanky-panky’ is undiscovered!

Nothing here is to suggest anything is amiss here but what has gone on and what disclosures where provided possibly could be bit more fulsome and transparent.

What do you think?

David.

AusHealthIT Poll Number 616 – Results – 30th January, 2022.

Here are the results of the poll.

Does The Federal Health Department Deserve Brickbats Or Plaudits For Its Handling Or Telehealth Funding Over The Course Of The COVID19 Pandemic And Into The Future?

Plaudits - They Have Been Clear And Organised. 0% (0)

Brickbats - They Have No Idea What They Are Doing And How It Should Work And Be Paid For. 98% (59)

I Have No Idea. 2% (1)

Total votes: 60

A very clear cut poll! The whole management of telehealth implementation has been a rolling total shambles!

Any insights on the poll are welcome, as a comment, as usual!

A good number of votes. with a clear outcome, especially for this time of year! 

Only 1 of 60 who answered the poll admitted to not being sure about the answer to the question!

Again, many, many thanks to all those who voted! 

David.