A Useful Summary Of The Privacy Commissioner’s Views On The Requirements For Accessing #myHealthRecord Information.

I noticed this recently:

My Health Record

A My Health Record is an electronic summary of a patient’s health information. A registered healthcare provider organisation may view or add health information (such as diagnoses, treatments, medications and allergies) to a patient’s My Health Record as long as they follow their access controls.

Using the My Health Record system

8 September 2021

A healthcare provider organisation must register to use the My Health Record system, which contains a summary of a patient's health information.

Read more: Using the My Health Record system

Handling information in a My Health Record

8 September 2021

A healthcare provider organisation registered to use the My Health Record system is authorised to collect, use and disclose health information to provide health care to a patient.

Read more: Handling information in a My Health Record

My Health Record access controls

8 September 2021

The My Health Record system’s access controls allow an individual to restrict who can access their My Health Record and which documents they can view.

Read more: My Health Record access controls

My Health Record emergency access function

30 June 2021

This privacy guidance is intended to assist healthcare providers to understand their privacy obligations when using the My Health Record emergency access function.

Read more: My Health Record emergency access function

My Health Record emergency access function FAQs and flowchart

8 September 2021

These FAQs and flowchart have been developed to help guide use of the emergency access function.

Read more: My Health Record emergency access function FAQs and flowchart

Here is the link:

https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/guidance-and-advice/my-health-record/

I thought it was useful to pass this on for those who might not be totally sure what was OK.

David.

 

We Need To Do A Great Deal More To Prevent Phishing And Ransomware Attacks.

This appeared last week and it was really good summary of what to do about minimising the risks and damage from malevolent e-mail.

4 Ways Organizations Can Prevent Healthcare Phishing Attacks

Healthcare phishing attacks are an easy way for cybercriminals to take advantage of organizations but implementing certain safeguards can protect patients, providers, and health systems.

By Jill McKeon

September 24, 2021 - With one wrong click, a healthcare phishing attack can take down entire networks, encrypt files, and put patient data in jeopardy. The smartest attackers take advantage of victims by claiming to be a colleague, business associate, or other trusted source, and using social engineering to obtain information.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) defines phishing as “A technique for attempting to acquire sensitive data, such as bank account numbers, through a fraudulent solicitation in email or on a web site, in which the perpetrator masquerades as a legitimate business or reputable person.”

Bad actors are increasingly targeting the healthcare sector with these schemes and successfully obtaining information and distributing malware via email. In April 2021, the Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center (HC3) released an alert warning the healthcare sector of the increasing prevalence of phishing campaigns.

Phishing scams have claimed hundreds of thousands of medical records, patient financial information, and other personally identifiable information (PII) across the healthcare sector.

In addition to causing care disruptions and posing risks to patient privacy, phishing can decimate a health system’s bottom line. A 2021 report conducted by the Ponemon Institute on behalf of Proofpoint revealed that the average annual cost of recovering from a phishing attack has more than tripled since 2015, from $3.8 million to $14.8 million.

The best way to prevent your organization from becoming a victim of a healthcare phishing attack is to stay informed. Understanding what red flags to look for, properly educating employees on cyber hygiene, implementing technical safeguards, and keeping up with the latest sector threats will give healthcare organizations an edge over malicious hackers.

Identify Common Phishing Email Tricks and Tactics

The first step toward protecting an organization from phishing is understanding the attacker’s motives and tactics.

“In a social engineering attack, an attacker uses human interaction (social skills) to obtain or compromise information about an organization or its computer systems,” the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) website states.

“An attacker may seem unassuming and respectable, possibly claiming to be a new employee, repair person, or researcher and even offering credentials to support that identity. However, by asking questions, he or she may be able to piece together enough information to infiltrate an organization's network.”

Phishing typically refers to attacks conducted through email, but bad actors can also use phones and social media platforms to target victims in a similar manner. Some attackers use vishing, which uses voice communications, or smishing, which uses SMS messages to orchestrate an attack.

Telltale signs of traditional email phishing attacks include suspicious sender email addresses, generic greetings (e.g., “Dear Valued Customer” or “Sir/Ma’am”), poor grammar and sentence structure, and suspicious attachments, CISA explains. The sender may try to imitate a legitimate business by using an email address that closely resembles a real business but omits a few characters.

Recipients should also be wary of any unsolicited email that asks them to download an attachment. Sometimes attackers will also spoof hyperlinks and websites in an attempt trick the recipient into clicking on a suspicious URL.

Threat actors also like to take advantage of holidays and crises to catch victims when they least expect it. HC3 warned organizations in December 2020 of the growing prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine-related phishing emails. The emails typically promised early access to the vaccine if the recipient was willing to pay or provide compromising information.

Bad actors often pretend to be a government agency, a recruiter offering the recipient a job, or a high-level executive at a big company. Phishing scams are often incredibly successful, as they only require one unsuspecting individual to click a link or download an attachment to infiltrate an organization’s system. If one employee takes the bait, healthcare providers and their patients may have to face the consequences.

Any organization’s leadership team must understand the basic indicators of phishing in order to teach employees, implement preventive cybersecurity measures, and mitigate risk.

Invest in Regular Employee Cybersecurity Training

Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, covered entities are required to implement a security awareness training program for all members of the workforce. However, research shows that healthcare lags behind other industries in terms of employee cybersecurity training, despite being a primary target for attackers.

Lots more here:

https://healthitsecurity.com/news/4-ways-organizations-can-prevent-healthcare-phishing-attacks

As far as I am concerned – given the scale and level of damage that is resulting in the health sector – we need to treat the issue as a war and to aggressively plan how best to really reduce the damage. This article is a very good start but there really also needs to be action and funding around each of the suggestions to make a difference for the better.

Education, awareness, technology and common sense and the keys to controlling this scourge and depriving the criminals of the revenue they need to keep being such a nuisance.

Well worth a read!

David.

Commentators and Journalists Weigh In On Digital Health And Related Privacy, Safety, Social Media And Security Matters. Lots Of Interesting Perspectives - September 28, 2021.

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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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http://www.healthintersections.com.au/?p=3065

HL7 Australia Webinar: Smart Health Cards

Posted on September 22, 2021 by Grahame Grieve

No Comments Leave a comment

SMART HEALTH CARE CARDS WEBINAR – 5 OCTOBER 2021
Register Here: https://lnkd.in/gQj77KMF

The Board of HL7 Australia invites you to join a free Webinar on Tuesday 5 October 2021 at 09:00 AEDT to hear from key thinkers and implementors of SMART Health Cards and FHIR resources.

The subject of verifiable COVID immunisation and lab certificates is a very fast-moving subject here in Australia and New Zealand.

In the USA, Canada, and elsewhere, government immunisation registries, healthcare providers, EHR vendors, private employers, and technology companies are building an infrastructure based on SMART Health Cards and FHIR resources.

This work is coordinated through the VCI consortium (https://vci.org/), supported by HL7. Come and listen to the panel of key thinkers and implementors for this work, including leaders from the Health IT community in USA. They’ll describe their intent, how the specification works, and how it’s been adopted in the Apple and Android ecosystems. This technology is in production today.

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https://digitalhealth.org.au/blog/introducing-the-2021-healthcare-cybersecurity-survey/

Introducing the 2021 Healthcare Cybersecurity Survey

Sep 20, 2021 | Advocacy, AIDH news, Community Chats, Community of Practice, Cybersecurity, E-Safety, Surveys

The general community places its trust in the health system to safeguard health information. Is the healthcare sector doing enough to protect health information and the security of their systems?

We seek to understand the current state of awareness and processes in cybersecurity across the Australian health sector.

The data from this survey will be compared to the 2017 survey report to evaluate what has changed, what has improved and what is yet to be done to safeguard health information. You can access the report (published in 2018) at this link.

Who should participate?

• If you work in the health sector, we want to hear from you
• If you have a decision-making role in managing risk (including Board), we want to hear from you
• If you know very little about cybersecurity or if you are the cybersecurity guru in your organisation, we want to hear from you (to be fair, there are more questions for the gurus

Why participate?

• Gain insight into how your organisation’s cybersecurity processes compare to your peers and the 2017 security snapshot
• Gain insight into how the cybersecurity landscape has matured in the Australian health sector over the past 4 years
• Guide the activities of the Cybersecurity Community of Practice (CoP) over the next 12 months.

It will take approximately 15 minutes to complete the survey (for the cybersecurity gurus/those who are responsible for managing risk – allow up to 25mins).

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https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/australians-urged-to-brace-for-cyber-pandemic/news-story/65e6728e1b2b90a35fed780b27dd3acb

Australians urged to brace for ‘cyber pandemic’

David Swan

1:18PM September 24, 2021

Australian businesses are being urged to prepare for a widespread global ‘cyber pandemic’, amid new research showing nearly three quarters of cyber attacks are targeting Australian remote workers.

The research, released this week, found that 73 per cent of Australian organisations were victims of cyber attacks targeting remote workers over the past 12 months, making them one of the biggest risks facing Australian organisations in the new world of work.

Only 29 per cent of Australian remote workers comply with employers’ security guidelines and measures, however, while just two in five security executives say they lack visibility into remote employee home networks and their connected devices.

The global study of 1300 executives from research firm Forrester and commissioned by cyber exposure outfit Tenable found that 77 per cent of Australian businesses plan to have employees working from home at least once a week in the next 12 to 24 months, while 59 per cent plan to make remote work permanent in the next one to two years.

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https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/how-nsw-s-vaccine-passports-will-work-20210922-p58ts9.html

How NSW’s vaccine passports will work

By Sarah McPhee and Daniella White

September 22, 2021 — 3.54pm

As Sydney and parts of NSW prepare to open from lockdown next month, the state government has shared more information about how it plans to roll out vaccine passports.

Venues including pubs, restaurants and hairdressers will be allowed to reopen to fully vaccinated customers the Monday after NSW hits 70 per cent vaccination coverage of people aged 16 and older.

Projections put the state’s reopening date as Monday, October 11.

Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello said the government was developing a system that will integrate vaccine certificates into the Service NSW app, and the design was “pretty much there”.

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https://www.onkaparingacity.com/Eventbrite/Get-Online-Week-My-Health-Record-Aldinga-Library-177769261647

Get Online Week: My Health Record- Aldinga Library

Next date: Tuesday, 19 October 2021 | 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM ADHA Propaganda

An introduction to My health Record, what it is and how it can improve health outcomes.

For adults. Bookings essential.

COVID-SAFE Guidelines:

·         Please follow accepted hygiene measures including sanitising hands when entering the building and staying home if you are unwell.

·         Please follow accepted physical distancing measures of 1.5 m

·         Please ensure you have checked in to our venue.

·         This activity may be switched to online, cancelled or postponed as advice from SA Health changes.

Please note that photographs of our activities may be taken from time to time to assist with the development of promotional material and social media content. If you do not wish to be photographed while participating in an activity, please speak to a library staff member.

When

Tuesday, 19 October 2021 | 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Location

Aldinga Library, 11 Central Way, Aldinga Beach 5173  View Map

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https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/guidance-and-advice/my-health-record/

My Health Record

A My Health Record is an electronic summary of a patient’s health information. A registered healthcare provider organisation may view or add health information (such as diagnoses, treatments, medications and allergies) to a patient’s My Health Record as long as they follow their access controls.

Using the My Health Record system

8 September 2021

A healthcare provider organisation must register to use the My Health Record system, which contains a summary of a patient's health information.

Read more: Using the My Health Record system

Handling information in a My Health Record

8 September 2021

A healthcare provider organisation registered to use the My Health Record system is authorised to collect, use and disclose health information to provide health care to a patient.

Read more: Handling information in a My Health Record

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https://soundcloud.com/thegoodgp/the-good-gp-my-health-record-episode-44/sets

My Health Record - Episode 44

ADHA Propaganda

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https://www.ddwmphn.com.au/upcoming-events/my-health-record-aged-care-case-study

My Health Record - Aged Care Case Study

My Health Record can provide access to accurate and relevant clinical information uploaded by a range of providers (GPs, hospitals, pharmacists), that may assist in improving quality of life, care coordination and ultimately reduce potential medication misadventures. This webinar will explore the benefits of using My Health Record through a case study to assist attendees’ understanding of how to use the clinical information in My Health Record and apply it to everyday workflow/practice or care. ADHA Propaganda

Fri 1 Oct  2021

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https://www.ddwmphn.com.au/upcoming-events/my-health-record-a-practical-demonstration-medicaldirector

My Health Record: a Practical Demonstration (MedicalDirector)

ADHA Propaganda

These one hour sessions are aimed at GPs, Specialists, Practice Managers, Practice Nurses and Aboriginal Health Workers interested in learning more about My Health Record and how to use it most effectively in routine practice. Using a software simulation platform the instructor will demonstrate how to:

• access your patients’ My Health Records in your software;

• use filters to find documents;

• view documents and overviews;

• Understand how to view immunisation history in My Health Record

• enter access codes for patients with protected documents/records;

• upload documents to My Health Record; and

• ensure appropriate security and access governance mechanisms are in place.

Tue 28 Sep

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https://www.ddwmphn.com.au/upcoming-events/my-health-record-for-hospital-staff

My Health Record for hospital staff

Having access to health information contained in the My Health Record can reduce the instance of adverse medication events (including hospital re-admissions), decrease duplicate diagnostic testing and improve continuity of care for patients across the primary and secondary care sectors.  ADHA Propaganda

Given the increased use and adoption of the system, embedding the use of the My Health Record very early in a clinician’s journey through the healthcare system will ensure it will become one of many valuable digital decision support tools routinely accessed to improve patient care.

Content will include:

• pathology and diagnostic report viewing

• medicines view

• discharge summaries

• primary care shared health and event summaries

• advance care planning documents

The sessions will also provide advice on general security and access compliance processes

Wed 6 Oct 2021

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https://www.ddwmphn.com.au/upcoming-events/my-health-record-a-practical-demonstration-national-provider-portal-npp

My Health Record a Practical Demonstration - National Provider Portal (NPP)

ADHA Propaganda

These sessions are aimed at clinicians and support staff such as allied health providers, specialists, community health nurses, Aboriginal Health Care workers and consultant pharmacists who do not currently have access to conformant clinical software. Sessions will demonstrate how to:

• log onto the Provider Portal via PRODA

• use filters to find documents;

• view documents and overviews;

• Understand how to view immunisation history in My Health Record;

• enter access codes for patients with protected documents/records;

• download documents to local systems; and

• ensure appropriate security and access governance mechanisms are in place

Wed 6 Oct  2021

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https://www.ddwmphn.com.au/upcoming-events/learn-how-to-use-my-health-record-in-genie

Learn how to use My Health Record in Genie

Learn the core features of My Health Record including how to effectively view and upload information. The sessions are designed to be interactive where participants are encouraged to ask questions and raise any issues. ADHA Propaganda

Understand how to:

• Save time by accessing overview summary documents including medicines, immunisations, pathology and diagnostic imaging

• Find documents relevant to your clinical practice e.g. discharge summaries

• Understand how to view the available Medicare information.

Thu 7 Oct 2021

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https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/newsroom/digital-bytes/digital-bytes-with-maria-benke-audiologist

Digital Bytes with Maria Benke - Audiologist

Published 21 September 2021 ADHA Propaganda

In this Digital Bytes, see how audiologists and their patients can use My Health Record as a convenient place to securely store and access vital health information. 

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https://www.iothub.com.au/news/digital-tech-is-the-future-but-a-new-report-shows-australia-risks-being-left-in-the-past-570084

Digital tech is the future, but a new report shows Australia risks being left in the past

Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering issue call to action.

By Shazia Sadiq , Thas Ampalavanapillai Nirmalathas on Sep 21 2021 8:45AM

Digital technologies are now at the heart of our everyday lives, as anyone who has swapped their office for a videoconferencing screen, or downloaded a contact-tracing app, knows only too well.

This trend is set to continue even in a post-COVID world. Australia is at a crossroads in developing a strong digital economy to meet this changing world head-on.

In the words of the computing pioneer Alan Kay, “the best way to predict the future is to create it”. Australia too needs to grab the opportunity to leverage its research and development strengths in emerging digital technologies, and create a “digital future” by amplifying the opportunities for growth in this important sector and strengthen our sovereign capabilities. But Australia is lagging behind many other nations in shaping this digital future.

In a new report released today, the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering have jointly issued an urgent call to action, asking the government and industry to recognise the importance of emerging digital technologies.

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/twilio/2021/09/20/how-twilio-transforms-customer-engagement-for-businesses-in-australia/?sh=4328c0ee1495

How Twilio Transforms Customer Engagement For Businesses In Australia

Kristen Pimpini 20 September, 2021

Paid Program

Businesses have been undergoing digital transformations for some time, but the global pandemic has accelerated the transition. The series of lockdowns that ensued has disrupted business operations, putting tremendous pressure on such vital services as customer engagement. Major businesses sought enterprise solutions that can handle varied business activities, while others had to equip their employees who have started to work from home with secure, powerful, and flexible platforms.

During this period of unprecedented challenges, Australia’s largest dedicated pharmacy IT solutions provider and a leading global appliance company recruited Twilio to demonstrate the power of APIs in revolutionizing customer engagement.

Safer, Easier and more Effective Digital Solutions

Digitalization has accelerated rapidly in recent years, and the healthcare industry has been no exception. Fred IT, a technology provider to the Australian pharmacy industry that began in the garage of two men 29 years ago, has been for the past decade helping the medical industry transition from paper to electronic prescriptions with the creation of eRx Script Exchange.

In 2020, Fred was working to make ePrescriptions a legal option for prescribing medication with a tight timeline to design and build out the new platform. Along with the Australian Digital Health Agency, The Australian Department of Health and other stakeholders, they worked to centralize the process by enabling the technology and connecting 50-60 industry vendors to the eRx platform.

To do this, it needed to build a new system, which would traditionally take over six months. Instead, Fred IT implemented Twilio’s Programmable Messaging API, which accelerated its timeline, from concept to market, to eight weeks amidst a global pandemic.

Electronic prescriptions, or ePrescriptions, allows patients to order their medications remotely from their local pharmacy, this includes via WhatsApp if registered for My Script List (MySL). This innovation makes it easier for patients to manage their ePrescriptions, and safer for healthcare professionals and patients during the pandemic.

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https://www.myhealthrecord.gov.au/for-healthcare-professionals/howtos/security-and-access-policy-checklist

Security and Access policy checklist

Healthcare provider organisations are required to have a My Health Record Security and Access policy, to meet requirements outlined in the My Health Records Rule 2016 (Rule 42).

This checklist can be used as a guide to drafting or updating this policy for your healthcare organisation. 

Security and Access policy checklist

It is important that healthcare provider organisations have a My Health Record Security and Access policy in place, prior to registering to participate in the My Health Record system. The policy must be communicated to, accessible by, and enforced with, employees and other relevant parties. The policy must also be kept up to date by reviewing it, at least annually, or when any material new or changed risks are identified.

This checklist is a guide only and should be assessed against the needs and risks that may apply to your organisation. Healthcare provider organisations need to ensure the policy includes and addresses the topics outlined in the My Health Records Rule 2016, Rule 42. At a high-level the topics include:

1. Policy establishment – a My Health Record Security and Access policy is in place prior to registration, maintained on an ongoing basis, and communicated to all staff.
2. Manner of authorising users, and processes for suspending and deactivating user accounts in specific circumstances.
3. Provision of training for authorised users before they are permitted to access the My Health Record system.
4. A process for identifying who is accessing a My Health Record (on each occasion) and communicating this information to the Agency (My Health Record System Operator).
5. Physical and information security measures, including user account management practices.
6. Risk management – strategies for identifying, responding to, and reporting My Health Record system-related security risks.
7. Assisted Registration processes (where applicable). If the healthcare provider organisation provides assisted registration, the policy needs to include the authorisation, training, consent, and identification processes that are followed when providing assisted registration.
8. Policy implementation and maintenance – annual review of the policy (minimum), version numbers and dates of effect are outlined in the policy, and copies of each version of the policy are retained.

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https://www.afr.com/technology/tech-dangers-lurk-in-home-quarantine-trials-20210919-p58t18

Tech dangers lurk in home quarantine trials

John Davidson Columnist

Sep 21, 2021 – 5.00am

Home quarantine systems that use facial recognition and artificial intelligence to police whether citizens stay at home are a dangerous incursion on civil rights and should only be used with the utmost caution, privacy and AI ethics experts have warned.

Worse still, they do not work nearly as well as more conventional methods of home detention, and could endanger public health at the same time they are allowing AI-based surveillance make dangerous inroads into Australia, other experts say.

Last week, the NSW government said it would begin trials of AI-based facial recognition apps, in the hope of allowing returned travellers and airline staff to quarantine for COVID-19 at home, rather than in the state’s controversial hotel quarantine system, which is being wound down as vaccination levels increase.

The Victorian government has also said it will conduct home quarantine trials, for residents trapped by border closures with NSW.

It is unclear whether Australia’s two most populous states will use the government-built home quarantine app already being trialled in South Australia, or the app already in use in Western Australia, G2G Now, made by the small, Perth-based software company Genvis.

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https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/careers/partnership-manager/257

Partnership Manager

EL1 ($122,716 - $139,959)
Digital Programs and Engagement Division > Communications
Brisbane, Canberra, Sydney

Closing - 4 Oct 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.

Primary purpose of position

The EL1 Partnership Manager is accountable under broad direction to perform very complex stakeholder engagement and partnership management functions working with external partners and key stakeholders to deliver the National Digital Health Strategy.

They will exercise a considerable degree of independence and perform a leadership role taking responsibility to engage and manage relationships with one or more of the following stakeholder groups including State and Territory jurisdictions, private hospitals, clinical peaks, primary health networks, software developers and commercial organisations.

The EL1 Partnership Manager will exercise sound decision making and judgement and will engage in very complex problem solving and issues management and may coordinate and undertake detailed or sensitive projects that impact on strategic or operational outcomes for the Agency.

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https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/careers/executive-officer/266

Executive Officer

EL1 ($122,716 - $139,959)
Multiple divisions > Administration
Brisbane, Canberra, Sydney

Closing - 4 Oct 2021

Division overview

Digital strategy – responsible for national digital health design and strategy, underpinned by strong clinical governance and digital health standards.

Technology services – responsible for the operation of high quality, trusted, reliable and secure national digital health infrastructure and health support systems.

Corporate services – responsible for bringing together our corporate enabling services so that they are coordinated, effective and mutually reinforcing.

Purpose of position

The EL1 Executive Officer position will provide executive office management, support and coordination, reporting directly to a Division Head.

The EL1 Executive Officer is accountable under broad direction to undertake and coordinate very complex operational, administration and Division business management activities in support of the Division Head. They will develop and apply a comprehensive knowledge of the administration, project, financial, reporting and business management requirements within the Agency to achieve expected outcomes. Gaining this knowledge will require skills in relationship development, strong communication and transparency in the way you go about your work.  It also requires a strong interest in the work of the Agency, across all areas of our work, such that the work of your Division can be undertaken in collaboration with other Executive Officers in the Agency and in the context of the broader work program.

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https://www.albany.wa.gov.au/events/my-health-record/1374

My Health Record

Tuesday 28th September 2021 - Wednesday 29th September 2021

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ADHA Propaganda

This session will introduce learners to My Health Record. My Health Record is an online platform allowing healthcare professionals to share information with each other as well as the patient, to help give a clearer and more complete picture of a person’s health to aid in their treatment. This session will give learners an overview of the platform, along with the opportunity to access and use My Health Record.

BOOK ONLINE HERE or give the Library a call on 6820 3600.

Prior to attending this session, participants will need to have an email address (with password known), a MyGov account and login details, and some experience completing online forms. 

Online training for these pre-requirements is available through Be Connected:

• Email Address and Email Password (complete training here)
• MyGov Account and Login Details (complete training here)
• Online Forms Experience (complete training here)

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David.

Weekly Australian Health IT Links – 27 September, 2021.

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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The most news this week seems to be about vaccine apps and how they will be made to work etc.

Otherwise more news on the NBN and various commercial initiatives

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https://www.healthcareit.com.au/article/new-south-wales-trial-covid-19-vaccine-passport-app-october

New South Wales to trial COVID-19 vaccine passport app in October

Adam Ang | 23 Sep 2021

The Australian state of New South Wales will begin a two-week trial of a COVID-19 vaccine passport app on 6 October.

This comes ahead of the possible reopening of hospitality venues on 11 October on the condition that the state fully vaccinates 70% of its population.

WHY IT MATTERS

Sydney Morning Herald reported that the vaccine passport app is being developed by Service NSW to simplify the check-in process at pubs, restaurants and other venues, so people do not need to move through separate apps for QR codes and proof of vaccination.

The app will integrate the check-in features in the Service NSW app with the proof of COVID-19 vaccination stored in the Medicare Express app of the federal government.

According to the news report, the trial will involve around 500 volunteers, including those from aged care facilities and community clubs.

The state government is currently obtaining vaccination information via the federal government's Australian Immunisation Register; prior consent from residents will be secured to store their vaccination status in the app.

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https://www.arnnet.com.au/article/691429/servicenow-replaces-nsw-health-vaccine-platform-6m-deal/

ServiceNow replaces NSW Health’s vaccine platform in $6M deal

Designed to manage the vaccination administration process.

ServiceNow has won a $6.3 million deal to replace NSW Health’s in-house vaccination booking system CoVax with its own platform. 

Under the two-year deal the enterprise software vendor will provide the ServiceNow Vaccination Administration Management platform for NSW Health vaccination centres. 

According to an eHealth NSW spokesperson, the new platform provides scalability, ease of use and is designed to manage the vaccination administration process. 

This includes appointment booking, vaccination dosage tracking, recording clinical information, managing clinic workflows and interfacing with the Australian Immunisation Register. 

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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/nsw-health-moves-to-servicenow-vaccine-management-system-570117

NSW Health moves to ServiceNow vaccine management system

By Justin Hendry on Sep 21, 2021 4:44PM

Progressively migrating hubs off in-house CoVax system.

NSW Health-run vaccination centres are migrating to a new ServiceNow-based vaccination management system after the software giant won a $6.3 million deal.

eHealth NSW revealed the two-year contract with ServiceNow for its Vaccination Administration Management (VAM) platform last week.

VAM, which first went live in June, is replacing CoVax, a stopgap solution developed in-house over 21 business days earlier this year with help from Microsoft, DGL and Whispir.

CoVax went live in February at South Western Sydney Local Health District (LHD) to support the frontline worker vaccinations and, by August, had expanded to all but three LHDs and speciality networks.

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https://www.hinz.org.nz/news/580891/Northland-trials-telehealth-for-emergency-consults.htm

Northland trials telehealth for emergency consults

Tuesday, 21 September 2021  

NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth

Northland DHB is piloting the use of telehealth service Emergency Consult to provide care for lower acuity patients who present overnight to rural hospitals.

Sarah Clarke, clinical director rural hospitals at Northland DHB, says the virtual health care trial began in February of this year to help ease the pressure on local rural hospital doctors.

Emergency Consult connects lower acuity patients who present at Kaitaia Hospital with an ED specialist via video link. It is also used at Bay of Islands and Dargaville Hospitals to help when it gets especially busy overnight, reducing wait times for patients.

Data collected over eight weeks showed that of 224 presentations overnight, 40 percent were seen via video consult and of those, 73 percent were treated and discharged.
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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/anz/queenslands-gold-coast-health-deploys-raulands-concierge-platform-reduce-contact-covid-19

Queensland's Gold Coast Health deploys Rauland's Concierge platform to reduce contact in COVID-19 wards

Its installation comes following an uptick in coronavirus infections across the state.

By Adam Ang

September 20, 2021 02:52 AM

Queensland's Gold Coast Health has set up a bedside terminal solution by health IT provider Rauland Australia to reduce physical interactions in its COVID-19 ward. 

WHAT IT DOES

Rauland's Concierge platform combines Siemens HiMed bedside terminals and Rauland’s software and services. It supports patient engagement with features including telehealth, on-demand patient education, patient information, electronic meal ordering, patient communications and entertainment.

WHY IT MATTERS

The platform was installed in the COVID-19 ward at Gold Coast University Hospital to minimise nursing contact amid rising coronavirus infections and to enable remote consultations. 

Commenting on the installation, Dr Kylie Alcon, Gold Coast Health's clinical director overseeing the COVID-19 ward, said: "It is one thing to talk on the phone to a patient while looking at their observations on a computer screen, but to see the patient, even virtually, gives the treating doctor a more complete picture as well as cementing a therapeutic doctor-patient relationship that is hard to do on the phone." 

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https://www.healthcareit.com.au/article/australian-radiology-centre-sonic-imaging-implement-annaliseais-chest-x-ray-platform

Australian radiology centre Sonic Imaging to implement annalise.ai's chest x-ray platform

Adam Ang | 23 Sep 2021

Sonic Imaging, one of Australia's largest diagnostic imaging providers, has partnered with annalise.ai to deploy the latters' artificial intelligence-powered chest x-ray platform across its 300 radiology clinics.

WHAT IT DOES

Founded in 2019, annalise.ai is a joint venture of two Australian healthcare companies, Harrison.ai and I–MED Radiology Network.

The AI company is the developer of the Annalise CXR, which they claim is the only comprehensive AI clinical support solution for chest x-rays in the world that detects 124 findings – to compare, typical chest x-ray AI products on the market can detect fewer than 15 findings. Its model was based on over 520,000 chest x-ray studies, comprising over 820,000 individual images. The datasets were labelled by a group of 148 radiologists.

Annalise CXR is available for clinical use in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Malaysia and Europe. It is now being used by around three in 10 Australian radiologists, annalise.ai says.

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https://wildhealth.net.au/software-vendors-get-invitation-to-join-vax-booking-party/

23 September 2021

Software vendors get invitation to join vax booking party

Clinical Admin COVID-19 Government Patient Management Systems Technology

By Wendy John

Practice management software vendors can now cash in on the government’s plan to aggregate covid vaccination bookings through the Healthdirect Vaccine Clinic Finder.  

In the race to vaccinate, tiny tech startups have outpaced the government big guns. But now the Department of Health have upped the stakes and are inviting practice management software (PMS) vendors to connect with the national clinic finder and will pay them to do so.

The industry offer tempts PMS vendors with funding that ramps up to a cap of $210,000 as it increases its integration of approved vaccination clinics. Vendors must already have at least 10 vaccination clinics subscribers and will be paid to develop an application programming interface (API) and uniform resource locators to Healthdirect specifications.

The API will connect the Vaccine Clinic Finder to real-time appointment-booking availability in vaccination clinics, according to a Healthdirect press release. It will also create efficiencies for both the public and clinics staff who are increasingly busy fielding call enquiries,

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Changes to the National Authentication Service for Health (NASH) PKI certificates

The Australian Digital Health Agency has been working closely with Services Australia and the medical software industry to upgrade the NASH authentication system to enhance security when accessing digital health services.

The transition from NASH SHA-1 to NASH SHA-2 will provide enhanced protection of healthcare information and ensure Australians can continue accessing digital health services safely and securely.

From today, healthcare organisations can obtain a NASH SHA-2 certificate in Health Professional Online Services (HPOS) if their software products are NASH SHA-2 ready.

NASH certificates expiring on or before 13 March 2022 can be renewed now. We will make a subsequent announcement about the transition of NASH SHA-1 certificates that expire on or after 14 March 2022.

Healthcare provider organisations should upgrade their software products to a NASH SHA-2 ready version prior to their NASH certificate expiry date where possible and no later than 13 March 2022. Please refer to the readiness register at https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/nash.

We appreciate the support of medical software providers for this important initiative.

Support:

If you would like more information on the NASH SHA-2 transition or how to request a NASH SHA-2 certificate, please visit our website at: https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/nash

If you are a software developer and would like more information on NASH SHA-2 readiness, please visit the Developer Centre at: https://developer.digitalhealth.gov.au/nash

Regards,

Kieron McGuire
A/g Director, Identity Authentication & Directory Products
Architecture, Informatics & Product Ownership, Digital Strategy
Australian Digital Health Agency

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https://www.innovationaus.com/adobe-lands-32-million-mygov-tech-contract/

Adobe lands $32 million myGov tech contract

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Denham Sadler
National Affairs Editor

21 September 2021

The federal government will pay US multinational Adobe more than $30 million to provide “core technology components” to underpin the new version of myGov, with total contracts for the project now worth nearly $80 million.

Services Australia entered into a contract with Adobe last month to provide “core customer experience technology to enable a Digital Experience Platform”, which was posted publicly on Monday.

The contract is worth $32,323,500 and runs for three years, and relates to GovDXP, an “enhanced” version of myGov which will eventually replace the government services platform with one with a user experience more in line with private sector offerings from the likes of Facebook and Netflix.

Under the new contract, Adobe will be providing the technological platform that the new version of myGov will run on. It’s a significant step in the development of an “enhanced” version of myGov, which the federal government has been working on for the last 18 months.

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https://www.itwire.com/business-it-news/data-centres/hewlett-packard-revamps-chemist-warehouse%E2%80%99s-data-centre.html

Tuesday, 21 September 2021 10:09

Hewlett Packard revamps Chemist Warehouse’s data centre

By Kenn Anthony Mendoza

Chemist Warehouse has commissioned Hewlett Packard to modernise its data centre with a hyperconverged platform and virtual desktop infrastructure environment to improve productivity for onsite and remote staff.

HPE is helping Chemist Warehouse transform its IT with an infrastructure environment delivered through HPE ProLiant DL325 Gen10 Plus servers using 2nd Gen AMD EPYC processors that take advantage of the latest VMware vSAN all-flash capabilities for a software-defined experience. The upgraded data centre will also increase energy efficiency by consuming 30% less power than its existing solution, advancing Chemist Warehouse’s sustainability goals.

“Our IT is critical for us to achieve our transformation goals and continued growth. With reduced administrative overheads, we can reallocate resources to innovation,” explains Chemist Warehouse IT general manager Simon Hibbert.

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https://www.itwire.com/health/sigma-healthcare,-sap-partner-to-deliver-new-customer-portal.html

Thursday, 23 September 2021 11:22

Sigma Healthcare, SAP partner to deliver new customer portal

By Staff Writer

Pharmaceutical wholesaler Sigma Healthcare has partered with SAP to create a new customer portal to improve how Sigma customers order and manage stock for their stores.

Under the deal Sigma - which processes more than $3 billion in transactions each year.- has combined SAP Commerce Cloud and SAP Qualtrics Customer Experience (CX) to deliver a “best-in-class” digital experience for its customers.

Sigma says the implementation is part of its growth plans and mission to create an intuitive and seamless ordering experience for its customers, helping pharmacists optimise their day-to-day operations and better serve their patients.

Sigma’s previous systems relied on complex and manual processes that led to frequent errors and higher costs for customers and it needed a solution that would elevate the customer experience and “make doing business with the company easier, faster and more transparent”.

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https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/south-korean-samsung-genome-institutes-helixa-us-group-kumanu-land-in-sa/news-story/8b9312d944de97707a1a5ea1844d21a6

South Korean Samsung Genome Institute’s Helixa, US group Kumanu land in SA

Valerina Changarathil

6:30AM September 21, 2021

Two overseas health technology businesses are establishing a presence in SA, lured by grants totalling $160,000 from the state government.

Cancer-focused genetic analysis company Helixa Proprietary Limited, a commercial entity of South Korea’s Samsung Genome Institute, will get an $80,000 grant to set up its Australian business at Tonsley.

Using artificial intelligence, Helixa undertakes genetic analysis on cancer samples to predict the best treatment options for patients.

The company’s initial focus will be the introduction of its CancerSCAN and LiquidSCAN services for in-vitro cancer sample analysis.

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https://www.zdnet.com/article/telco-ceos-appeal-to-nbns-sense-of-social-responsibility-for-lockdown-cvc-relief/

Telco CEOs appeal to NBN's sense of social responsibility for lockdown CVC relief

Vocus has accused NBN of using the latest lockdown as an opportunity to profiteer.

By Chris Duckett | September 23, 2021 | Topic: Networking

The CEOs of Telstra, Optus, TPG, Vocus, and Aussie Broadband have written to NBN asking for the national broadband wholesaler to do more than the current CVC relief program is offering, citing increasing costs to acquire capacity.

The telcos say the current program does not come close to covering CVC cost increases that have been experienced since lockdowns hit primarily New South Wales and Victoria, and costs to retailers have risen each month at an "unmanageable rate".

The telcos are asking for a retrospective change to the program to have May 2021 usage as a baseline, and to calculate the credit on each telco's individual overage charge and not on the overall industry overage, as it currently occurs. The group says that failure to do so would lead to poorer consumer outcomes.

"We write to appeal to NBN Co's social responsibility towards all Australians and request NBN Co provide additional broadband capacity in their time of need," the telcos said.

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https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/telcos-accuse-nbn-of-profiteering-from-lockdowns/news-story/dc409feec0ab6fd803e05a77c9df63ec

Telcos accuse NBN of ‘profiteering from lockdowns’

David Swan

5:05PM September 23, 2021

Australia’s top broadband providers including Telstra, Optus, TPG, Vocus and Aussie Broadband have called on NBN Co to provide additional capacity amid bumper lockdown demand for data, declaring that the government-run company is “failing its social responsibilities” during the pandemic.

In a letter sent to NBN Co chief executive Stephen Rue on Thursday, top telco executives – representing 96 per cent of all Australians connected to the NBN – called on the company to overhaul its “relief” system which they described as unfair and insufficient.

“We are thankful for the relief that NBN Co has provided in the past. However, now is not the right time to pull back on the levels of support NBN Co has provided for previous lockdowns, and now is not the right time to profit from Covid-driven increases in consumer demand,” the letter reads.

“The level of ‘relief’ offered by NBN Co for the current lockdowns is insufficient, and the rebates do not come anywhere close to covering the increases in wholesale costs paid by telecommunications providers to NBN Co.”

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https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/nbn-is-profiteering-from-lockdowns-telcos-join-forces-on-pandemic-relief-20210923-p58u2h.html

‘NBN is profiteering from lockdowns’: Telcos join forces on pandemic relief

By Zoe Samios

September 24, 2021 — 5.16am

Australia’s five biggest telcos have launched another joint broadside at NBN Co, the operator of the National Broadband Network, saying the company needs to stop profiting off the prolonged COVID-19 lockdowns.

In a letter addressed to NBN Co chief executive Stephen Rue and sent to Communications Minister Paul Fletcher, the telco providers say the discounts on wholesale charges provided by NBN Co during the lockdowns are “insufficient” and not close to covering the spike in costs endured by them as consumers spend more time on devices and working from home.

The letter is signed by Telstra chief executive Andy Penn, TPG Telecom CEO Inaki Berroeta, Optus CEO Kelly Bayer-Rosmarin, Aussie Broadband CEO Phil Britt and Vocus Group CEO Kevin Russell.

“We are thankful for the relief that NBN Co has provided in the past. However, now is not the right time to pull back on the levels of support NBN Co has provided for previous lockdowns, and now is not the right time to profit from COVID-driven increases in consumer demand,” the letter said.

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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/nbn-rsps-again-ask-nbn-co-chief-comms-minister-for-relief-570264

NBN RSPs again ask NBN Co chief, Comms Minister for relief

By Ry Crozier on Sep 23, 2021 4:41PM

Say NBN Co has a 'social responsibility' to act.

Australia’s five largest internet providers have appealed to NBN Co’s sense of “social responsibility” in a fresh bid for financial relief from soaring costs due to lockdowns.

The providers - Aussie Broadband, Telstra, Optus, Vocus and TPG Telecom - have again written to NBN Co CEO Stephen Rue and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher to press their case.

They last did so in July, which led to some relief in the form of a rebate scheme that has so far been extended by several months.

However, this rebate is believed to only cover a small portion of the excess fees being incurred by providers, and iTnews understands that some retailers have open disputes with NBN Co over the amounts they have received.

One of the issues is that the present rebate is based on industry-wide excess usage over the course of a month, instead of being a calculation that is specific to each internet provider.

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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/queensland-court-overturns-136k-costs-ruling-in-failed-nbn-tower-battle-570147

Queensland court overturns $136k costs ruling in failed NBN tower battle

By Ry Crozier on Sep 23, 2021 7:02AM

But upholds dismissal of the case.

A Queensland man who lost a court battle over having an NBN tower near his house will no longer have to pay NBN Co $136,000 in costs.

The case - and specifically the costs ruling - made brief headlines in January last year, and led to a crowdfunding effort that raised about $25,000.

David Evans, of Peachester in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, said at the time his case was dismissed and that “barring a miracle, it looks like I’ll lose my house in order to pay NBN Co their fees.”

“However, I wish to go back and appeal this decision,” he wrote. “All I’ve ever wanted is to have my day in court.”

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https://www.itwire.com/telecoms-and-nbn/australia-ranks-55-and-new-zealand-20-out-of-224-in-2021-worldwide-broadband-speed-league.html

Monday, 20 September 2021 10:47

Australia ranks 55 and New Zealand 20 out of 224 in 2021 Worldwide Broadband Speed League

By Chris Coughlan

Analysis of over 1.1 billion broadband speed tests worldwide has revealed where almost every country, territory and region sits in terms of its internet speeds.

The research was designed and compiled by Cable.co.uk, and the data gathered by M-Lab, an open source project with contributors from civil society organisations, educational institutions, and private sector companies.

Last year, the five fastest countries had download speeds around 276 times faster than the five slowest. That gap is narrowing for the first time since the study began in 2017. This year the top five are 202 times faster than the five slowest. This indicates that the fastest countries are slowing in terms of speed growth, while the slowest countries are gathering speed.

Downloading an HD movie of 5GB in size would take 2m 29s at the average speed experienced in table-topper Jersey, while it would take 22h 34m in last-placed Turkmenistan.

In Australia the average person would take 16m 51s to download the 5GB HD movie, as revealed by Cable.co.uk's interactive map. Australia ranks 55 in the world according to the results with an average speed of 40.50Mbps. In New Zealand, the same 5GB movie would take only 7m 57s to download, as they have more than double the average speed of Australia at 85.95Mbps and ranks 20th in the world.

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Enjoy!

David.