Ireland Is Planning To Really Get Rolling With E-Health. Good On Them For Having The Faith!

The following appeared a little while ago.

Ireland plans big e-health investment

6 January 2014   Lyn Whitfield

Ireland is planning to massively increase the amount of money that it spends on healthcare IT as part of a strategy to transform its health services and boost its economy over the next seven years.

An ‘eHealth Strategy for Ireland’, published in December, says national healthcare ICT spending will be “re-aligned” so that it reaches the “EU average of between 2-3%” from the current 0.85%.

The strategy and spending will be overseen by a new body, ‘eHealth Ireland’, which will be headed by a chief information officer to be appointed through open competition.

EHealth Ireland will publish a new IT strategy for health “early” this year, but the eHealth Strategy indicates that this will build on work already underway, or announced at the launch.

It says Ireland will look to create a “standards-based, multi-layered information and technical infrastructure” as a common platform for e-health deployments.

It also says these will use a “national health identifier number for citizens, professionals and organisations”, the enabling legislation for which was published with the strategy.

In addition, it says Ireland will look to create an “’open’, authoritative and internationally linked collaborative innovation ‘ecosystem’” of the type established in Catalonia and Finland to secure innovation and capture the economic benefits of e-health; which the strategy argues could add 2%-2.9% to GDP.

Specific priority projects are likely to include e-prescribing, online referrals and scheduling, telehealth for the management of chronic conditions, patient summary care records, online access to health information, and a national patient portal.

Launching the strategy, Dr James Reilly, Ireland’s health minister, said it will “put Ireland in a position to fully exploit all of the many benefits that today’s information and communication technology has to offer in modernising the way we treat patients.

“I firmly believe that Ireland’s extensive IT and healthcare industry sectors make us very well placed to exploit e-health, not just to radically improve our own health services, but as an emerging area within the wider ICT industry that will have a significant role to play in achieving this government’s targets for jobs and economic growth,” he added.

The strategy does not put a figure on the target spending, but the annual budget of the Health Service Executive, which is responsible for both health and personal social services in Ireland, is around €13 billion; implying that it could be in the region of £250m - £400m.

EHI Intelligence calculates that the NHS spends around £1 billion a year on healthcare IT, or around 1.1% of the NHS’ approximately £110 billion budget.

For its money, the HSE hopes to secure wide-ranging reform of the health and social care system, which is facing similar challenges to the NHS in terms of coping with an increasingly elderly population, living with a growing burden of chronic disease, while adopting complex and costly medical advances.

A major re-organisation of the health and social care system and reforms of Ireland’s healthcare funding systems are already underway.

Lots more here:

http://www.ehi.co.uk/news/acute-care/9128/ireland-plans-big-e-health-investment

There is a link in the article text to the 80 page .pdf file.

The document turns out not to be an actual plan but rather more a statement of intent to get things rolling and to pretty dramatically increase investment.

There will be a new entity ‘e-health Ireland” created which will be responsible and who will do the detailed implementation plans, procurements etc. A single body, properly led, sounds like a good idea but it would not be so good if it turns out like NEHTA.

The writers of the strategy have been very sensible in keeping both costs and benefits very vague until they have some momentum established.

Again we have a glossy e-Health plan which seems to realise - from their comments on international experiences - that e-Health is both difficult and likely to take longer and cost more than initially suspected.

A plan to do a proper plan I would suggest. I do hope they get the clinicians involved starting now!

David.

The Failure Of Google Health Seems To Have A Lot Of Commonality With The Present PCEHR Situation.

This appeared a little while ago.

Why "Google Health" failed.

In his Second Opinion column, Dr Constantine Constantinides from healthCare cybernetics looks at why “Google Health” failed…the Electronic Health Record “Death Trap” and its implications for Medical Tourism

If you were wondering what ever happened to the Google Health initiative … Let me provide some background to the death of Google Health.

What Google announced was this:

"Google Health has been permanently discontinued. All data remaining in Google Health user accounts as of January 2, 2013 has been systematically destroyed, and Google is no longer able to recover any Google Health data for any user. To learn more about this announcement, see our blog post, or answers to frequently-asked questions below"

….. See Google announcement.

Even Google couldn’t master the concept of the Universal eHealth Record!

There can only be one Electronic Health Record (EHR)

Meaning… the “single-instance storage” concept and practice.

Late in life, I came to the conclusion that in many instances, success hinges on the “single-instance storage” concept and practice. With healthCare cybernetics (hCc), I am still struggling with the challenge of adopting and implementing the principle and practice.

For the EHR to succeed it must, likewise, be based on the “single-instance storage” concept and practice.

Practically all who claim to be in the business of “Medical Tourism” seem to know about the Electronic Health Record – eHealth Record – EHR - (and some feel confident enough to express informed opinions on the subject). Some who are in the medical tourism business feel even more confident enough to want to establish a proprietary eHealth Record System – to be adopted and used “by one and all”.

Everyone wants to be the keeper of your eHealth record!

…..

What are the challenges?

I emphasise …single and universal

The Universal eHealth Record continues to confound even the best brains in the field of health informatics. And here, we are talking about the Universal eHealth Record – and not an eHealth Record system designed to satisfy the limited (and short-sighted) needs of a hospital or medical practice.

…..

Why Google health failed

For an eHealth Record System to be “universally” and practically useful, it needs to be: 

• Language-neutral.
• Comprehensive (complete).
• Stored in only one place, and updated at that place (the “single-instance storage” concept and practice).
• Universally compatible and interoperable.

This ideal eHealth Record System continues to elude us.

…..

No single eHealth Record system yet introduced has been adopted by the number of users required for the “tipping point” to be reached.

And of course, the introduction of more and more eHealth Record systems, specifically for medical tourists, is not helping matters or the health consumer.

The full article (with lots more on medical tourism etc.)  is here:

http://www.imtj.com/articles/2014/why-google-health-failed-30191/

While not sure I am totally comfortable with what is said here there is certainly a sensible basis  here and the article is pointing out what has always been important and which the PCEHR just ignored.

I wonder what happens next.

David.

Submissions To The Commonwealth Commission Of Audit. What Are They All Saying In Health?

Was told about this list today. Since Senator Richard Di Natale yesterday wanted a list on the web (mentioned at Senate hearing yesterday) here are a few.

National Commission of Audit – some submissions related to healthcare

 Policy

Jan 14, 2014

The National Commission of Audit was announced by the Treasurer, the Hon Joe Hockey MP, and the Minister for Finance, Senator the Hon Mathias Cormann, on 22 October 2013. Although the Treasurer has stated that the total health budget will not be cut, there have already been a number of “suggestions” floated publicly about how money for healthcare might be “better” spent. According to the Commission’s web site, the call for public submissions has closed. Whilst we wait for submissions to be made public on the Commission’s web site, the Consumers e-Health Alliance has identified a number of submissions that are relevant to the debate about healthcare spending, policy and governance:-

• Aged & Community Services Australia
• Alzheimer’s Australia
• Assn of Australian Medical Research Institutes
• Australian Council for International Development
• Australian Council of Social Service
• Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Assn
• Australian Industry Group
• Australian Information Industry Assn
• Australian Medical Association
• Australian National Audit Office
• Australian National Preventive Health Agency
• Business Council of Australia
• Carers Australia
• Catholic Social Services Australia
• Community Council for Australia
• Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council
• Consumers Health Forum
• Councils on the Ageing
• Governance Institute
• Medicines Australia
• Mental Health Council of Australia
• National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples
• National Rural Health Alliance
• National Welfare Rights Network
• Palliative Care Australia
• Research Australia
• St Vincent de Paul Society
• Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health

Here is the link.

http://ceha.org.au/?p=92

Thanks to the  Consumers eHealth Alliance (CEHA) for providing this.

I am sure there are more to follow.

Enjoy browsing!

David.

The Healthcare Cost And Fees Debate Rolls On. This Will Be Hard To Calm This Down I Suspect.

Again this week we had a heap of commentary appear.

First we have:

http://www.afr.com/p/opinion/health_reform_tougher_than_ticket_BYKqJk7xrVIzq2uCubImoK

Health reform tougher than $6 ticket for GP

PUBLISHED: January 7, 2013

Stephen Duckett

Federal Health Minister Peter Dutton has told Fairfax Media he fears the cost of Medicare will become “unsustainable” without change. Dutton mentioned the impact of dementia and diabetes as potential areas of concern.

Without change to current policy settings, health costs are set to grow from about 9 per cent of GDP now to 12 per cent in 20 years. This is not necessarily a bad thing. There are many areas of the economy besides health where we choose to spend more as we become wealthier and the economy grows. The critical issue is whether we as a community are benefiting from the increased spending and whether the benefits are being spread fairly. This is the way the debate about cost growth should be phrased, not in terms of sustainability panic.

Mr Dutton’s comments follow the proposal to impose a $6 out-of-pocket fee for visits to general practitioners, a proposal condemned by virtually every health sector group, from the Australian Medical Association to consumers.

Next.

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/kay-patterson-public-needs-education-to-stop-blowout-in-healthcare-20140106-30dmf.html

Kay Patterson: Public needs education to stop blow-out in healthcare

Date January 7, 2014

Dan Harrison

Health and Indigenous Affairs Correspondent

Former Liberal health minister Kay Patterson says people must be educated about the cost of health services they use, warning the government faces tough choices as the health budget comes under ''enormous'' pressure.

Dr Patterson, who was health minister for almost two years immediately before Tony Abbott, said many changes, including ageing, increased obesity, new drugs and technologies, and antibiotic resistance, had combined to place ''enormous demands'' on the budget.

''If we want to have the level of healthcare we have now, we need to make choices,'' she said, adding she sympathised with the cabinet.

Dr Patterson would not comment on a proposal by a former adviser to Mr Abbott as health minister, Terry Barnes, for a $6 fee to visit a doctor.

Next.

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/healthcare-gp-copayments-not-the-real-answer--there-are-far-better-ways-to-put-budget-back-in-shape-20140106-30dfu.html

Healthcare: GP co-payments not the real answer - there are far better ways to put budget back in shape

Date January 7, 2014

Tim Woodruff

"Rebates for specialist services have increased at least as fast as GP services since 2007 and cost about the same but have been ignored in the proposal." Photo: Jim Rice

The recent proposal to introduce a co-payment for GP visits has ignited debate about the financing of - and principles underlying - the health system.

The unambiguous aim of the proposal, prepared by a previous adviser to then health minister Tony Abbott, is to reduce or significantly slow the growth in medical benefit schedule outlays.

Despite targeting only GP visits, no mention is made of the fact that GP Medicare rebates constitute less than one third of such rebates, the rest being for specialist and other services. Rebates for specialist services have increased at least as fast as GP services since 2007 and cost about the same but have been ignored in the proposal. The estimated savings are less than $200 million a year.

Next.

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/gps-are-the-gatekeepers-of-healthcare-20140107-30fdz.html

GPs are the gatekeepers of healthcare

Date: January 8, 2014

Peter Martin

Economics correspondent

There is something odd about the plan to charge $6 (''the price of two cups of coffee or a Big Mac with a side of fries'') for previously free bulk-billed visits to the doctor.

The Australian Centre for Health Research has told the Coalition the fee would make us ''think twice about going to the doctor about minor ailments''. But it also says we could buy private health insurance to cover the fee, meaning those of us who did would not need to think twice at all.

It is less odd when you realise the centre was set up with a grant from a private health insurance fund, Australian Unity.

Other things are odd about the proposal as well. At first glance it is simple economics. If we are charged for a product, we will want less of it than if it is free.

Next.

http://www.news.com.au/finance/gp-fee-or-not-you-will-pay-more-for-healthcare-as-medicare-drains-federal-budget/story-e6frfm1i-1226796783708

GP fee or not, you will pay more for healthcare as Medicare drains Federal budget

• Jessica Irvine
• News Limited Network

IS there anything more enticing and more likely to end in overconsumption than an all-you-can-eat buffet?

You pay your money at the door and from there on in, let's be honest, it's just a game to see how many chicken wings, chips and soft serve you can pile on to your plate.

Some economists are worried Australia's forty year old universal health system is a bit like that.

The thing we love most about Medicare - free or heavily subsidised trips to the GP - may also be its Achilles heel. Because the thing about free stuff is we tend to over consume it.

Sure, we all pay a price at the door for Medicare.

Once a year, the Medicare Levy is applied on your tax return, charged at 1.5 per cent of your income for most. High income earners pay more in dollar terms - as they should.

Next.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/universal-healthcare-under-threat-20140110-30mki.html

Universal healthcare 'under threat'

Date January 11, 2014

Dan Harrison

Health and Indigenous Affairs Correspondent

The cost of seeing a doctor would soar if private health insurers were allowed to cover GPs' fees, a health economist has warned. And consumer advocates say such a change would erode the universal access to basic healthcare supposedly guaranteed by Medicare.

On Friday Health Minister Peter Dutton opened the door to lifting the long-standing ban on private health insurers paying for GP services.

''I want every Australian to have a good relationship with their GP, so I wouldn't rule out any changes,'' Mr Dutton said in a statement.

The largest insurer, Medibank Private, has been pushing for several months for the change, arguing that treating medical conditions at an earlier stage would reduce the need for more expensive hospital care later.

Last.

http://www.afr.com/p/opinion/co_payments_key_to_affordable_healthcare_77KlRQGh3EJawrWbUEdL6H

Greg Lindsay

Co-payments key to affordable healthcare system

PUBLISHED: January 8, 2014

Greg Lindsay

Former UK prime minister Tony Blair once said that it was impossible to have a serious discussion about the future solvency of Western governments without putting greater personal responsibility for health costs at the front and centre of the debate. Unfortunately, Blair said this after he was safely retired from politics and didn’t have to cop any political flak for questioning the sustainability of a “free”, taxpayer-funded health system.

This appears to be the lesson of the debate over the proposed Medicare ­co-payment, which interest group after interest group has lined up to condemn, despite out-of-pocket contributions for GP services featuring in public health systems in social democratic countries, including New Zealand and Sweden.

At this stage, the Abbott government appears to be seriously contemplating the proposal, with the Minister for Health, Peter Dutton, signalling in-principle support for greater cost-sharing as a way to start getting on top of the ­ever-increasing cost of health to the budget. This is despite the opportunistic campaign launched by the federal opposition, which is keen to portray the idea of a co-payment with income-based exemptions as a mortal threat to Medicare.

-----  End Extracts

The summary - other than the obvious conclusion that politics and ideology become entwined very quickly with such debates - is that the solution to a rising healthcare costs is much harder than a 6% surcharge and that great care is needed if a load of unanticipated consequences are to be avoided.

Of interest was that in all the commentary I have seen e-Health has not really been mentioned as a possible solution. Send along links if you have spotted this view being put!

David.

The NEHTA Terminology Team Troop Off To Washington In October To Make Sure All Is Well On The Global Stage. Seems There Is The Odd Problem!

This appeared a few days ago.

HTSDO Conference Report October 2013

Created on Thursday, 02 January 2014

The IHTSDO Conference Report October 2013 Meeting has been published.

 The International Health Terminology Standards Development Organisation (IHTSDO) Conference Report provides summary information on the international activities and areas of work as discussed at the IHTSDO October 2013 Working Meeting held in Washington DC, USA. The report includes an update from the Content, Implementation & Innovation, Quality Assurance, and Technical Committees, the Substance Hierarchy Redesign Special Interest Group as well as the General Assembly and Member Forum.

Download IHTSDO Conference Report October 2013 PDF (139 KB)

Here is the link:

http://www.nehta.gov.au/media-centre/nehta-publications/533-ihtsdo-conference-report-october-2013

As you will see from the description some of the content is pretty specialist and heavy going.

What I was somewhat surprised by was the apparent instability of the current manifestations of SNOMED CT - some 12 years after it was finally released.

See here for all the history:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SNOMED_CT

In my innocence I has imagined the basic designs and hierarchies for the terminology were settled and that adjustments were all at the edges.

Not so it would seem.

We read:

1. Regarding the  Substance hierarchy redesign project

“Concerns about the ambiguity of many of the existing concepts were raised. As the Substance hierarchy doesn’t have a model at the moment, this ambiguity is a result of a mixture of poorly-chosen legacy terms and lack of standardised nomenclature for many substances. Completely replacing all concepts would have a large impact on both the modelling of other hierarchies and implementers. A pragmatic approach is required.”  (p20)

2. Regarding Versioning.

“Dion McMurtrie (NEHTA) presented on identifying coding systems and versioning of the coding system in clinical documents. This topic had been raised previously with respect to HL7 messages and never reached resolution at the IHTSDO, with the IHTSDO deferring the issue to HL7. However the committee recognised that the IHTSDO should have a position on versioning SNOMED CT, particularly in relation to extensions, given that they are core to SNOMED CT. Work is to progress to define a draft versioning scheme for SNOMED CT for comment out of the URI specification work.” (p19)

3.  Regarding Anatomy Redesign

• Many of the critiques of SNOMED CT stem from incorrectly modelled anatomy – Kent Spackman showed an OWL preview of the revised Anatomy model.
•  The Anatomy redesign requires changes to the SNOMED CT model – addition of new logic: Sufficient definitions, General Concept Inclusions, role chaining and anonymous class axioms (e.g. any part of something that is lateral is also itself lateral).
•  Other additions include surfaces, “skin of”, “subcutaneous tissue of”, “part of lateral half of”, and “bone tissue of” (p10).

So substance terminology (drugs), anatomy and version control are all under a lot of review!

15 years since all this started it is obviously nowhere near done. I wonder when?

Looks like the complexity of such endeavours has struck again and real sematic interoperability is as far away as ever!

One simple question has to be if it is still a work in progress how are those who are actually implementing affected? It must have some impact.

I hope the team are back and hard at it - seems like there is a fair bit to be done.

David.

For Information - Accenture To Fix And Manage The US Government’s Key Health Website - Healthcare.gov.

This appeared a day or so ago:

Administration taps Accenture to take over HealthCare.gov

By Stephanie Condon CBS News January 10, 2014, 12: 29 PM 

The Obama administration is granting the consulting firm Accenture a contract worth between $90 million and $100 million for maintenance of the federal Obamacare website HealthCare.gov, two sources familiar with the contract told CBS News.

Accenture will replace the original lead contractor responsible for the site, CGI, whose contract is expiring. The contract leaves the consulting firm responsible for the continued construction and maintenance of the site, with a special emphasis on “back-end” portions of the site that handle the transfer of data from users to insurers.

Accenture will also work with QSSI, the contractor that was appointed in late October to lead efforts to fix HealthCare.gov after its disastrous launch.

The details of the contracted are still being finalized, but the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is expected to announce the deal soon.

Accenture already maintains California’s state-run Obamacare website, and it assisted in the development of Kentucky's state site. California and Kentucky also used CGI technology and expertise to build their sites.

HealthCare.gov serves as the Obamacare portal for 36 states, but when it launched in October, its technical problems dramatically hindered enrollment. Since then, the problems have largely been fixed, and more than 2.1 million people have signed up for private plans via HealthCare.gov and other Obamacare sites.

Full article is here:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/administration-taps-accenture-to-take-over-healthcaregov/

Healtcare.gov is a web site where people enrol for health insurance that is designed to be cheaper and allow more people to be insured - especially those excluded from insurance because of pre-existing illnesses. The site implementation and the underlying health reform program has been a topic of partisan contention and furious debate in the US.

The site debut about two months ago was a debacle with the site not working, providing bad data and generally being a huge mess. It has been improved to some extent but is still not functioning perfectly by any means.

All we can do is wish Accenture luck!

David.

Weekly Australian Health IT Links – 13th January, 2014.

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

Well it has been a very quiet week indeed. Interesting to see the ‘ransomware’ is still loose and causing trouble.

The CES in Las Vagas seemed to have  a lot of health apps being spruiked among a wide range of amazingly innovative and interesting products.

I hope we see some outcome from the PCEHR Review sometime soon - but I suspect that will not happen.

-----

http://www.pharmacynews.com.au/news/latest-news/rise-in-ransomware-attacks-on-pharmacies

Rise in ‘ransomware’ attacks on pharmacies

8 January, 2014 Nick O'Donoghue

Pharmacists are being urged to discuss IT security options by the Pharmacy Board of Australia, following a series of incidents where pharmacy computers were encrypted by hackers.

Stephen Marty, Board chair, warned that pharmacists were obliged to ensure “that records are held securely and are not subject to unauthorised access, regardless of whether they are held electronically and/or in hard copy”, under the Code of conduct for registered health practitioners.

Writing in the Board’s latest communique, Mr Marty highlighted the growing threat hackers pose to the profession.

“The Board has received reports of incidents where pharmacists have become the target of ‘ransomware’; a type of malicious software which can block access to a computer system and encrypt data such as patient files.

-----

http://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2014/01/06/avoiding-system-failure-for-complex-software-projects/?mod=djemCIO_h

January 6, 2014, 2:35 PM ET

Avoiding System Failure for Complex Software Projects

By Richard Raysman and Francesca Morris

One of the most disappointing and frustrating experiences for a company (and its CIO) is to invest time and money in developing a mission-critical software system only to have that system not work; often before it is even implemented. Not only has the company lost money as a result but also, more importantly, it may have lost revenues and a competitive advantage in the marketplace by not implementing planned, scheduled and publicized cutting edge technology. Not staying current with the most advanced technology can risk a company’s future success.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for complex systems to fail. Avon Products Inc. abandoned plans in December to implement an Enterprise Resource Planning system after investing $125 million and over four years of development.

----

http://delimiter.com.au/2014/01/06/delimiter-files-foi-request-pcehr-review/

Delimiter files FoI request for PCEHR Review

news Technology media outlet Delimiter has filed a Freedom of Information request for a report reviewing the Federal Government’s troubled Personally Controlled Electronic Health Records project begun under Labor, due to the fact that new Health Minister Peter Dutton has received but not yet released the sensitive document.

The project was initially funded in the 2010 Federal Budget to the tune of $466.7 million after years of health industry and technology experts calling for development and national leadership in e-health and health identifier technology to better tie together patients’ records and achieve clinical outcomes. The project is overseen by the Department of Health in coalition with the National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA).

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http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/535396/cloud_empowers_small_aged_care_providers/

Cloud empowers small aged care providers

Mirus Australia says it couldn't serve small providers without cloud

• Adam Bender (Computerworld)
• 08 January, 2014 13:20

The cloud has been essential to Mirus Australia providing enterprise-grade revenue management services to small aged care providers with limited IT budgets, according to the company's director Nick Gage.

Mirus, founded in 2010, helps aged care providers assess their funding requirements and manage revenue using cloud-based visual tools designed to simplify financial data.

Cloud “brings enterprise-grade software to people that wouldn’t otherwise consider it let alone have the budget to invest in it,” Gage told Computerworld Australia.

-----

http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/535597/ibm_bets_big_watson-branded_cognitive_computing/

IBM bets big on Watson-branded cognitive computing

IBM will dedicate a third of its research projects to cognitive computing, IBM execs revealed at the launch of its Watson business unit

• Joab Jackson (IDG News Service)
• 09 January, 2014 22:19

IBM CEO Ginni Rometty talks up cognitive computing at the New York launch of the company's new Watson Group

IBM sees cognitive computing as the new frontier of computing and is positioning its Watson architecture as the way forward in this new landscape, for both the company and its customers.

In a New York event Thursday to launch the organization's new Watson business unit, IBM CEO Ginni Rometty touted the 2011 Watson victory on the "Jeopardy" game show as nothing less than a harbinger of a new era in computing.

Today we are in the "programmable era" of computers, in which all the possible actions that a computer can take must be programmed in advance, she explained.

In contrast, Watson is "a new species," Rometty said.

Watson "is taught -- it is not programmed. It runs by experience and from interaction. By design, it gets smarter over time and gives better judgments over time," Rometty said.

-----

http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/535453/battle_your_body_ces_/

The battle for your body is on at CES

Hundreds of products that clip, snap, strap and bolt onto your body have made their debut at the show

• Martyn Williams (IDG News Service)
• 08 January, 2014 20:00

Intel's CEO shows a new line of wearable computers in his opening speech at CES Monday

At this year's International CES, the most valuable real estate isn't the prime exhibit areas in the huge halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center. It's you.

Hundreds of products that clip, snap, strap and bolt onto your body have made their debut at the show this week as companies place bets that wearable gadgets will be the next big thing.

Their promise is alluring. Want to check your gait and make sure you're not putting too much pressure on your knee joints? There's a wearable for that. Want to make sure your kids don't stray off course on the way to school? There's a wearable for that. Want to monitor your skin's exposure to ultra-violet radiation? There's a wearable for that.

At CES, there seems to be a wearable for almost everything.

The frenzy of excitement by gadget makers was explained by Kaz Hirai, president and CEO of Sony.

"You have only two wrists and one head; you can't wear 10 different products," he told reporters on Tuesday. "Once you secure someone's wrist with a particular product, they'll usually stick with it. The barrier to entry is high, but once you secure it, it becomes [yours]."

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http://www.nehta.gov.au/media-centre/nehta-publications/guides/519-ehealth-clinicians-user-guide

eHealth Clinicians User Guide

This eHealth Clinicians User Guide includes material that is relevant to both general practices and private specialist practices, however other healthcare professionals, e.g. allied health and in aged and community care, may also find this guide useful.

The eHealth Clinicians User Guide supports medical practices in navigating the complexities of eHealth (including the national eHealth record system) from planning, preparation, registration and implementation through to meaningful use. It covers key eHealth topics of interest to medical practices (including quality improvement) and focuses on the foundation products (e.g. Healthcare Identifiers, NASH, Secure Message Delivery), the national eHealth record system and other functionality currently available and being released by software vendors. Importantly it includes practical step-by-step implementation advice.

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http://www.nehta.gov.au/media-centre/nehta-publications/533-ihtsdo-conference-report-october-2013

HTSDO Conference Report October 2013

Created on Thursday, 02 January 2014

The IHTSDO Conference Report October 2013 Meeting has been published.

 The International Health Terminology Standards Development Organisation (IHTSDO) Conference Report provides summary information on the international activities and areas of work as discussed at the IHTSDO October 2013 Working Meeting held in Washington DC, USA. The report includes an update from the Content, Implementation & Innovation, Quality Assurance, and Technical Committees, the Substance Hierarchy Redesign Special Interest Group as well as the General Assembly and Member Forum.

Download IHTSDO Conference Report October 2013 PDF (139 KB)

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http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1628605

Global Digital Economy - E-Health, E-Government and E-Education Essential to the Future and Market Analysis

Albany, NY (PRWEB) December 07, 2013

Global Digital Economy - E-Health, E-Government and E-Education Essential to the Future

Technology developments now shape the future for health, education and government

BuddeComm has been predicting for at least the last 20 years that major changes in technology will have massive social and economic implications. Unlike previous ‘revolutions’ that changed the world, this ‘digital revolution’ is unfolding within a short timeframe of 20-30 years. Compare this to the industrial revolution which developed over a few hundred years and the agricultural revolution that took a few thousand years - and it becomes easy to see how quickly we must adapt and accept this fast changing landscape.

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http://www.emerging.com.au/news.asp

8th January 2014

Announcement: Emerging Systems selected as the preferred vendor for St John of God Health Care Clinical Information System | EMR

Emerging Systems is proud to announce that it has been selected to implement the EHS Clinical Information System/Electronic Medical Record for St John of God Health Care commencing with the new 367-bed St John of God Midland Public and Private Hospitals in Perth.

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http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/computers/ces-2014-is-eyetracking-the-future-pc-mouse-20140109-30jb5.html

CES 2014: is eye-tracking the future PC mouse?

Date January 9, 2014 - 3:04PM

Ben Grubb

Deputy technology editor

Las Vegas: Could gaze be the way we interact with our computers in the future?

Tobii Technology, which recently announced a partnership with gaming accessories company SteelSeries, believes so. At the Consumer Electronics Show this week, Tobii unveiled its EyeX Dev Kit, that will allow third-party developers to "gaze-enable" their video games for when SteelSeries releases a consumer device using Tobii's eye-tracking hardware later this year.

The technology lets users gaze at a desktop computer, tablet or laptop and use eye movements to play a game or interact with applications on Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system. The device sends a pattern of infrared light to the user's eyes and tracks its reflections. Unlike pointing a laser at your eye, it doesn't hurt.

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http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/535609/australia_leads_oecd_wireless_broadband/

Australia leads OECD on wireless broadband

But tied with Austria for 18th on wired broadband

• Adam Bender (Computerworld)
• 10 January, 2014 10:15

Australia has moved into first place among the 34 OECD countries for wireless broadband penetration, with 114 subscriptions per 100 people, the OECD has announced.

A 13 per cent increase in smartphone subscriptions in the first half of 2013 helped Austrlia move up from third place and edge out Finland, which has 112.9 wireless broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, according to the OECD broadband numbers posted this week.

In total, Australia had more than 25.9 million wireless broadband subscriptions, including mobile broadband, mobile data, terrestrial fixed wireless and satellite.

However, Australia continued to lag other countries on fixed broadband connections, tying with Austria for 18th place in the latest OECD statistics. Australia had 25.6 total wired broadband connections per 100 users, and about 5.8 million subscriptions total, the OECD report found.

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Enjoy!

David.