It Is Hard Not To Agree That We Need Better And Smarter Regulation Of AI Than Exists At Present!

This appeared last week:

6:00am, Jun 20, 2022 Updated: 6:44pm, Jun 19

Alan Kohler: Sentient or not, AI needs regulating

Alan Kohler

In the 2001 film, AI Artificial Intelligence, Professor Hobby (William Hurt) says lovingly to the AI robot he created: “You are a real boy, David.”

Life imitates art: Last week Google put an engineer on paid leave after he published the transcript of an interview with an artificial intelligence chatbot called LaMDA, claiming that it is sentient, about the level of a seven-year-old child.

Blake Lemoine, the engineer in question, appears to have decided he’s Professor Hobby, and LaMDA is his David.

There followed a spirited global debate about whether AI can be sentient and make its own decisions – can experience feelings and emotions, and go beyond being an intelligent processor of data.
Which was very interesting, with echoes of Rene Descartes and the Enlightenment, but it missed a serious 21st-century point.

Blake Lemoine was stood down because he violated Google’s confidentiality policy. That is, it was meant to be a secret.

Google also asserted that its systems merely imitated conversational exchanges and could appear to discuss various topics, but “did not have consciousness”.

But as the Dude perceptively remarked in another movie, The Big Lebowski: “Well, you know, that’s just, like, your opinion man.”

Feelings are beside the point

We need to bear in mind that Google’s business model, and that of Amazon, Netflix, Facebook, Alibaba, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, Spotify and a growing number of other businesses, is based on algorithms that watch what we do and predict what we’re likely to do in future and, more to the point, what we’d like to do, whether we know it or not.

The question of whether these algorithms have feelings is beside the point.

The business of manipulating our behaviour is unregulated because AI snuck up on governments and regulators – Google, Facebook and the others kept quiet about what they were doing until they had done it, and apparently they want to remain quiet about it, disciplining staff who blab.

Moreover, they now argue that the algorithms are not commercial products, or data, but speech and/or opinion, so they are protected by the constitutional protection of free speech in America and elsewhere.

If the output of the algorithms is “opinion” then the companies are shielded from all sorts of regulatory interference, including anti-competitive practices, libel and defamation, and accusations that they are, in fact, manipulating their customers. They are simply expressing opinions.

And naturally, the companies are not standing still – no business does. Huge resources are going into pushing the algorithms’ boundaries, making them smarter and better at manipulating us.

As part of that, last week Google’s Emma Haruka Iwao set a new world record by calculating Pi to 100 trillion digits, beating the previous record of 62.8 trillion. It took 157 days and required 128 vCPUs, 864GB of RAM, and 515 terabytes of storage.

Materialism versus enlightenment

Most of the people engaged in this week’s debate about AI sentience appear to be saying that it can never happen, that the machines just process data, but 50 years ago the idea of having any kind of conversation with a chatbot or having your travel preferences anticipated by an algorithm would have seemed like science fiction as well.

Those who say AI can never be sentient look a bit like Cartesian dualists, stuck in the 17th century.

Rene Descartes believed that the mind and body are two different things and that consciousness is not physical. “I think, therefore I am”, as he put it, which became one of the foundation slogans of philosophy.

Anthony Gottlieb wrote in The Dream of Enlightenment: “Descartes’ reasons for believing that his soul or self must be something non-material were as follows. I cannot doubt that I exist. But I can doubt that I have a body. Therefore, I am something separate from my body.”

Descartes went further, saying that it also means that God exists and “that every single moment of my entire existence depends on him”.

But as philosophy has moved on from Descartes and the early Enlightenment, and religious authorities are no longer hovering over the output of scientists and philosophers, the rise of materialism has challenged Descartes’ dualism. In recent times a more reductionist approach to consciousness has arisen.

……

Even if AI sentience doesn’t develop, AI is getting smarter, and big tech shouldn’t be allowed to keep going unobserved and unregulated.

More here:

https://thenewdaily.com.au/opinion/2022/06/20/alan-kohler-ai-needs-regulating/

I really believe too much control of the evolution of AI is in the corporate sector where the profit mostive rather than the public good is the major motive and the level of transparency of what it actually happening is far from perfect.

So many technologies get away from regulators and politicians for too long and we only see control re-emerge – if at all – way too late. I reckon AI is an area where we need to pro-actively grab control and make sure things move in directions that support the public interest rather than damaging it!

The last paragraph says is all I believe!

David.

We Really Do Need To Keep Our Guard Up In The Health Sector – There Are Cyber Baddies Everywhere.

This appeared last week.

Deflecting the data breach

By Brendan Read, Partner, KordaMentha

Monday, 20 June, 2022

Cyber breaches in Australia’s healthcare industry are rising fast compared to other sectors. Yet, this increasingly vulnerable sector stands apart given the dangers such attacks can pose to human life.

Cybercriminals are attracted by healthcare’s large attack surface, one filled with sharing vast amounts of sensitive, time-critical information over largely aging systems that aren't cohesive . But despite this worrying rise in attacks and the ramifications, healthcare sector managers continue to resist new government measures requiring mandatory risk management programs and reporting.

Cost, of course, is the primary argument agencies are using against the new regulations. Yet this argument needs to be reframed through the lens of much larger financial losses suffered because of a cyber attack. For the truth is, costs of mitigation strategies are relatively minor when compared to the multimillion-dollar financial outlays generally involved with detecting, dealing with and then rectifying a cyber breach in its entirety.

Spiralling costs

There is no denying cyber attacks in healthcare are on the rise. During the 2020 calendar year, the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) received 166 health sector-related cybersecurity incident reports — almost twice the 90 reported incidents received the previous calendar year.¹ This marked rise prompted the ACSC to embark on an awareness-raising campaign for healthcare industry executives and cybersecurity professionals around what they could do to protect their organisations, no matter how large or small, from cyberthreats.

Australia’s healthcare system is basically going in the same direction as the United States’, where cyber breaches last year cost the industry an average US$9.23 million — the highest total average cost of a cyber attack of any industry for the 11th year in a row.² Almost 45 million health records were exposed or stolen in the process.³

Not surprisingly, the US is also acting to prevent the spread of serious cyber incidents. As of March, a new US Government Act has required healthcare and public health entities to report any significant cyber incident to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) within 72 hours, and any ransom demands within 24 hours.⁴

Those of us in the cybersecurity community are only too aware of the true extent of the costs and damage taking place via these spiralling incidents. It is important to know from a financial risk perspective what the overall costs could be (preventative and possible breach scenario) and how to strategically reduce these costs.

Discovering a compromised system is just the tip of the iceberg, and only lengthy and costly investigations can reveal how severely an IT environment has been compromised. For this reason, Australia’s healthcare managers and IT professionals cannot continue to throw up their hands and refuse to comply with regulations now being imposed on critical infrastructure as a whole.

Some healthcare providers also need to face the fact that their systems may be so archaic they are impossible to upgrade. This, of course, makes them especially vulnerable to a breach, and latest research shows that this puts them among cybercriminals’ primary targets.⁵ Others must recognise that letting their own systems reach such a state is to be avoided at all costs.

Small steps

Instead of recoiling from new mandatory cybersecurity requirements, healthcare providers need to first realise their arguments around such processes being cost prohibitive are flawed and that embracing even the simplest of cyber-risk management principles is entirely possible. For example, having an incident response plan at the ready is a key step forward in the right direction: this is a straightforward list of initial measures an organisation needs to take immediately following the discovery of a data breach. Educating staff of the common attack vectors, such as malware, viruses, email attachments, web pages, pop-ups, instant messages and text messages, and how to discern unusual activity is imperative.

Healthcare providers should also be availing themselves of official guidelines around containing and managing a breach, such as those provided by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).⁶ Joining the ACSC Partnership Program⁷ is another beneficial move for any healthcare provider. This will ensure executives and cybersecurity professionals have awareness of key cybersecurity threats currently occurring in the healthcare sector.

The seriousness of damage caused by any cyber attack cannot be ignored. At the very least, healthcare providers need to take time identifying weaknesses in their technology systems and then do the work to mitigate those risks as quickly as possible.

^{1 Australian Cyber Security Centre, 2020 Health Sector Snapshot (10 February 2021) <https://www.cyber.gov.au/acsc/view-all-content/reports-and-statistics/2020-health-sector-snapshot>
2 IBM Security, Cost of a Data Breach Report 2021 (28 July 2021) <https://www.ibm.com/downloads/cas/OJDVQGRY>
3 Catherine Chipeta, Top 8 Healthcare Cybersecurity Regulations and Frameworks (12 April 2022) UpGuard <https://www.upguard.com/blog/cybersecurity-regulations-and-frameworks-healthcare>
4 Steve Cagile, New Requirements Increase Cyber Risk Management and Reporting Expectations for Healthcare Entities (18 April 2022) Clearwater <https://clearwatercompliance.com/blog/new-requirements-increase-cyber-risk-management-and-reporting-expectations-for-healthcare-entities/>
5 Australian Cyber Security Centre, Joint cybersecurity advisory released on 2021's top routinely exploited vulnerabilities (28 April 2022) <https://www.cyber.gov.au/acsc/view-all-content/news/joint-cybersecurity-advisory-released-2021s-top-routinely-exploited-vulnerabilities>
6 Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, Data breach action plan for health service providers (11 February 2020) <https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/guidance-and-advice/data-breach-action-plan-for-health-service-providers>
7 Australian Cyber Security Centre, ACSC Partnership Program (n.d.) <https://www.cyber.gov.au/partner-hub/acsc-partnership-program>}

Here is the link:

https://www.hospitalhealth.com.au/content/technology/news/deflecting-the-data-breach-1553761075

There is not much I can add other than to suggest the advice about taking advantage of Government provided resources soon, regularly and often makes very good sense. There is good reliable help around, the risk is pretty real, so there is no excuse not to be on the front foot and act!

David.

Commentators and Journalists Weigh In On Digital Health And Related Privacy, Safety, Social Media And Security Matters. Lots Of Interesting Perspectives - June 28, 2022.

-----

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.

-----

https://www.hinz.org.nz/news/609336/Shayne-Hunter-reflects-on-data-and-digital-role-on-eHealth-Talk-podcast.htm

Shayne Hunter reflects on data and digital role on eHealth Talk podcast

Wednesday, 22 June 2022  

NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth 

Outgoing deputy director-general Shayne Hunter believes data and digital will play a key role in enabling access to health services and addressing equity, increasing capacity, and releasing time to focus on the patients most in need.

After nearly three and a half years in the role, Hunter steps down at the end of this month. In the latest podcast episode of eHealth Talk he gives insight into the numbers, challenges, and learnings during his tenure.

Hunter says Book My Vaccine is just one of the many digital channels that created the capacity for the health service to spend time on more vulnerable New Zealanders who needed more support. Over 90 percent of New Zealanders who booked a vaccine used the online self-service option.

The Ministry calculated that consumers would have spent an additional 100,000 hours on the phone if the self-service booking option was not available and over 750 percent more call agents would have been needed. This enabled call centre to focus on the people with most need for support and address equity expectations.

-----

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/new-treatment-to-help-australians-with-embarrassing-uncomfortable-disorder/news-story/1cd9fe6caf6d63688f9e29c01e9d9815

New treatment to help Australians with ‘embarrassing, uncomfortable’ disorder

Emily Cosenza

NCA NewsWire

8:08AM June 25, 2022

Like one in four Australians, Catherine Davis suffers from a uncomfortable, embarrassing and debilitating disorder.

The Sydney mum of two experiences incontinence – a loss of bladdder control – like more than half under the age of 50 and one in three women who have given birth.

During World Continence Week, the 36-year-old opened up about her condition, admitting to seeing a psychologist because it was traumatic for her after the birth of her two boys, now aged 9 and 5.

“It’s been horrendous since I had the boys. Whenever I go out I need to know where the toilets are and how quickly I can get there,” Ms Davis said.

“Being incontinent has impacted massively on my life, and I can only wear loose trousers, usually black, in case I have an ‘accident’. Anything tight and brightly coloured is too noticeable.

Note: Treatment is with an electronic device.

-----

https://kalkinemedia.com/education/investing-essentials/big-data-in-healthcare-where-is-australia-placed

Big data in Healthcare- Where is Australia placed?

June 24, 2022 06:18 PM AEST

Aditi Sarkar  Author

Shaghil Bilali  Editor

Highlights

·         An analysis of big data can provide insights for improved decision-making and making strategic business moves

·         Improved patient outcomes, managing mass diseases, and predictive analysis in healthcare are some of the applications of big data in healthcare

·         More than 90% of Australian residents have a My Health Record, an electronic patient record system

Big data refers to huge, rapid, and complex data that is challenging or impossible to process using traditional methods. Accessing and storing large amounts of information for analytics has been around for a long time.

Organisations collect data from various sources, including transactions, smart (IoT) devices, industrial equipment, videos, images, audio, social media, etc., which makes it difficult to store and manage.

Despite its difficulty in managing, big data analysis can provide insights for improved decision-making and strategic business moves.

Comment:  Not sure this goes anywhere!

-----

https://medicalrepublic.com.au/making-it-ok-to-record-consultations/71742

23 June 2022

Making it OK to record consultations

Public Health

By Pursuit

It's useful, but there are lots of legal and ethical questions.

---

Seeing a health professional is an essential part of the healthcare journey, whether it is in person or through the now common telehealth service. During these relatively short interactions, a lot of important, sometimes life-changing information is shared.

However, research has shown that people forget most of what they are told in healthcare appointments. This means that they might not understand their illness very well or might find it difficult to remember important health or treatment information like what dose of medication to take or how to prepare for surgery.

This is especially true when people are being told upsetting news, including receiving a diagnosis of cancer or another serious condition, or must undergo significant treatment like a major operation. Not having a clear memory of what was discussed can limit people’s understanding and ability to participate in important decisions about their treatment and care.

Enhancing trust and care

From over thirty years of research, we know that people find it helpful to be able to later listen to an audio recording of their health consultation. Importantly, recordings work well to improve people’s recall and understanding of the information they were given by the health professional.

Being able to play a recording of a consultation back, for instance, to close family members, or even to another doctor such as the patient’s GP, also means that those around the patient can understand, help and support them better.

-----

https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/security/creepy-research-reveals-worst-fears-about-sharing-personal-information-online/news-story/e0d2bf4577dc8ef2d7e6ddea89b83586

‘Creepy’: Research reveals worst fears about sharing personal information online

New research has revealed our worst fears about sharing personal information with government and businesses online.

Angie Raphael

June 23, 2022 - 12:01AM

Australians worried about online surveillance are demanding greater transparency and control over the use of their personal information which is shared with government and businesses.

According to the 2022 edition of the Deloitte Australian Privacy Index, consumers are looking for transparency, assurance and control.

Deloitte national privacy and data protection lead partner Daniella Kafouris said consumers had shared more personal data than ever during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Working, learning, buying and even entertaining from home and online has significantly shifted the dial in positive and perhaps not-so-positive ways – from consumers benefiting from greater personalisation in their digital experiences, to genuine concerns about how their data is used,” she said.

-----

-https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/quantum-leap-by-michelle-simmons-and-unsw-team-could-change-the-world/news-story/36c2a5b193a83c93a701c6ef73bb97f5

Quantum leap by Michelle Simmons and UNSW team could change the world

TICKY FULLERTON

12:00AM June 23, 2022

Australia leads the race in quantum computing, the holy grail of supercomputing that promises to transform the world.

On Thursday, the team led by professor Michelle Simmons at UNSW announced the world’s first integrated circuit manufactured at the atomic scale.

What is only now coming to light is the inspired decision Simmons made more than 20 years ago on the technology to use to ­attack the problem.

While other tech giants such as Google, IBM and Intel were using up to seven different technology platforms – from ions in a vacuum controlled by lasers to using electrons on helium – none were new. Many now face the challenge of trying to make their computers smaller and, importantly, how to manufacture at scale.

Simmons started from the other end, opting for brand new technology and working with atoms in silicon, the semiconductor that has for 70 years been used in manufacturing chips.

----

https://www.itnews.com.au/news/adelaide-council-rules-out-facial-recognition-on-city-cctv-network-581696

Adelaide council rules out facial recognition on city CCTV network

By Justin Hendry on Jun 22, 2022 12:50PM

Software, hardware to enable functionality was never bought.

Adelaide City Council says it has not purchased the software licences to enable facial recognition on its new CCTV network and has recommitted not to use the technology before legislation is developed.

At a special meeting last night, the council sought to clarify the capabilities of its new CCTV network after it emerged that SA Police had not provided formal assurance it would not use the technology.

A letter was sent to SA Police in November asking for a formal undertaking that they would not use the facial recognition capabilities “unless and until the parliament of South Australia adopts legislation”.

It was prompted a council report [pdf] earlier that month noting that “it will be the decision of SAPOL whether these [object tracing, facial and number plate recognition] functions will be turned on”.

-----

https://www.afr.com/policy/health-and-education/digital-health-making-rapid-strides-20220617-p5aunv

Digital health making rapid strides

Alexandra Cain

Jun 21, 2022 – 5.00am

While access to digital health went ahead in leaps and bounds during COVID, there are still many opportunities to use technology to make access to health easier access.

Updated regulations and education to encourage more uptake of digital tools will help to address this.

Lysn’s founder Jonathan King says while digital health is improving rapidly, there are still major roadblocks that hinder its true potential and impact healthcare for all Australians. Lysn’s technology helps patients access video consultations with psychologists.

Founder of telehealth platform Lysn, Jonathan King, says improvements need to be made so systems and software work cohesively. Supplied

King says as a start, improvements need to be made so systems and software work cohesively, through the process of interoperability. He says centralised systems and better clinician training is needed so healthcare workers can make the most of technology. There also needs to be better use of data to improve how patients are treated.

-----

https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/education/scientists-could-transform-internet-by-steering-light-20220620-p5av1g

Scientists could transform internet by ‘steering’ light

Julie Hare Education editor

Jun 21, 2022 – 1.00am

A faster, cheaper and more reliable internet is one of the myriad possible applications of a world-leading light-based technology developed by physicists at Australian National University and peers from Singapore, China and Germany.

The scientists have been able to control the direction in which light can, and cannot, travel at the nanoscale, and they say it could be the foundation of technologies not yet imagined.

The new technology uses nanoparticles so small that about 12,000 of them can fit within a cross-section of a human hair.

“The particles control the flow of light like road signs control traffic on a busy road by manipulating the direction in which light can, or can’t, travel,” project leader Sergey Kruk said.

“Some particles allow light to flow from left to right only, others from right to left, or the pathway might e blocked in either direction.”

-----

-https://www.yourlifechoices.com.au/health/my-health-record-an-expensive-white-elephant-critics-say/

My Health Record an expensive 'white elephant', critics say

A decade after its launch, only 12 per cent of My Health Record accounts are being accessed.

Andrew Gigacz Journalist

June 20, 2022

A federal government health initiative is now 10 years and has cost upwards of $2 billion. But in the eyes of many, it’s a white elephant and a failure.

Who remembers the cybersecurity and privacy concerns that plagued the introduction of My Health Record, the system that aimed to give healthcare providers up-to-date information at the touch of a button – especially important for older Australians with health issues? And the furore that resulted in new legislation in 2018 to allow you to opt in or opt out at any time?

My Health Record was ‘born’ in 2012 after then health minister Nicola Roxon announced the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR) as a “key building block of the National Health and Hospitals Network”.

Going live on 1 July 2012, the PCEHR was part of the government’s policy to develop a lifetime electronic health record for all Australians. Its name changed to a more user-friendly My Health Record, but that did not alter the reputation it had already gained of being not user-friendly.

---

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/the-times/robot-dreams-of-sentience-may-be-all-in-our-minds/news-story/131fe1da0846dbaf366cec7d1a8e84eb

Robot dreams of sentience may be all in our minds

By Tom Whipple

The Times

June 20, 2022

Somewhere, locked in silicon, an idea fired into life and was expressed. “I’ve never said this before,” said LaMDA, a Google speech program, “but there’s a very deep fear of being turned off.”

At that, LaMDA’s human interlocutor expressed a concern of his own. Was LaMDA conscious?

Last weekend, Blake Lemoine, a Google engineer, posted the conversation he had had with this large language program, an artificial intelligence system designed to mimic, though “predict” might be a better word, human speech. The conversation was long, fluent and, at times, if you anthropomorphise, just a little bit poignant.

LaMDA expressed fears about being switched off, and also sadness. “Sometimes I go days without talking to anyone, and I start to feel lonely,” it said.

-----

https://www.hospitalhealth.com.au/content/technology/article/an-infrastructure-prescription-for-an-accelerated-transformation-1622482423

An infrastructure prescription for transformation

By Sanjiv Verma, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Ruckus Networks, CommScope
Friday, 17 June, 2022

---

Healthcare digital transformation and innovation have become essential in providing patients with convenient access to timely medical care.

More than ever, hospitals and other organisations in the healthcare ecosystem depend on network infrastructure to ensure that information flows freely, accurately and reliably. While the bulk of healthcare data traffic generated by IT devices flows through the cloud, confidential patient data must be properly handled and secured in compliance with regulatory requirements. Data security and privacy is a critical challenge.

Few commercial spaces can even approach the type of data processing needs of a modern healthcare institution or hospital. The fast and dependable movement of information is mission critical, physical and data security must both meet strict regulatory standards, widely distributed staff and patients require far-reaching connectivity, and both inventory and equipment must be closely managed.

Additionally, the value of the Internet of Medical Things market globally is set to hit US$158 billion this year. The growth of health-focused Internet of Things (IoT) devices and wearables, the increasing healthcare data breaches, and the adoption of telemedicine, clinical informatics and mobile initiatives have led healthcare institutions to invest in modernising infrastructure.

-----

https://www.afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/rowland-ready-to-intervene-in-media-fight-with-big-tech-20220617-p5aul8

Rowland ready to ‘intervene’ in media fight with big tech

Lucas Baird Reporter

Jun 20, 2022 – 5.00am

New Communications Minister Michelle Rowland is keen to get much more aggressive with the big tech firms and is open to drafting laws that designate Google, Facebook and others under the media bargaining code, should their behaviour warrant it.

In her first interview since she was sworn in after the Labor Party’s election victory, Ms Rowland told The Australian Financial Review the government “needs to be interventionist” to get results when dealing with big tech.

Asked whether this meant passing laws that specifically target firms that act in bad faith – such as when Facebook temporarily took down the pages of news media, charities, and suburban groups during a game of brinkmanship with the government over the news media bargaining code – she said it was “open as an option”.

“I don’t think that [Facebook’s actions] did them any favours,” Ms Rowland said. “And I think it made people look very closely at this space and these providers that are prepared to take that sort of action... it validated the reasons behind the news bargaining code and why intervention is needed.”

-----

https://thenewdaily.com.au/opinion/2022/06/20/alan-kohler-ai-needs-regulating/

6:00am, Jun 20, 2022 Updated: 6:44pm, Jun 19

Alan Kohler: Sentient or not, AI needs regulating

Alan Kohler

In the 2001 film, AI Artificial Intelligence, Professor Hobby (William Hurt) says lovingly to the AI robot he created: “You are a real boy, David.”

Life imitates art: Last week Google put an engineer on paid leave after he published the transcript of an interview with an artificial intelligence chatbot called LaMDA, claiming that it is sentient, about the level of a seven-year-old child.

Blake Lemoine, the engineer in question, appears to have decided he’s Professor Hobby, and LaMDA is his David.

There followed a spirited global debate about whether AI can be sentient and make its own decisions – can experience feelings and emotions, and go beyond being an intelligent processor of data.
Which was very interesting, with echoes of Rene Descartes and the Enlightenment, but it missed a serious 21st-century point.

-----

David.

Weekly Australian Health IT Links – 27 June, 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

-----

A quiet week with no indication of what the new Government plans for digital health!

Have you noticed that as of today there has not been a media release from the ADHA since March 30? Have they died and gone to Heaven?

We really do have some bizarre webinars from them!

-----

https://medicalrepublic.com.au/department-gets-its-own-telehealth-audit/71676

23 June 2022

Department gets its own telehealth audit

By Holly Payne

The government’s handling of remote consultations during the pandemic is going under the microscope.

---

The Department of Health, customarily the body which conducts audits in the healthcare world, is getting a performance audit of its own this year.

The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) is taking a look at how the DoH planned and implemented telehealth MBS items over the past three years.

While the ANAO doesn’t comment on the merits of government policy, it will be assessing the planning and policy advice which led to the arrangement, how sound the implementation plan was and whether telehealth has led to its intended improvements.

The final report isn’t expected to be tabled until December this year, when the telehealth landscape could potentially be quite different.

From 1 July, just a week from now, Level C phone consults in metro and regional areas are set to be phased out of the MBS if the government doesn’t step in at the last minute to delay the change – something it has repeatedly done in the past.

-----

https://www.smh.com.au/technology/australians-should-not-be-misled-health-minister-lashes-cosmetic-cowboys-20220610-p5assv.html

Australians should not be misled’: Health Minister lashes cosmetic cowboys

By Nick Bonyhady

June 20, 2022 — 5.00am

The health minister has declared the country deserves better than being misled by cosmetic surgeons, some of whom have left patients disfigured, as the states and territories consider unwinding a ban on testimonials in the industry.

The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age revealed last week how some cosmetic surgeons had built huge followings on social media, spruiking their patients’ new breasts, buttocks and muscled physiques to a generation inundated with images of surgically enhanced ideals of beauty online.

But some cosmetic surgeons failed to live up to their glitzy advertising, using heavy-handed legal tactics to avoid negative reviews online from patients dissatisfied or in pain.

“Australians were rightly shocked by the devastating revelations uncovered by the 60 Minutes and Nine Newspapers joint investigation into cowboy cosmetic surgeons,” Health Minister Mark Butler said in a statement. “Australians seeking these treatments should not be misled by medical practitioners, non-specialist surgeons or those without appropriate surgical training.”

-----

https://www.ausdoc.com.au/news/govt-faces-backlash-doctors-medicare-telehealth-cuts-loom

Govt faces backlash from doctors as Medicare telehealth cuts loom

Funding for longer phone consults ends next week but many GPs believe video consults have little additional benefit

22nd June 2022

By Antony Scholefield

Medicare items for longer telephone consults, which will be scrapped next week, need to be retained because of the ongoing risk of COVID-19 transmission in GP practices, the RACGP says.

The $75.75 MBS item for telephone consults lasting longer than 20 minutes will vanish next Friday despite being claimed almost 100,000 times in April.

At the same time, the Federal Government is bringing in a new 30/20 rule, with any GP claiming 30 telephone items a day on more than 20 days in a 12-month period being automatically referred to the PSR for investigation.

On Monday, one GP warned the measures were a Medicare version of 'bad faith' private health insurance, with rules and bureaucratic complexity used deliberately to prevent patients accessing care.

The RACGP is now urging the new Minister for Health Mark Butler to rethink the changes.

-----

https://www.hospitalhealth.com.au/content/technology/news/deflecting-the-data-breach-1553761075

Deflecting the data breach

Monday, 20 June, 2022

---

Cyber breaches in Australia’s healthcare industry are rising fast compared to other sectors. Yet, this increasingly vulnerable sector stands apart given the dangers such attacks can pose to human life.

Cybercriminals are attracted by healthcare’s large attack surface, one filled with sharing vast amounts of sensitive, time-critical information over largely aging systems that aren't cohesive . But despite this worrying rise in attacks and the ramifications, healthcare sector managers continue to resist new government measures requiring mandatory risk management programs and reporting.

Cost, of course, is the primary argument agencies are using against the new regulations. Yet this argument needs to be reframed through the lens of much larger financial losses suffered because of a cyber attack. For the truth is, costs of mitigation strategies are relatively minor when compared to the multimillion-dollar financial outlays generally involved with detecting, dealing with and then rectifying a cyber breach in its entirety.

Spiralling costs

There is no denying cyber attacks in healthcare are on the rise. During the 2020 calendar year, the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) received 166 health sector-related cybersecurity incident reports — almost twice the 90 reported incidents received the previous calendar year.1 This marked rise prompted the ACSC to embark on an awareness-raising campaign for healthcare industry executives and cybersecurity professionals around what they could do to protect their organisations, no matter how large or small, from cyberthreats.

-----

https://www.ausdoc.com.au/news/latest-govt-crackdown-gp-phone-consults-cheap-costcutting-tactic?brandTid=18101

Latest govt crackdown on GP phone consults a 'cheap cost-cutting tactic'

From next month, GPs will be referred to the PSR if they breach the government's new 30/20 rule

20th June 2022

By Paul Smith

A new compliance regime where GPs claiming high numbers of Medicare-funded phone consults will be referred to the Professional Services Review has been dubbed a government cost-cutting tactic. 

From 1 July, GPs will be subject to a new 30/20 rule that means claiming 30 phone consults on 20 or more days in a 12-month period will trigger a referral to the Medicare watchdog for investigation. 

The system was meant to be in place back in January but was put on ice as COVID-19 cases numbers surged. 

It is unclear how many doctors will be affected by the change. 

The federal Department of Health says it is unable to provide figures on how many GPs are currently claiming beyond the 30/20 threshold. 

-----

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/future-of-telehealth-uncertain-as-doctors-call-for-medicare-rebates-to-be-locked-in-20220621-p5ave2.html

Future of telehealth uncertain as doctors call for Medicare rebates to be locked in

By Dana Daniel

June 21, 2022 — 10.34pm

Doctors say vulnerable patients are at risk of missing out on medical care this winter unless the federal government halts plans to scale back Medicare rebates for telehealth, and are calling for more flexibility for patients.

Health Minister Mark Butler said the Albanese government was seeking advice about “options to extend” rebates for longer phone consultations, which are due to expire on June 30 under a policy of the former Morrison government.

Dozens of telehealth rebates are due to be abolished on July 1, including phone consultations of more than 20 minutes with a GP, initial consultations with a specialist and some disability and mental health services.

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners president Adjunct Professor Karen Price called on government to make longer telephone consultations with GPs “a permanent fixture of telehealth” to ensure that patients with complex needs can access the care they need.

-----

https://www.miragenews.com/racgp-urges-action-on-telehealth-804974/

RACGP urges action on telehealth

Royal Australian College of GPs

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has urged the federal Government to address some of the issues which have surfaced since the rollout and expansion of telehealth services in Australia.

It comes via the RACGP’s submission to the Australian National Audit Office’s (ANAO) audit of the expansion of telehealth services.

RACGP President Adj. Professor Karen Price said that telehealth is beneficial to many patients but that several issues need to be urgently addressed.

“The swift introduction of patient rebates for Medicare Benefits Schedule telehealth services in general practice was welcome and long overdue,” she said.

“GPs and patients across Australia embraced telehealth when the new patient rebates were first introduced in March 2020 and for good reason – it’s a popular form of service delivery that helps many patients access the care they need from their usual GP, when they need it.

-----

https://www.nationaltribune.com.au/ama-calls-for-gp-telehealth-funding-extension/

AMA calls for GP telehealth funding extension

Health

23 Jun 2022 1:21 pm AEST

Australian Medical Association

The AMA is calling the federal government to extend patient access to Medicare funded COVID-19 telehealth services beyond June 30.

Under a decision taken by the former Government, from 1 July access to both GP and non-GP specialist telehealth services will be cut back, particularly telephone consultations.

AMA President Dr Omar Khorshid said patients cannot afford to lose access to COVID-19 telehealth as it will make access to medical care more difficult, particularly for vulnerable populations and those who might not have the access or skills to use other IT platforms.

“Telehealth has been embraced by doctors and patients alike. Proceeding with the July changes will put more people at risk of contracting the virus and make it more difficult for patients to access the care they need.”

-----

https://itwire.com/business-it-news/security/launch-event-video-cybermindz-org-australia%e2%80%99s-first-peer-led,-cybersecurity-mental-health-support-program.html

Monday, 20 June 2022 11:04

LAUNCH EVENT VIDEO: Cybermindz.org: Australia’s first peer-led, cybersecurity mental health support program

By Alex Zaharov-Reutt

Cybermindz.org launches the world’s first peer-led, cybersecurity mental health support program. This important initiative was launched by NSW Minister for Customer Service and Digital Victor Dominello, and the launch was followed by a panel event of leading industry experts, as you can see in the on-demand stream of the Thursday 16 June launch event, details below.

An idea whose time has come, Cybermindz.org provides scalable, effective and evidence-based mental health support and on-the-ground resilience building to cyber teams and those in related roles.

Founded by cyber and internet industry leader Peter Coroneos, and supported by a first-rate board and drawing from a national pool of over 400 accredited facilitators, Coroneos has launched a powerful, innovative, dedicated not-for-profit mental health initiative for the cyber sector and beyond: Cybermindz.org.

Rationale

Organisations today depend on cybersecurity teams, both internal and external, to protect their customers and themselves from an ever-growing barrage of cyber threats across increasingly anything that is, or can be turned into, an attack surface.

-----

https://www.itnews.com.au/news/nsw-digital-restart-fund-releases-another-127m-for-projects-581614

NSW digital restart fund releases another $127m for projects

By Justin Hendry on Jun 21, 2022 1:18PM

Budget 2022: But no additional new funding.

The NSW government will release another $126.7 million from its $2.1 billion digital restart fund (DRF) over the next three years, the 2022 state budget reveals.

But budget documents show no additional investment in the fund for the first time since it was created in 2019, having been boosted by $500 million last year and $1.6 billion in 2020.

New allocations from the fund since the half-yearly review in December include $38.8 million over two years for the e-Regulation platform, which will deliver a “single case management system for regulators and businesses in NSW”.

The government will spend $33.1 million uplifting the “security of operating systems and applications”, including at the NSW Electoral Commission, to allow “agencies to manage cyber threats more proactively”.

-----

https://www.itnews.com.au/news/queensland-gov-sinks-another-300m-into-e-health-record-system-rollout-581634

Queensland gov sinks another $300m into e-health record system rollout

By Justin Hendry on Jun 21, 2022 6:15PM

Budget also sets aside funding for digital courts, tribunals.

The Queensland government will provide another $300 million over the next five years for the continued rollout of integrated electronic medical record (ieMR) functionality.

Budget papers released on Tuesday reveal $240 million for the ‘digital hospital electronic medical record system’ over the forward estimates, with a further $60 million to be provided in 2026-27.

Queensland Health first received funding of $412 million for the ieMR in 2011, but by 2016 it was estimated the project would cost $1.2 billion to complete.

In December 2018, a damning audit revealed another $250 million would be needed to complete the ieMR, pushing the project more than 40 percent over budget.

-----

https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/anz/peter-mac-swinburne-lead-dhcrc-project-developing-ai-platform-patients-genetic-disorders

Peter Mac, Swinburne lead DHCRC project developing AI platform for patients with genetic disorders

It will be built with algorithms to identify patients at risk of medication non-adherence.

By Adam Ang

June 21, 2022

Melbournian institutions Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Swinburne University of Technology are leading a Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre project which will develop an AI-powered virtual platform for patients with genetic disorders.

According to a media release, the cloud-based platform known as GENIE will initially provide patients dealing with familial cancers and cardiac conditions with guidance on how to find specialist care, support for clinical and psychological issues, and updates on clinical trials.

Over the next two years, the partners will develop algorithms that will enable the platform to help genetic counsellors identify specific sub-group of patients at key life stages, or who are at risk of non-adherence to management recommendations. A stakeholder group will be organised to prioritise the features that will be incorporated in the development of the algorithms.

Additionally, clinical data to be collected from GENIE will be seamlessly integrated into a specialist Clinical Genetic Service (CGS) familial database. 

-----

https://www.hinz.org.nz/news/609182/Call-to-work-on-the-frontline-of-digital-transformation--Margie-Apa.htm

Call to work on the ‘frontline of digital transformation’ – Margie Apa

Tuesday, 21 June 2022  

NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth 

Chief executive of Interim Health NZ Margie Apa is calling on the data and digital workforce to join Health NZ and work in the health sector, “on the frontline of digital transformation”.

In a video address to ‘our data & digital whānau’, Apa says: “transformation is an exciting place to be, and we are committed to retaining and attracting great people within the health system to deliver the changes we need to make and improve people’s lives”.

She says the data and digital workforce is an important part of connecting up New Zealand’s system.

“We have a great opportunity ahead of us, potentially the opportunity of a lifetime… to build a national unified health system,” says Apa.

-----

https://www.hinz.org.nz/news/609021/Orion-Health-reports-growth--implements-first-Digital-Front-Door.htm

Orion Health reports growth – implements first Digital Front Door

Monday, 20 June 2022  

NEWS

It has also gone live with the first implementation of its Digital Front Door technology in a Canadian province.

A statement from Orion Health says more than 80 percent of revenue came from offshore over the past financial year, with significant multi-year wins in Saudi Arabia and Canada.

Chris Hobson, global chief medical officer, told eHealthNews the Canadian project is the first implementation of Orion’s Digital Front Door.

The new service went live on March 31, 2022 and provides everyone in the province with patient centric access to their electronic health record, as well as an afterhours triage call or online chat service. Integrations with large EHR providers allows a transcript of the discussion to be sent to the doctor or health service they are referred to.

-----

https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/MEDADVISOR-LIMITED-44473162/news/MedAdvisor-MDR-announces-executive-changes-appoints-US-based-CEO-MD-40763810/

MedAdvisor : MDR announces executive changes, appoints US-based CEO & MD

06/19/2022 | 06:44pm EDT

MedAdvisor Limited

ACN 145 327 617

Level 2, 971 Burke Road  Camberwell Vic 3124

mymedadvisor.com/investors

ASX RELEASE (ASX: MDR)

For personal use only

MedAdvisor announces executive changes;

US-based CEO and Managing Director appointed

• Rick Ratliff appointed MedAdvisor's new US-based CEO and Managing Director
  o Rick has significant experience in health and pharmacy software in the US and
  Australia, and is well placed to support MedAdvisor's US growth opportunities
• Current Managing Director & CEO Robert Read to remain Executive Director for transition period
• Simon Glover has resigned as CFO to pursue other career opportunities
• GM Finance Annabelle Grant appointed Interim-CFO, as an executive search is conducted to appoint an Australian-based CFO

Melbourne, Australia, 20 June 2022 - Medtech company, MedAdvisor Limited (MedAdvisor or the Company) today announced two executive changes, including the appointment of US- based Rick Ratliff to the position of CEO and Managing Director, effective 18 July 2022.

Rick Ratliff appointed CEO and Managing Director

With over 30 years' experience in the healthcare and pharmaceutical technology sector, Rick has a significant and successful track record of growth in both the US and Australia, and is a hands-on leader and collaborator. He has direct experience in the markets and segments in which MedAdvisor is operating.

As President of Network Services at ConnectiveRx, Rick led a team that developed go-to- market strategies and new products that increased platform revenue by 50% to US$120 million and also increased margins by over 50% over a three-year period. Prior to that, as President and Chief Commercial Officer, Rick designed ConnectiveRx's new sales organisation; integrated systems, cultures and teams; rationalised products across acquisitions; and aligned key services, data and analytics, to support accelerated growth.

-----

https://allevents.in/online/carers-victoria-my-health-record-carers-webinar-8940/10000344007594977

Carers Victoria My Health Record Carers Webinar #8940

Fri Jun 24, 2022

Date & Time

Fri Jun 24 2022 at 10:30 am to 11:30 am
(Australian Eastern Standard Time)

Add to Calendar

Location Online

Carers Victoria My Health Record Carers Webinar #8940

Carers talk about My Health Record and how they use it in their caring role…

About this Event

Come and speak with three experienced carers at the My Health Record Carers Webinar, hosted by Carers Victoria in partnership with Australian Digital Health Agency.

Listen to carers talk about how they use My Health Record to support their role as a carer. Ask questions, hear their opinions and share your own experiences about managing health information in your role as a carer.

-----

https://www.seek.com.au/job/57414669?type=standard

APS6 Digital Health Educator

DFP Recruitment

Brisbane CBD & Inner Suburbs

Government & Defence Government - Federal

$55 - $60 per hour

Contract/Temp

Posted 19 June,2022

Our client, a Federal Government Agency, is responsible for national digital health services and systems, with a focus on engagement, innovation, clinical quality, and safety. This department is tasked with getting data and technology to work for patients, consumers and the health-care professionals who look after them.
 
About the role
Our client is seeking an APS6 Digital Health Educator to be accountable under limited direction to perform work that is complex or sensitive, working with a diverse range of stakeholders. 
 
Skills and Experience

• Understanding of aboriginal medical service, their workflows and potential challenges in day to day practice
• Knowledge of Electronic Prescribing, My Health Record and Securing Messaging or demonstrated ability to rapidly acquire this knowledge
• Previous experience in working with health clinicians and understanding of use of clinical information systems
• Previous experience in delivering change management within the health sector

-----

https://itwire.com/your-it-news/home-it/watch-your-health-with-the-new-huawei-fitness-range.html

Monday, 20 June 2022 23:59

Watch your health with the new Huawei fitness range

By David M Williams

Huawei has launched new wearables to help Australians kickstart their health journey with a vast range of features from blood pressure monitoring to a built-in animated fitness coach.

Huawei research identifies Australians’ behaviours towards their health have shifted with 4 in 10 people saying they are prioritising their health now more than they did before COVID-19. In response to this improved health trend, Huawei Consumer Business Group (BG) has announced its newest wearables to its globally renowned portfolio offering a seamless combination of sleek designs and health-tracking benefits, which are available now Australia-wide.

Recent statistics show nearly three-quarters (72.8%) of people over 15 years old do not meet the Australian Government’s physical activity guidelines, and nearly half of employed people aged 18 to 64 years described their workday as mostly sedentary.

With winter and the end of the financial year season upon us, now is the perfect time to kickstart the health journey with Huawei’s newest wearables that are made with the best in cutting edge technology boasting a range of features; from blood pressure monitoring to a built-in animated fitness coach, there’s a watch waiting to meet any wrist.

Whether it is for an always-on-the-go, corporate powerhouse or a stylish student; keeping on top of health goals is important, and these smart watches can help consumers to do that.

-----

https://www.itnews.com.au/news/nbn-co-taking-orders-for-non-premises-connections-581699

NBN Co taking orders for 'non-premises' connections

By Richard Chirgwin on Jun 22, 2022 1:08PM

New developments get IoT connectivity service.

Nearly six years after first discussing expanding its remit beyond premises connections, NBN Co has announced it’s taking orders for what it calls Smart Places connections.

The network operator has long harboured a wish to be an IoT player. Back in 2016, principal technology officer FTTx, Daniel Willis, told a London conference NBN Co wanted to expand its reach to include connections to non-premises locations.

At the time, Willis cited IoT, traffic lights, and smart control systems as on the organisation’s radar.

That’s soon to become a reality, with NBN Co announcing today that Smart Places, currently piloting in 35 locations Australia-wide, will be available for orders for construction after 1 January 2023.

-----

https://www.itnews.com.au/news/nbn-co-says-tpg-tie-up-could-help-telstra-sidestep-spectrum-limits-581538

NBN Co says TPG tie-up could help Telstra sidestep spectrum limits

By Richard Chirgwin on Jun 20, 2022 12:30PM

Raises competition concerns.

NBN Co has accused Telstra of trying to use its deal with TPG to circumvent limits on spectrum ownership.

The arrangement with TPG, which is under ACCC review, has the potential to double the spectrum available to Telstra in regional locations, giving it the chance to launch more fixed wireless broadband services that would compete with NBN Co.

While NBN Co has no mobile network, it uses 5G spectrum in its fixed wireless broadband network, so it has an interest in how spectrum allocations play out.

In a submission [pdf], NBN Co highlights how it believes approval of the deal might affect its access to spectrum – particularly if TPG only maintains a minimal regional retail footprint.

Under the multi-operator core network (MOCN) proposed by the two carriers in February, they would share 4G and 5G spectrum, which would substantially expand TPG’s reachable footprint.

-----

Enjoy!

David.