A Useful Analysis Of The Health Data Re-Identification Issue. Great Read.

This appeared a few days ago:

Health Data Governance: Re-identification of health records

PwC Australia

Australia, USA May 11 2017

Australian governments have long recognised the potential of big data, which can provide the depth of insight about the community to enable genuine evidence-based policy development, public infrastructure planning, and service delivery innovation.

The intensive analysis of data sets drawn from a range of different sources to uncover important trends and insights, commonly referred to as `Big Data', has a particularly important role to play in Australia's health system, which comprises a complex web of medical, social and behavioural influences. Rich data sets exist at patient and system levels, reflecting the dominant role that Australian Governments play in our system, anchored in the Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and now-ubiquitous My Health Record (MHR).

Big data can improve population health, stimulate therapeutic innovation and enhance system efficiency and sustainability. The benefits can only be realised with the trust and confidence of citizens, bringing privacy issues into sharp relief. The use and management of data and health information is now regulated by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) and health records legislation in most States and Territories.

In this article, we consider some of the regulatory issues relating to the de-identification and reidentification of health records data, particularly in light of a September 2016 incident in which deidentified PBS / MBS data was re-identified. We also highlight the challenge facing legislators in managing the tension between protecting personal information and allowing innovation to enable the promise of big data to be realised.

Increasingly sophisticated data management techniques have been developed to de-identify health records information, to enable data to be used, whilst complying with regulatory obligations. Those same techniques may, however, enable data sets to be re-identified, highlighting the need for a range of responses to adequately protect personal information.

There is an inherent tension between using big data sets to benefit the community and the personal privacy of the individuals to whom the data relates. Appropriate policy, contractual and technical controls are needed to maximise privacy protections without limiting the usability of the information (by, for example, over-use algorithmic de-identification which can reduce the integrity of the information). Finding the right mix of controls will maintain public confidence and spur further innovation in the health sector, realising the potential of big data for better health outcomes and system sustainability.

There is vastly more detailed information here:

http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=ac954797-80fb-4167-a3a3-9ac9ed68b139

Usefully PwC also provides coverage of the New Zealand approach to the same issue.

Well worth the time to read.

David.

Does The ADHA, With 300 Or So Staff, Really Need a Week To Respond To WannaCry?

This appeared last Friday.

https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/news-and-events/news

Ransomware - mitigation advice

Created on Friday, 19 May 2017

Ransomware is an increasingly prevalent threat, with a rising number of variants designed to target our computer networks. Consequently, prior to the ‘WannaCry’ ransomware attacks that recently affected many healthcare organisations globally, the australian Digital Health Agency (the Agency) had t...

Read more: Ransomware - mitigation advice (Links to)

https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/news-and-events/news/ransomware-mitigation-advice

Ransomware - mitigation advice

Ransomware is an increasingly prevalent threat, with a rising number of variants designed to target our computer networks. Consequently, prior to the ‘WannaCry’ ransomware attacks that recently affected many healthcare organisations globally, the australian Digital Health Agency (the Agency) had taken proactive steps to defend against this type of attack.

In addition, to support the health sector more broadly, the Agency has developed and published Risk Mitigation Advice: Preventing and Recovering from Ransomware. These guides – one developed for the executive level managers of medium to large health organisations, and one developed for IT practitioners within the health organisation – provide the information and advice needed for healthcare providers to prepare and recover from a ransomware attack.

Check with your IT support provider that the usual security precautions are in place:

• Make sure your security software patches are up to date. This particular ransomware variant exploits a vulnerability that Microsoft fixed in this patch.
• Make sure that you are running up-to-date anti-virus software.
• Back up your data somewhere else (and store it in a location that is not connected to your main computer system). You can’t be held to ransom if the data is available from another place – this is your best protection from ransomware. Are you sure that your backups are working? A regular restore from backup must be done to check that your backups are working.

Unsupported operating systems such as Microsoft Windows XP carry a heightened security risk. Where possible unsupported operating systems should be upgraded to supported versions. However, if you are currently using Microsoft Windows XP, Server 2003 or an unsupported version of Windows 8, you should apply this patch Microsoft has released until such time as you are able to upgrade to a newer operating system.

Beware of risks associated with clicking links in emails or opening attachments (especially when they’re from an unknown email address). To reduce the risk:

1. First hover on the link with your mouse pointer, and look at where the link is taking you.
2. Take a second to think. Any link or attachment that is not from within your practice or immediate network, or a recognised friend, should not to be clicked. When in doubt, either call or email (in a separate email) your friend or the organisation asking them to confirm that the email is legitimate.
3. Only click if you’re sure it’s safe

For information, visit:

• Digital Health Cyber Security Centre – for ransomware mitigation advice
• ACSC- details of the WannaCry ransomware attacks can be found in the ‘news’ section of the ACSC Website
• Stay Smart Online – update regarding the WannaCry global ransomware incident
• Microsoft Guidance – specific guidance for Microsoft customers

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Now the advice is reasonably sound but, as an example, the Conversation  had with pretty much the same advice six days earlier.

Massive global ransomware attack highlights faults and the need to be better prepared

May 13, 2017 4.39pm AEST

Author David Glance

A massive malware attack was launched on Friday, affecting at least 75,000 computers in 99 countries. Computers running Microsoft Windows were infected with “WanaCrypt0r 2.0 or WannaCry” ransomware. Once infected, all of the files on the computer are encrypted by the malware, which then displays a ransom demand of between US $300 and $600 in bitcoin that needs to be paid before the files can be decrypted.

The WannaCry ransomware is being spread through a weakness in Microsoft Windows that was originally exploited by the US National Security Agency (NSA) as part of their arsenal of cyberweapons in a tool called “Eternal Blue”. Unfortunately, this tool, along with many others, was stolen by hackers and leaked to the world in April 2017 by a hacker group calling themselves the “Shadow Brokers”.

Microsoft had already released a fix for the Eternal Blue vulnerability in March, but the extent of the WannaCrypt attack has highlighted how many organisations have failed to apply the fix, or are running copies of Windows that are so old that there wasn’t a fix for them.

Russia, Ukraine and Taiwan have been the countries most affected by the attack. In the UK however, the attack hit Britain’s National Health Service badly enough that services to patients were disrupted.

At the time or writing, one of the bitcoin addresses used by the malware showed that only a few people had paid the ransomware so far but the number has been slowly ticking up.

The spread of the first wave of WannaCry ransomware may have been halted by a cybersecurity researcher who, by registering a domain with a particular name, effectively activated a “kill switch” in the malware software that stops it from spreading further.

Ransomware has become the biggest threat to organisations and governments trying to protect critical infrastructure. According to a study by IBM ransomware attacks increased by 6,000% in 2016 and at least 40% of spam emails now carry ransomware. The study also found that 70% of businesses infected with ransomware would pay the ransom. In many cases, this is because they either did not have backups, or they believed it was a faster way of getting their business back up and running.

The NHS has come in for particular criticism about the consequences of the attack because they knew about the risks and had been warned repeatedly to take steps to protect their networks and computers.

Finding out who was behind the malware is going to be very difficult. The malware communicates using the anonymising Tor network and demands payments in the equally anonymous currency, bitcoin, making tracing those behind the attack more complicated.

The NSA has also been held partly to blame for the attack because it had not alerted Microsoft about the weakness in its system until the NSA’s software that exploited it had been stolen and leaked to the public. Had the NSA told Microsoft when it discovered the weakness, the patch to fix the vulnerability would have been available in enough time for even the slowest of organisations to have patched their computers.

Ironically, large scale attacks such as these do have the effect of highlighting the threat of malware attacks and cybersecurity in general. This is true at the national level as well as amongst businesses. The frequency and scale of attacks also gives us a measure of how effectively companies and countries are prepared for cybersecurity attacks of any kind. Governments can act to enforce cybersecurity protective measures on companies, especially those that provide critical services or infrastructure. They can also act to direct their security services to disclose weaknesses in software systems, rather than keeping them secret in order to exploit them themselves against some future enemy.

Companies and their employees can help protect themselves from future attacks of ransomware by taking the following steps:

1. Back up computers. This doesn’t protect a computer from an attack, it merely renders an attack ineffective because it is easy to re-install the system from a backup.
2. Don’t click on links in emails unless you are expecting the email to contain a link. If you don’t know, double check with the sender. Equally, if you open a document and it asks to run macros, just say no. Avoid putting people into this situation in the first place by not sending links unless you have agreed prior to sending the email.
3. Always update systems and software with the latest security updates. Better still, set the system to automatically do this on your behalf.
4. Use antivirus software to protect systems.
5. If infected, disconnect the computer from the network so that other computers are not infected.

Here is the link:

https://theconversation.com/massive-global-ransomware-attack-highlights-faults-and-the-need-to-be-better-prepared-77673

One can only wonder why the ADHA took so long to respond, given the number of health care entities that were hit?

David.

Senate Estimates Covering The ADHA Happening Next Monday 29 May 2017

Here is the plan:

GROUP B: Committees in this group will hold public hearings on estimates from Monday, 29 May to Friday, 2 June 2017

Community Affairs (PDF 96KB)
Health and Aged Care: Monday, 29 May and Tuesday, 30 May 2017
Social Services: Wednesday, 31 May and Thursday, 1 June 2017
Human Services: Thursday, 1 June 2017            

The ADHA session appears to be scheduled for Monday evening - but things can be a bit flexible!

Here is the link to the schedules:

http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Senate_Estimates/Estimates_daily_programs

David.

Is This An Admission That The myHR is Not An Really Ideal Tool For Care-Coordination?

This release appeared last week:

Media Release – 15/05/17

cdmNet takes on central role in Health Care Homes reform

Precedence Health Care has been selected to provide crucial enabling technology for the Australian Government’s new Health Care Homes initiative, a major health system reform proposed by the Primary Health Care Advisory Group’s Report into “Better Outcomes for People with Chronic and Complex Health Conditions”.

Precedence will provide the risk stratification tool used by all Health Care Homes from October 2017 onwards, including general practices and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services.

The solution, which uses Precedence’s cloud-based coordinated care platform, cdmNet, will determine an individual patient’s eligibility for the Health Care Home.  It will identify and stratify patients based on their disease complexity and other factors so that health care services can be targeted accordingly.

The Prime Minister, the Hon. Malcolm Turnbull MP, described the implementation of Health Care Homes as one of the biggest health system reforms since the introduction of Medicare. 

The new model of care targets the millions of Australians with chronic and complex conditions – aiming to keep them out of hospital and living happier and healthier lives at home.

Professor Michael Georgeff, CEO of Precedence Health Care, said: “The cloud-based solution we proposed is revolutionary.   The choice of this approach shows that the Commonwealth is now well ahead in moving to agile digital technologies for improving the health of Australians.

“Our tool will make it easier for general practice to incorporate the Health Care Home into their traditional practice and will lead to greater efficiencies in the system.”

The first stage of the stratification process uses a Predictive Risk Model (PRM) running on cdmNet to identify and automatically target populations based on practice data.  The Precedence solution enables the PRM to be run on the entire practice population or whenever an individual patient visits their GP. 

If the PRM algorithm identifies the patient as potentially eligible for the Health Care Home, an alert will pop up to the GP or practice nurse who, with a single click, can proceed to the second stage of the enrolment process.

The second stage automatically creates a questionnaire using Precedence smart forms, pre-filled with clinical and other data obtained from the practice and other sources.  Non-clinical information, such as data on psycho-social factors, is added to the questionnaire during conversations with patients, family members, carers and providers.  

These smart forms automatically check for consistency and then calculate a risk score based on an eligibility algorithm. This enables patients to be positively identified for enrolment while determining a risk stratum for optimising treatment.

The solution is highly secure, using smart encryption techniques to ensure no personal health information is stored in the cdmNet cloud.

The use of the cdmNet platform enables a Health Care Home to include the risk stratification and eligibility checking into their existing practice workflows while at the same time off-loading all the management overheads to the cloud.

CSIRO will be engaged by Precedence to validate and re-calibrate the PRM algorithm for Australian conditions.

About Precedence Health Care

Precedence Health Care Pty Ltd (Precedence Health Care) is an Australian software company providing advanced digital healthcare technologies for connecting healthcare professionals and patients and facilitating the coordination of care. It was established in Australia in 2007 and acquired by Sonic Clinical Services, the primary care division of Sonic Health Care, in late 2015.

Precedence is also behind the recent launch to health professionals of a breakthrough app, MediTracker, which runs on a patient’s smartphone and displays their medical summary so that after hours, or in an emergency, they can be treated safely.

Dr Michael Georgeff is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Precedence Health Care and Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Monash University.  He has been at the forefront of software innovation and commercialisation in the USA and Australia for over 30 years.

About Precedence’s Coordinated Care Platform

Precedence’s Coordinated Care Platform (cdmNet) is an established cloud-based system for connecting and coordinating teams of health care providers across the full continuum of care.

The cdmNet platform currently coordinates the care of over 100,000 patients involving over 30,000 registered health care professionals, including General Practitioners, nurses, allied health professionals, pharmacists and specialists.

The platform is also being used in a trial of the patient-centred medical home by the Sydney North Health Network.  It provides an end-to-end solution involving risk stratification, electronic shared care plans, care coordination, patient engagement, and care monitoring.  These capabilities have been identified as the key elements of the Health Care Home by the Commonwealth’s Primary Health Care Advisory Group.

The cdmNet platform links to Precedence’s MediTracker mobile app and the Commonwealth’s My Health Record.  It is the only care management system endorsed by the RACGP for supporting quality improvement in general practice. 

(Ends)

Here is the link:

http://precedencehealthcare.com/site/wp-content/uploads/News-Release-Precedence-and-Health-Care-Homes.pdf

Bottom line, this is already a way better tool for care co-ordination, is proven in Australia, is commercially backed and is being improved.

The myHR is a joke in comparison in the Health Care Home arena.

I wonder where the ADHA is in all this – or did the DoH do this all on their own. Will be fun to watch!

David.

The ABC’s Life Matters On Radio National Covers The myHR.

This appeared early this morning.

Every Australian to have a digital health summary

• Listen now(Link will open in new window)
• Download audio

Tuesday 23 May 2017 9:06AM (view full episode)

You may have a local doctor, who knows all about you in sickness and in health. But what happens when you decide to take a trip around Australia? Wouldn't it be great if other GPs along the way could access your key medical information if you get sick?

The My Health system is designed to provide an online summary of your health data, with the idea of providing the doctors you visit with easy access to your information.

Thanks to a boost in federal funding, soon everyone Australia will have a My Health Record, unless you choose to opt out of the system.

Guests

Dr Meredith Makeham

GP and Chief Medical Adviser to the Australian Digital Health Agency; Associate Professor at Macquarie University's Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research.

Dr David Glance

Director of the University of Western Australia's Centre for Software Practice.

Diana Aspinall

Consumer advocate from Katoomba in NSW, who chairs the Nepean Blue Mountains Joint Primary Health Network and Local Health District Community Advisory Committee.

Credits

Producer

Erica Vowles

Here is the link:

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/every-australian-to-have-a-digital-health-summary/8549352

The segment is worth a listen to understand what is being put out there in the public domain re the myHR!

One point that should be made is that the portal systems such as OpenNotes that Dr Makeham claims have an positive evidence base all access primary clinical systems and not a secondary, probably incomplete, record. There is NO evidence that the myHR model is really able to make a positive difference which is why no one that I am aware of has copied it!


David.

Weekly Australian Health IT Links – 22nd May, 2017.

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

Really a quiet week with most action in the private sector. The range of cheaper alternatives to the functions expected of the myHR seem to be growing daily.

Good lessons on what to do with ransomware and how to avoid it.

Lots of fun reading below.

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http://medicalrepublic.com.au/emr-mouse-like-roar/8985

15 May 2017

The EMR mouse that would like to roar

Posted by Jeremy Knibbs

Amid the $375m funding announcement for the MyHR and a swathe of tech vendor electronic medical record patient app plays, a Western Sydney GP has built and released his own patient side app which he says bypasses any issues with the MyHR and is a simple and practical answer to the issues some patients face with keeping a record of their medical condition.

The mICE (Medical in Case of Emergency) app is available for download now on the iPhone app store, which doesn’t talk to either the MyHR or the patient management system on a doctor’s desk.

Creator, Dr Adrian Sheen, who is a practising GP at the Mulgoa Medical Centre in Mulgoa and a lecturer in general practice at the University of Sydney, says that this app allows patients to “easily and securely manage their history and medical information”.

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http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/the-diary-smartphone-apps-offer-healthy-approach-to-data/news-story/c36dd9d114aaa877db0408a3e3db3292

The Diary smartphone apps offer healthy approach to data

• The Australian
• 12:00AM May 16, 2017

Chris Griffith

The days of haphazardly following a GP’s advice will be over if health app developer The Diary has its way.

Many of us fall victim to waning interest in following a doctor’s orders. It could be to change diet, lose weight, exercise more, take medications and monitor vital signs.

The Diary Corporation seeks both to record health information, encourage patients to follow-up plans and to report back patient progress. Information can be selectively shared by a patient, their GP, and others involved in their care, including family members.

So life after visiting the doctor becomes a continuum of treatment, self-help and feedback, rather than one of dwindling commitment.

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http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/hcf-catalyst-diversity-a-driver-for-success/news-story/d8416812398b5fc6c5d2eb221197c785

HCF Catalyst: Diversity a driver for success

• The Australian
• 12:00AM May 16, 2017

Supratim Adhikari

The latest intake of health insurer HCF’s start-up accelerator, HCF Catalyst, has not only managed to unearth an interesting crop of healthcare-focused local technology businesses, but has also struck a blow when it comes to fostering greater diversity in the technology space.

With five female-led start-ups gearing up to pitch their business to investors and healthcare stakeholders this week, at the demo day event scheduled for tomorrow, HCF’s chief strategy officer Sheena Jack said this year’s program was specifically focused on encouraging women in the heath-tech space.

“If you look at the percentage of women who are engaged in the healthcare sector, it’s very high,” Ms Jack told The Australian.

“They provide a lot of the workforce, they are deeply embedded in the day-to-day activities and there’s a real power in that.”

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http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/bendigos-hospital-in-the-cloud/news-story/6af1cc1d079719de6d974db8208c01a0

Bendigo’s ‘hospital in the cloud'

• The Australian
• 11:21AM May 16, 2017

David Swan

Bendigo Hospital is one of Australia’s first to build a ‘hospital in the cloud’, deploying technology to change the traditional patient-doctor relationship.

The hospital houses 372 inpatient beds, 72 same-day beds, 11 new operating theatres, an integrated cancer centre, an 80-bed psychiatry services facility, and a parent-infant unit, and CIO Bruce Winzar said tech has enabled world-class medical access in regional areas, which had been largely unachievable until now.

“The key change has been a move from episodic care to a more holistic patient-centric approach using a digital patient record rather than paper,” Mr Winzar said.

“Rather than patient interactions being based on the current issues being addressed, the treating team’s access to patient information is at the clinicians’ finger tips, thus allowing the patient to also be better informed about their treatment and care. Patients will know what medications they’re on and when they are due to take them, so that the patient actively begins to manage their recovery while they are in hospital as well as out of it.

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http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/health-mediarel-yr2017-wyatt040.htm

Information Sharing on Digital Health, a Focus of Health Cooperation with Germany

Information sharing on the best uses of digital health to improve the health status of populations is a key focus of a Joint Declaration of Intent on Bilateral Health Cooperation.

Page last updated: 19 May 2017

PDF printable version of Information Sharing on Digital Health, a Focus of Health Cooperation with Germany - PDF 191 KB

19 May 2017

Information sharing on the best uses of digital health to improve the health status of populations is a key focus of a Joint Declaration of Intent on Bilateral Health Cooperation signed by the Australian Minister for Aged Care and Minister for Indigenous Health, Ken Wyatt and the German Minister for Health, Hermann Grohe, during the G20 Health Ministers’ Meeting in Berlin.

Representing the Australian government at the first ever G20 Health Ministers’ Meeting, Minister Wyatt said that Australia and Germany share many similar challenges, in particular the increasing health care costs driven by increase prevalence of non-communicable diseases and an increasingly ageing population.

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https://www.medicalobserver.com.au/professional-news/how-instagram-for-doctors-could-change-practice

How ‘Instagram for doctors’ could change practice

Antony Scholefield

19 May 2017

More than one million people use the image-sharing app Figure 1. Compared with the 700 million people using Instagram, it’s actually not that many, but what’s interesting is that Figure 1 is set up for healthcare practitioners.

The app allows verified healthcare workers to upload photographs of anonymous patients or test results of real clinical cases.

Its promise is to ‘crowd-source’ diagnoses and collaborative learning, and verified healthcare professionals can comment on an image and discuss possible causes or treatments.

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https://www.pharmacynews.com.au/News/Latest-news/Will-My-Health-Record-be-compulsory-for-pharmacies

My Health Record likely to be compulsory for pharmacies?

15 May, 2017 Heather Saxena  

It could become compulsory for pharmacies to use My Health Record, if the government accepts the recommendations of an independent review.

A report on the review calls for investment to make pharmacies a “key place” for public education and support to achieve optimal uptake.

“In focus groups, participants repeatedly mentioned pharmacists as an accessible, trusted location [for information or assistance] with their My Health Record,” says the The My Health Record Participation Trials Evaluation Report.

The government is yet to respond to the review but allocated over $374 million in the federal Budget to continue and expand it.

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http://www.australianageingagenda.com.au/2017/05/17/aged-care-missing-e-health/

Aged care missing out on e-health

By Natasha Egan on May 17, 2017 in Industry

Residential aged care facilities could be a key beneficiary of Australia’s new e-health system, so why aren’t more engaging?

Incompatible software and an unwillingness to sign up are among reasons for low uptake of the national e-health system by residential aged care in the opt-out trial regions, the independent evaluation shows.

The report, which was finalised in November, recommended government proceed to a national opt-out approach, which gained unanimous support at COAG last year.

However, the report was only released this month ahead of last week’s Federal Budget that contained an additional $68.7 million among a total of $374.2 million over two years to expand and improve the My Health Record including rolling out the opt-out model nationally (see that story here).

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http://www.australianageingagenda.com.au/2017/05/10/budget-wins-aged-care-health-ict-infrastructure/

Budget: Wins for aged care and health ICT infrastructure

By Natasha Egan on May 10, 2017 in Government, Industry

The My Aged Care platform will get a $3.1 million funding boost in 2017-18 to improve system performance, the government announced in last night’s budget.

It is the only aged care budget measure to attract new funding and is targeted at all My Aged Care users including over 33,000 aged care workers.

An evaluation of My Aged Care undertaken in 2016 highlighted inefficiencies in the system particularly for providers (read our story on that here).

That feedback continues to inform the accelerated design process while findings from the second evaluation are due mid-year (read that story here).

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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/oaic-forces-australian-govt-into-a-data-privacy-code-462164

OAIC forces Australian govt into a data privacy code

By Allie Coyne on May 18, 2017 9:59AM

To guard against any more breaches.

The Australian government has agreed to a push by the Information Commissioner to implement a privacy code that guides its handling of personal data in light of several high-profile bungles and policy changes.

The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet today said it would work with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner to create a code that will "enhance the capability of Commonwealth agencies to deliver data innovation that integrates personal data protection".

The announcement was prompted by a letter [pdf] sent to the department by Information Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim in late March urging the agency to help the OAIC develop a privacy code for the Australian Public Service, rather than have one forced upon it.

Pilgrim said recent privacy breaches with open datasets - like at the APSC and the Health department, whose botched Medicare dataset led the government to try to criminalise those who point out badly de-identified government open data - showed there was "a need to strengthen the overall privacy governance processes within APS agencies".

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http://www.smh.com.au/national/public-service/fines-to-penalise-privacy-breaches-under-new-aps-code-senate-inquiry-told-20170517-gw7fs2.html

Fines to penalise privacy breaches under new APS code, Senate inquiry told

Doug Dingwall

Published: May 18 2017 - 11:37PM

The government will ramp up oversight of its growing data-matching programs with a new privacy code that could see departments slugged with fines of $1.8 million for breaches.

Australia's privacy commissioner told a Senate inquiry into the "robo-debt" saga on Thursday the code will be binding for public service agencies, which could be hit with fines for seriously or repeatedly breaching the rules.

The tough new regime was announced as Australian Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim confirmed his office had resumed informal investigations of the Department of Human Services' release of Centrelink recipients' personal information.

Public servants will have to conduct and publish privacy assessments in cases of data-matching deemed to involve "high risk", Mr Pilgrim said.

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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/qld-public-servants-told-not-to-peek-at-personal-data-462177

Qld public servants told not to 'peek' at personal data

By Allie Coyne on May 18, 2017 11:26AM

CCC warns govt workers to stay within the law.

Queensland's Crime and Corruption Commission has warned the state's public service not to "peek" at personal and confidential information on citizens contained within government databases.

It follows a spate of charges against Queensland Police officers for accessing private data not related to their duties.

Two weeks ago sergeant Steven Patrick Wright was fined for accessing information on netballer Laura Geitz as well as his family and friends.

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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/arms-brain-implant-chips-will-fight-paralysis-462295

ARM's brain implant chips will fight paralysis

By Staff Writer on May 19, 2017 10:35AM

Chipmaker teams up with University of Washington researchers.

ARM wants to put chips in our brains to help battle paralysis and spark recovery from degenerative disorders. 

The chip designer has teamed up with the Centre for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering (CNSE) at the University of Washington to develop brain-implantable processors. 

The target is neurodegenerative disorders, with the implantable chips helping paralysed people regain movement and eventually recover from a stroke or other brain-related conditions, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. 

The chip will capture and decode brain signals, digitising them to be processed and acted on, the organisations said. The aim is to control the body and its muscles via the chip, which they said was "the key to tackling neurodegenerative disease".

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http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=ac954797-80fb-4167-a3a3-9ac9ed68b139

Health Data Governance: Re-identification of health records

PwC Australia

Australia, USA

May 11 2017

Australian governments have long recognised the potential of big data, which can provide the depth of insight about the community to enable genuine evidence-based policy development, public infrastructure planning, and service delivery innovation.

The intensive analysis of data sets drawn from a range of different sources to uncover important trends and insights, commonly referred to as `Big Data', has a particularly important role to play in Australia's health system, which comprises a complex web of medical, social and behavioural influences. Rich data sets exist at patient and system levels, reflecting the dominant role that Australian Governments play in our system, anchored in the Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and now-ubiquitous My Health Record (MHR).

Big data can improve population health, stimulate therapeutic innovation and enhance system efficiency and sustainability. The benefits can only be realised with the trust and confidence of citizens, bringing privacy issues into sharp relief. The use and management of data and health information is now regulated by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) and health records legislation in most States and Territories.

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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/nhs-slapped-for-sharing-patient-data-with-googles-deepmind-462005

NHS slapped for sharing patient data with Google's DeepMind

By Staff Writer on May 17, 2017 10:38AM

Data watchdog says health service was misleading about its intentions.

The legal justification used for sharing patient data from a London NHS hospital with Google-owned DeepMind wasn't valid, according to the UK's National Data Guardian. 

Health data watchdog Dame Fiona Caldicott expressed her legal opinion of the controversial DeepMind data sharing deal in a letter to the head of the Royal Free NHS trust, after being asked for advice from Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham.

The NHS trust teamed up with the deep-learning firm to trial a kidney app called Streams, which is designed to predict organ failure and avoid patient illness.

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https://www.doctorportal.com.au/mjainsight/2017/18/budget-2017-health-care-homes-postponement-welcomed/

Budget 2017: Health Care Homes postponement welcomed

Authored by Nicole MacKee

Issue 18 / 15 May 2017

PEAK medical bodies have welcomed the postponement of the rollout of stage one of the Health Care Homes (HCH) trial, announced in last week’s Federal Budget, but concerns remain about the funding model and the practice representation in the first stage.

The federal government announced that the implementation of stage one of the HCH project would be delayed from the planned commencement date of 1 July to 1 October 2017, when 20 selected general practices and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services would begin to provide services under the new HCH model. A further 180 selected practices will provide HCH services from 1 December 2017. The 200 practices set to participate in the trial have also been announced.

No increase in HCH funding was announced in the Budget, with $21.3 million over 4 years earmarked for the implementation and evaluation of the trial, which will see the enrolment of 65 000 patients across 200 practices in 10 Primary Health Networks. Participating practices will receive a one-off participation grant of $10 000. An additional $93 million in Medicare Benefits Schedule funding is being redirected for clinical service delivery.

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https://www.itwire.com/deals/78126-data-3-delivers-digital-infrastructure-for-sunshine-coast-university-hospital.html

Data#3 delivers digital infrastructure for Sunshine Coast University Hospital

• 16 May 2017
• Written by  Peter Dinham

Brisbane-based ICT services provider Data#3 has completed a multi-million-dollar, digital infrastructure project for the new Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH).

Completion of the project, leveraging HP technology, sees patient services commenced at SCUH in a phased approach as the hospital provides a range of new and expanded health services.

Data#3 was engaged to equip the hospital with more than 4200 digital technology devices in partnership with HP Australia (HP) and the project was part of an overall strategy to help SCUH become a more digital and connected hospital.

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https://www.neura.edu.au/news/neura-launches-new-virtual-library-need-know-schizophrenia/

NeuRA launches virtual Schizophrenia Library

THURSDAY
18 MAY 201712:07 PM

Thursday 18 May 2017: Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) officially launched a new virtual library on mental health called the NeuRA Discovery Portal. Developed to support the community, practitioners, people living with brain-related disorders, and their families, the new online library opens up a world of fresh knowledge.

The first virtual library to be launched is the Schizophrenia Library, which appropriately launches during Schizophrenia Week in Australia. Further NeuRA virtual libraries are being developed over the next two years for Bipolar Disorder and Dementia.

Developed by NeuRA scientist Dr Sandy Matheson with creative framework in conjunction with Prof Vaughan Carr (Research Unit for Schizophrenia Epidemiology, UNSW School of Psychiatry, St Vincent’s Hospital, and NeuRA), the new online library found at library.neura.edu.au offers thousands of pages of information contained in more than 2,000 downloadable fact sheets and technical evidence reports, some up to 50 pages in length, just for one topic. The Library also includes videos, podcasts, and interviews with leading scientific researchers in the mental health sector.

Commenting on the launch, Dr Sandy Matheson said due to the increasing volume of worldwide research into mental health and brain disorders, there is a need to collect, collate, and synthesise these research findings in a free, online database.

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http://precedencehealthcare.com/site/wp-content/uploads/News-Release-Precedence-and-Health-Care-Homes.pdf

cdmNet takes on central role in Health Care Homes reform

Precedence Health Care has been selected to provide crucial enabling technology for the Australian Government’s new Health Care Homes initiative, a major health system reform proposed by the Primary Health Care Advisory Group’s Report into “Better Outcomes for People with Chronic and Complex Health Conditions”.

Precedence will provide the risk stratification tool used by all Health Care Homes from October 2017 onwards, including general practices and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services.

The solution, which uses Precedence’s cloud-based coordinated care platform, cdmNet, will determine an individual patient’s eligibility for the Health Care Home.  It will identify and stratify patients based on their disease complexity and other factors so that health care services can be targeted accordingly.

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https://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/news/2017/may-2017/16/ehealth-ambassador-calls-for-more-funding-for-medicines-management.aspx

eHealth ambassador calls for more funding for medicines management

Aaron van Delden avandelden@nzdoctor.co.nz Tuesday 16 May 2017, 9:27AM

The size and shape of the Government’s financial commitment to health is under scrutiny this month – Thursday 25 May is Budget Day in an election year. Today we publish the second in a pre-Budget series that will run this week and next, until we begin our full coverage on the day

Island Bay Medical Centre GP and eHealth ambassador Richard Medlicott is after more investment in medicines management in this year’s Budget.

Richard MedlicottAnd Dr Medlicott says investment needs to be coordinated at a national level, not by DHBs, which have varying financial outlooks, with some in surplus and others in deficit.

The RNZCGP’s recently released Workforce Survey 2016 reports a low uptake for the New Zealand ePrescription Service, which allows doctors to send prescriptions to pharmacies electronically, via a central exchange, and is currently available on Medtech and myPractice systems.

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https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-protect-yourself-from-ransomware-1494793417?mod=e2tw

How to Protect Yourself From Ransomware

Security pros recommend opting for recent operating systems, paying attention to software patches, and backing up your files

By Robert McMillan

May 14, 2017 4:23 p.m. ET

The past few days have alerted the wider world to the dangers of ransomware, and it has been an ugly awakening for victims including doctors at the U.K.’s National Health Service, employees at Russia’s Interior Ministry, and staffers at some FedEx Corp. offices.

Ransomware, which has been on the rise for the past few years, encrypts files on a computer so that they can’t be read and the device becomes essentially useless. It gets its name because the culprits post messages on victims’ computers demanding payment, generally in the digital currency bitcoin, to undo the encryption (a promise they don’t always fulfill).

The good news is that there are effective measures to protect against the software in Friday’s attack, generally called WannaCry, and other Ransomware. Here is what security pros recommend:

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https://theconversation.com/massive-global-ransomware-attack-highlights-faults-and-the-need-to-be-better-prepared-77673

Massive global ransomware attack highlights faults and the need to be better prepared

May 13, 2017 4.39pm AEST

Author David Glance

A massive malware attack was launched on Friday, affecting at least 75,000 computers in 99 countries. Computers running Microsoft Windows were infected with “WanaCrypt0r 2.0 or WannaCry” ransomware. Once infected, all of the files on the computer are encrypted by the malware, which then displays a ransom demand of between US $300 and $600 in bitcoin that needs to be paid before the files can be decrypted.

The WannaCry ransomware is being spread through a weakness in Microsoft Windows that was originally exploited by the US National Security Agency (NSA) as part of their arsenal of cyberweapons in a tool called “Eternal Blue”. Unfortunately, this tool, along with many others, was stolen by hackers and leaked to the world in April 2017 by a hacker group calling themselves the “Shadow Brokers”.

Microsoft had already released a fix for the Eternal Blue vulnerability in March, but the extent of the WannaCrypt attack has highlighted how many organisations have failed to apply the fix, or are running copies of Windows that are so old that there wasn’t a fix for them.

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http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/ransomware-attack-time-to-kill-off-old-windows-xp-systems-for-good/news-story/60113cb954b32ddf352359962ce4663e

Ransomware attack: Time to kill off old Windows XP systems for good

• The Australian
• 5:51AM May 16, 2017

Chris Griffith

It’s time for everyone to kill off their old Windows XP systems for good. This is the first of several necessary actions following the digital ravaging caused by the WannaCry virus on the weekend.

The same can be argued for other unsupported versions of Windows such as Windows 8 and Server 2003. Upgrade to a supported version and make sure automatic updates are ON.

Using network-attached computers unprotected without the latest patches is worse than having unprotected sex with a stranger in the real world. Metaphorically, it’s more like having unprotected sex that causes everyone in the neighbourhood to become infected.

An unprotected PC with the WannaCry exploit can encrypt files on even protected computers if those files are configured as a shared drive on the infected computer and are writeable. We’ve seen this in earlier forms of ransomware.

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https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/news-and-events/news

Ransomware - mitigation advice

Created on Friday, 19 May 2017

Ransomware is an increasingly prevalent threat, with a rising number of variants designed to target our computer networks. Consequently, prior to the ‘WannaCry’ ransomware attacks that recently affected many healthcare organisations globally, the australian Digital Health Agency (the Agency) had t...

Read more: Ransomware - mitigation advice

https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/news-and-events/news/ransomware-mitigation-advice

Ransomware - mitigation advice

Ransomware is an increasingly prevalent threat, with a rising number of variants designed to target our computer networks. Consequently, prior to the ‘WannaCry’ ransomware attacks that recently affected many healthcare organisations globally, the australian Digital Health Agency (the Agency) had taken proactive steps to defend against this type of attack.

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https://www.computerworld.com.au/article/619374/hpe-demos-machine-prototype-160tb-memory-centric-computer/

HPE demos ‘The Machine’: Prototype 160TB memory-centric computer

Hewlett Packard Enterprise has given a prototype of its new memory-centric computer architecture, dubbed ‘The Machine’ its first public airing, in Washington DC

Stuart Corner (Computerworld) 16 May, 2017 23:00

Hewlett Packard Enterprise has given a prototype of its new memory-centric computer architecture, dubbed ‘The Machine’ its first public airing, in Washington DC.

It has 160TB of addressable memory, but HPE says it expects the architecture could easily scale to “An exabyte-scale single-memory system and, beyond that, to a nearly-limitless pool of memory – 4,096 yottabytes… 1000 times the entire digital universe today.”

The Machine abandons the traditional computer architecture of having a central processor with peripheral storage and replaces it with a vast fabric of non-volatile semiconductor memory that simultaneously fulfills the functions of long term storage and traditional computer memory, and that makes that data it holds available to multiple processors.

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Enjoy!

David.