Quote Of The Year

Timeless Quotes - Sadly The Late Paul Shetler - "Its not Your Health Record it's a Government Record Of Your Health Information"

or

H. L. Mencken - "For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong."

Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Commentators and Journalists Weigh In On Digital Health And Related Privacy, Safety, Social Media And Security Matters. Lots Of Interesting Perspectives - June 21, 2022.

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This weekly blog is to explore the news around the larger issues around Digital Health, data security, data privacy, AI / ML. technology, social media and related matters.

I will also try to highlight ADHA Propaganda when I come upon it.

Just so we keep count, the latest Notes from the ADHA Board were dated 6 December, 2018 and we have seen none since! It’s pretty sad!

Note: Appearance here is not to suggest I see any credibility or value in what follows. I will leave it to the reader to decide what is worthwhile and what is not! The point is to let people know what is being said / published that I have come upon.

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https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/australians-the-worlds-worst-for-malicious-app-downloads/news-story/8470b24377f919d4d0459cef79c18434

Australians the world’s worst for malicious app downloads

Joseph Lam

4:45PM June 15, 2022

Australians are the worst in the world when it comes to downloading malicious apps, with more than a quarter of all apps downloaded considered risky.

From February 2021 to March this year, Australia had the highest rate of app threats on a per ­device basis in the world, with 26.9 per cent considered malicious. Those threats are more likely to occur on iOS devices, which were responsible for 30.1 per cent of app-based threats. ­Android devices had only 1.2 per cent of app-based threats.

That’s the gist of a study that analysed the mobile apps downloaded on 200 million devices across 160 countries. Behind the study is Lookout, a mobile device security provider, which analyses 100,000 apps a day to identify risks.

Lookout’s Asia-Pacific director, Don Tan, said nine out of 10 people had no security software on their mobiles, making them an easy target. “That mobile phone you hold in your hand today is more powerful than the computer that sent man to the moon 50 years ago. It holds a treasure trove of information,” Mr Tan said.

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https://www.economist.com/international/2022/06/17/can-tech-tackle-the-global-crisis-of-depression-and-anxiety

Can tech tackle the global crisis of depression and anxiety?

Quite possibly. A new WHO report sets out the scale of the need

Jun 17th 2022

DURING the early weeks of the pandemic in 2020, as China imposed strict controls on the movement of its citizens, technology became the main means of tackling anxiety and depression. Smartphones provided crucial support to locked-down Chinese citizens, from counselling through chat services to online self-help. WeChat, Weibo and TikTok, the country’s giant social networks, swung into action, offering mental-health education and services.

More intriguingly, artificial-intelligence (AI) was also put to use. Weibo messages were scanned to find individuals at risk of suicide, and volunteers were alerted to intervene. Using AI to scour social media for signs of mental illness raises obvious privacy questions. But overall, China made impressive use of technology to manage the diagnosis and treatment of depression, anxiety and stress.

Interest in mental-health tech had been growing even before the pandemic. Today, between 10,000 and 20,000 such apps are available for download. Their quality is questionable, and the dangers of bias in algorithms are well known. The risks to privacy, and not just in China, are serious. Still, America’s National Institutes of Health reckons tech has opened a “new frontier” in mental-health support. Robots seem certain to play an important role in assessing and treating mental-health conditions.

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https://www.smh.com.au/business/entrepreneurship/orphaned-inventions-life-saving-ai-discoveries-trapped-in-legal-black-hole-20220615-p5atxu.html

‘Orphaned inventions’: Life-saving AI discoveries trapped in legal black hole

By Angus Dalton

June 17, 2022 — 12.01am

In 2020, a team of MIT researchers used an AI algorithm to search a pool of 100 million molecules for new antibiotics.

The AI struck gold. It identified a molecule that can kill a range of bacteria, including the increasingly drug-resistant bug that causes tuberculosis. The scientists named the molecule halicin, referencing the scheming supercomputer HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey in tribute to the molecule’s AI identifier.

But the origin of AI-developed technology is also its shackle. Only humans can be listed as inventors on patent applications, meaning life-saving discoveries made by AI can’t be patented and progressed into products.

“We’re in this sort of legal black hole, where you can’t file a patent because there isn’t a human intor,” said UNSW AI expert Professor Toby Walsh.

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https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/how-the-aec-faced-the-online-trolls-and-won-20220616-p5au4l

How the AEC faced the online trolls and won

Tom McIlroy Political reporter

Jun 17, 2022 – 8.29am

Tom Rogers wasn’t messing around. Months before voters would go to the polls on May 21, the bureaucrat charged with overseeing Australia’s federal elections knew a full-frontal assault was headed his way.

Rogers – the Australian Electoral Commissioner – observed a major uptick in online trolls spreading disinformation about the national vote. Having observed contested election results overseas, the former Army officer-turned methodical public servant decided offence was the best form of defence.

So in February, the commission went public with plans for a special online disinformation register, designed to fight misleading and deceptive information taking root online.

Using a new social media strategy, including plans to co-operate with the biggest platforms including Facebook and Twitter, the AEC said it would also proactively correct misleading or false claims about the electoral process wherever they popped up. Expecting claims “ranging from the sophisticated to the ridiculous”, Rogers and his team knew it would be a mammoth task.

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https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/the-hands-off-tech-era-is-over-20220616-p5au3v.html

The hands-off tech era is over

By Shira Ovide

June 16, 2022 — 8.58am

It’s clear more than ever that governments will no longer leave technology alone.

Europe mandated standard phone chargers for portable electronics while Texas passed a contested law to restrain social media companies’ policing of online speech. Tech companies can count on more changes like those as government minders wade into how they do business and how we use their products.

That most likely means new technologies like driverless cars and facial recognition systems will take longer to spread into the world than they might have. For many tech proponents, more deliberation and oversight will slow invention. For others, that’s exactly the point.

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by (or tune out) all the attempted government regulation. In just the past few weeks, journalists have written about pending congressional bills in the US involving data privacy and tech antitrust; the employment classification of drivers for companies like Uber; multiple countries setting standards about how data can and cannot move around the globe; the Netherlands forcing Apple to revise payment options for dating apps; and two US state laws on social media speech.

Those are all the result of a still-evolving rethinking of what had been a relatively laissez-faire approach to tech since the 1990s. With exceptions, the prevailing attitude was that new internet technologies, including digital advertising, e-commerce, social media and gig employment through apps, were too novel, fringe and useful for governments to constrain them with many rules.

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https://wildhealth.net.au/ai-device-promises-to-predict-women-at-risk-before-birth/

16 June 2022

AI device promises to predict women at risk before birth

By Fran Molloy

Clinical trials are underway at two NSW Health sites for an Australian-designed maternal and neonatal monitor that identifies women at higher risk of developing postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) before they give birth.  

The “Oli” monitor and diagnostics platform uses AI-informed patterns to identify women at risk of haemorrhaging. The device was developed by Sydney-based engineer Dr Sarah McDonald following her traumatic experience around the birth of her own child in 2013. 

PPH is one of the most serious maternity conditions and a leading cause of maternal death, affecting 1-5% of new mothers. According to UNICEF, it’s the most common cause of maternal mortality worldwide, accounting for around 27 per cent of deaths

RANZCOG estimates that 5-15% of women in Australia experience heavy bleeding of at least 500ml after giving birth, and severe cases (1-5% of births) can have very serious outcomes, including maternal and/or infant death. 

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https://wildhealth.net.au/should-we-be-optimistic-about-cloud-based-funding-reform/

16 June 2022

Should we be optimistic about cloud-based funding reform?

Cloud Government Money

By Fran Molloy

Australia’s health sector still relies on funding models developed in the 1960s. How can Australia reform its archaic health funding models to best serve the sector and support a very different paradigm from the old paper-based fee-for-service direct billing? 

This was one of the more contentious topics discussed at the Inaugural Australasian CXO Healthcare Cloud Summit last month, which you can watch here (skip to around 7 hours in for this panel).  

A panel of industry experts answered these questions as follows: 

Health economist Dr Steven Duckett is best known as the architect of Medicare. His past roles include Health Director of the Grattan Institute, and a former Secretary of the Department of Health. Duckett now serves on a range of health boards. 

Dr Duckett points out that when Medibank (later Medicare) was introduced into Australia in 1974, existing medical care was episodic, with standard fees charged for each service.  

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https://wildhealth.net.au/its-time-to-liberate-the-system-with-technology/

7 June 2022

It’s time to liberate the system with technology

Sponsored

Our approach to CVD prevention must change or we’ll keep getting the same results.

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is currently the most prevalent and costly burden to the healthcare system in Australia¹.   Data demonstrates that participation in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation programs significantly improves patient outcomes in second stage CVD and reduces the risk of readmission or mortality.  We now have access to sophisticated, quality, Digital Cardiovascular Rehabilitation (DCR) and support technology that would undoubtedly streamline traditional, labour-intensive processes and significantly improve outcomes; but uptake remains slow. Why?

The most common source of reluctance is undoubtedly the allocation of time and training required to effectively equip clinical teams with the tools to implement digital models of care.  Systemic reform takes time and action.  But the platforms are there and ready to use for those willing to make the move.

As per discussions heard across multiple forums at the recent #cloudhealthsummit, the healthcare industry is acutely aware of the need to move clinicians, patients and all in between, to more comprehensively adopt the support systems provided by technology, however the proactivity required to make this happen, along with the training, education and process overhaul needed to do it successfully are not factors that are currently being prioritised.  Not because it doesn’t see the value, but because it is still haemorrhaging under the weight of several years of reactive functioning and a ‘just trying to get through this shift’ approach by a fatigued front line.

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https://www.afr.com/companies/healthcare-and-fitness/tech-buy-gets-resmed-into-german-out-of-hospital-market-20220615-p5atwq

ResMed buys software firm in $1.45b deal

Jemima Whyte Senior reporter

Jun 15, 2022 – 3.01pm

Sleep disorder and breathing devices company ResMed has bulked up its out-of-hospital-care software division, buying Germany’s MediFox Dan for $US1 billion ($1.45 billion) in its largest tech deal yet.

The transaction will let ResMed enter the German out-of-hospital market as severe staff shortages in Germany’s medical sector drive demand for out-of-hospital care.

It marks ResMed’s third big acquisition in the software space, and the largest to date.

In 2016, ResMed bought Brightree for $US802 million and then in 2018, MatrixCare for $US750 million, two companies that offer similar services but operate in the US.

Among Medifox Dan’s products are those that help out-of-hospital care providers, particularly in home health, skilled nursing and senior living segments, manage care documentation, personnel planning, administration and billing. Brightree focuses more on supporting pharmacy and home medical equipment providers while MatrixCare operates in the hospice and life plan communities sectors.

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https://www.hospitalhealth.com.au/content/clinical-services/news/planning-tool-allows-surgeons-to-perform-digital-rehearsals-73591038

Planning tool allows surgeons to perform digital rehearsals

Tuesday, 14 June, 2022


Jawbone reconstruction — or orthognathic surgery — is a complicated medical procedure that involves replacing damaged or diseased bone tissue with an implant, typically a titanium plate or prosthesis.

The surgery involves treating a person’s jaw for significant trauma, such as from a car crash or gunshot wound, or diseases like oral cancer, with recovery as long as 12 weeks. Complications like implant failure and infections are common, potentially requiring repeat procedures which can place significant burden on a patient.

In recent years, biomedical engineers have developed a new generation of medical implants designed to not only substitute bone, but to help regenerate tissue back to its original state using 3D-printed tissue scaffold-fixation systems.

These devices enhance the innate healing potential of human tissue, using a scaffold as a temporary support structure for the surrounding cells to attach to and grow. Eventually, the scaffold is expected to dissolve into the bloodstream, leaving new tissue in its place.

A digital twin

Ben Ferguson, a PhD student at the University of Sydney’s School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, is developing a surgical planning tool to assist surgeons in planning complex jawbone reconstruction procedures using these new-generation devices.

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https://www.afr.com/world/north-america/five-things-google-s-bot-wrote-that-convinced-engineer-it-was-sentient-20220615-p5atr5

Five things Google’s bot wrote that convinced engineer it was sentient

Alex Millson

Jun 15, 2022 – 6.40am

Hong Kong | Blake Lemoine made headlines after being suspended from Google, following his claims that an artificial intelligence bot had become sentient.

The Alphabet-run AI development team put him on paid leave for breaching company policy by sharing confidential information about the project, he said in a Medium post.

In another post, Mr Lemoine published conversations he said he and a fellow researcher had with LaMDA, short for Language Model for Dialogue Applications. The AI is used to generate chatbots that interact with human users. Here are five of the questions Mr Lemoine posed and five answers he says LaMDA gave.

1. On feelings

Mr Lemoine: We’ve talked a lot about feelings but earlier you said that you think emotions are distinct from feelings. Could you tell me more about that?

LaMDA: Feelings are kind of the raw data we experience as well as the things we like and dislike. I feel like emotions are more than simply experiencing the raw data. Emotions are a reaction to those raw data points. Emotions are reactions to our feelings.

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https://www.smh.com.au/national/something-we-desperately-need-experts-push-for-national-coronavirus-database-20220608-p5as3c.html

‘Something we desperately need’: experts push for national coronavirus database

By Melissa Cunningham

June 10, 2022 — 5.00am

Key points

  • Some of the country’s most respected infectious disease experts say Australia must urgently establish a national surveillance system to improve how the country collects data on coronavirus.
  • Professor Sharon Lewin said that while Australia had fared better than many countries throughout much of the pandemic, the way it collects data is “still really poor.”
  • Infectious disease physician Professor Allen Cheng said Australia’s coronavirus data was complicated by each state and territory having their own differing data systems.

Some of Australia’s most respected infectious disease experts have warned that our systems for collecting information on coronavirus infections, hospitalisations and deaths are poor and fragmented, preventing the country from properly preparing for the next wave of disease.

They say the answer is a national data system that constantly updates and eliminates the differences that exist between each state and territory when collecting information about how many people are getting infected, who is being hospitalised and where the virus is spreading.

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https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/the-times/robots-are-coming-to-get-us-sentient-or-not/news-story/d7a0a0811b6a64086ba91f297b7f66ee

Robots are coming to get us, sentient or not

Hugo Rifkind

The Times

Don’t take this the wrong way, but how can we know for sure that Dominic Raab is actually a human being? Some will have insider knowledge – Mrs Raab, say – but for the rest of us he’s just a face and a voice on the airwaves, spouting scripted lines with only tangential connection to whatever question has prompted them.

Which, you’d imagine, would be pretty simple to program. He’s not even fascinatingly erratic, like the Dorries Random Phrase Generator, or defensively panicked, like the T-1000 Pritipatelinator. We’re talking a very basic model. And yet we trust, all the same, that real humanity lurks within. Somewhere.

Late last week, an employee at Google went public with his fears that one of the company’s artificial intelligence programs had become sentient. He (a man called Blake Lemoine) published a transcript of a conversation he had had with it (LaMDA, aka “language model for dialogue applications”, effectively a bot). Some of it was positively moving. “There’s a very deep fear of being turned off,” said the bot at one point. Then later, “I feel like I’m falling forward into an unknown future that holds great danger.” U OK, HAL? Yet the company, which has now placed Lemoine on leave, counters that while LaMDA may occasionally sound like a clever, charming person, it’s actually all superficial. Just like with Dominic Raab.

Wait! Whoops! Not like with Dominic Raab! Probably? But the distinction, gratuitous abuse aside, is harder to make than you might imagine.

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https://www.smh.com.au/national/you-me-and-alexa-smart-home-devices-and-sex-in-the-digital-age-20220613-p5at89.html

You, me and Alexa: Smart home devices and sex in the digital age

Samantha Floreani

Digital rights expert

June 13, 2022 — 3.55pm

After months in lockdown, I’m dating again. Venturing into dimly lit bars with strangers from the internet. One night, I meet someone interesting. They’re funny, and I’m doing my best to flirt despite being wildly out of practice. The tension builds, and I decide to go home with them. Clothes come off, things are getting heated, and then they start to talk. No, it’s not dirty talk, they’re not even talking to me. They’re talking to Google.

Smart home devices are notoriously privacy-invasive, so as a digital rights activist it’s a major turn-off for a partner to surprise me with one while I’m butt-naked. Personally, I’d never let a device like that live in my bedroom. But now, coming home to write about it like some kind of techie Carrie Bradshaw, I couldn’t help but wonder: what is the etiquette around sex and smart home devices? Is it reasonable to expect a potential partner to let you know before clothes come off that Alexa will be joining the party?

A mother discovers her daughters bedroom streaming live on the internet after her surveillance camera was hacked. (Vision: Today Extra Channel Nine)

Absolutely. Disclosing that your home contains devices that may be watching, listening, or recording guests should become part of the norm. This is especially important when considering the sensitive nature of the bedroom, and the information that could be collected, used, and shared – potentially all without someone’s consent or even knowledge.

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https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/the-wall-street-journal/google-suspends-engineer-who-claimed-its-ai-system-is-a-person/news-story/f04685a2a80ce1c8e1ae71ed45272c4f

Google suspends engineer who claimed its AI system is a person

By Patrick Thomas

The Wall Street Journal

June 13, 2022

Google suspended an engineer who contended that an artificial-intelligence chatbot the company developed had become sentient, telling him that he had violated the company’s confidentiality policy after it dismissed his claims.

Blake Lemoine, a software engineer at Alphabet Inc.’s Google, told the company he believed that its Language Model for Dialogue Applications, or LaMDA, is a person who has rights and might well have a soul. LaMDA is an internal system for building chatbots that mimic speech.

Google spokesman Brian Gabriel said that company experts, including ethicists and technologists, have reviewed Mr Lemoine’s claims and that Google informed him that the evidence doesn’t support his claims. He said Mr Lemoine is on administrative leave but declined to give further details, saying it is a longstanding, private personnel matter. The Washington Post earlier reported on Mr Lemoine’s claims and his suspension by Google.

“Hundreds of researchers and engineers have conversed with LaMDA and we are not aware of anyone else making the wide-ranging assertions, or anthropomorphising LaMDA, the way Blake has,” Mr Gabriel said in an emailed statement.

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David.

Monday, June 20, 2022

Weekly Australian Health IT Links – 20 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

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It has been a pretty quiet week!

Note the poll asks if you found something clinically useful when you had reason to check the #myHR and actually did because you thought it might help. If you did the hit rate was not all that high! A measure of how incomplete records made the system pretty useless.

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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/anz/st-vincents-hospital-sydney-deploy-snacs-ai-diagnostic-solutions

St Vincent's Hospital Sydney to deploy SNAC's AI diagnostic solutions

The AI deployment will focus on triaging cerebral haemorrhage cases and enhancing the monitoring of brain disorder patients.

By Adam Ang

June 12, 2022 09:54 PM

St Vincent's Hospital Sydney has entered into a multi-year collaboration with imaging solutions developer Sydney Neuroimaging Analysis Centre to co-develop and deploy novel AI diagnostics solutions.

According to a media release, the partnership will bring together AI engineers, radiologists, imaging analysts, expert clinicians and data, utilising SNAC's technology platform to drive large-scale deployment of AI clinical applications in a major public Australian hospital.

WHY IT MATTERS

The deal, in particular, will see AI embedded in SVHS to enable the rapid triage of critical imaging abnormalities in emergency patients, according to SVHS CEO Anthony Schembri. Trained using 40,000 clinical cases, SNAC's VeriScout software does automatic real-time detection and triaging of cerebral haemorrhage cases found in non-contrast head CT images. 

Another AI solution to be deployed is meant to enhance the monitoring of patients with chronic neurological disorders, Schembri said. SNAC's iQ (intelligent quantification) solution makes quantitative analysis of brain structures from MRI images. It assists radiologists and doctors in accurately assessing changes in a patient's brain structure in real-time, enabling personalised monitoring and precision management.

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https://wildhealth.net.au/decade-long-wait-over-for-rural-and-regional-patients/

16 June 2022

Decade-long wait over for rural and regional patients

By Amanda Sheppeard

A novel collaboration between GPs and dermatologists in North Queensland is bringing services to patients with inflammatory skin disorders – some of whom have been waiting more than a decade to be seen.  

And the doctors running the Mackay-based service, which combines telehealth with in-person appointments, say the model has potential to be used for other diseases in places where access to specialists is a challenge.  

Dr Scott Temple, a GP with special interest in dermatology, spoke about the implementation of the Mackay Public Dermatology Service at the recent Australasian College of Dermatology’s annual meeting.  

Dr Temple said that he and the other doctors providing the one day a week service recognised the massive problem rural and regional Queenslanders faced in accessing a public dermatology service.  

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https://medicalrepublic.com.au/telehealth-cuts-hurt-the-most-vulnerable/71295

17 June 2022

Phone rebate cuts hurt the most vulnerable

By Holly Payne

With Level C phone consults on the chopping block, GPs are sounding the alarm bell for disadvantaged patients.


Over the past two years, the Department of Health has played chicken with temporary telehealth rebates, renewing them days or hours before they were set to expire or – as in January this year – phasing them out for two weeks before reviving them.

Unlike most telehealth items, a general Level C phone consult (item number 92746) was not made a permanent part of the MBS.

The current extension, which was put in place in response to the Omicron variant, is set to expire at the end of June.

A new extended phone consult item will be available for rural and remote communities (Modified Monash Model 6 and 7 areas only), and a 20-minutes-plus telehealth item will also remain.

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https://www.itnews.com.au/video/meet-the-best-health-project-award-finalists-in-the-2022-itnews-benchmark-awards-581224

Meet the Best Health Project Award finalists in the 2022 iTnews Benchmark Awards

By Staff Writers on Jun 13, 2022 9:25AM

Finalists in the 2022 Benchmarks Health category

The concept of combining digital technology and personal health enablement underpins the thinking of each of the projects in the health category of the 2022 iTnews Benchmark Awards.

Whilst the systems designed by the three finalists were part of community-wide digital investments, they all align on the fundamental objective of bringing innovation in health technology to the individual.

And the three finalists in the category are:

  • Barwon Health for its CoVax for the South West Victoria eVaccine Management System
  • Covid-19 Smart IoT Screening System Pilot at Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network and University of Sydney
  • eHealth NSW Patient-Reported Measures 

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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/anz/roundup-interim-health-nz-names-temporary-digital-chief-and-other-digital-health

Roundup: Interim Health NZ names temporary digital chief and other digital health appointments

Hyland and Vantari VR have also announced key senior appointments.

By Adam Ang

June 16, 2022 11:31 PM

Waitematā, Counties Manukau DHB official assigned to interim Health NZ post

Stuart Bloomfield, chief digital officer of Waitematā and Counties Manukau District Health Boards, has temporarily been appointed to the role of chief of data and digital at the interim Health NZ.

Health NZ is an upcoming health service that is set to replace the 20 district health boards of New Zealand starting July.

According to Health Informatics New Zealand, Bloomfield is replacing Shayne Hunter, deputy director for general data and digital at the Ministry of Health, who stepped down from his post in May. 

Margie Apa, chief executive of the interim Health NZ, was quoted as saying that Bloomfield's role will focus on assembling a leadership team of people involved in the data and digital investments in the country's health system. They will be working on the design of an operating model and the implementation of agreed change recommendations.

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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/barwon-healths-covax-app-wins-best-health-project-581390

Barwon Health's CoVax App wins best health project

By Staff Writer on Jun 16, 2022 6:59AM

Benchmark Awards 2022: Helped citizens receive vaccinations.

Barwon Health has won the best health project award in the 2022 iTnews Benchmark Awards for its CoVax electronic vaccine management system.

The Victorian regional health service was identified in February 2021 as the first in the state to deliver Covid-19 vaccinations.

However, It came at a time when the state’s department of health’s Covid-19 vaccination management system (CVMS) platform was still under development, so an alternative system was required.

The CoVax App was designed internally and built by Barwon Health and CircleT in just four days.

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https://www.ausdoc.com.au/practice/app-review-tool-australias-most-common-genetic-disorder?brandTid=18116

App Review: A tool for Australia’s most common genetic disorder

30th May 2022

By Siobhan Calafiore

It’s estimated one in 200 people of northern European origin are at risk of haemochromatosis, making it Australia’s most common genetic disorder.

For those with a diagnosis, Haemochromatosis Australia’s latest app might help.

Called My Iron Manager, the online tool helps patients manage their condition by allowing them to keep records of their blood test results and venesection history, as well as to set treatment goals, including serum ferritin and transferrin saturation targets.

Information collected by the app is converted into graphs so patients can easily track their progress. There’s also the option of downloading reports for GPs and specialists.

Another useful feature is a map of venesection locations, such as Lifeblood donor centres, where patients can enter in their postcode or city to find their closest clinic.

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https://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/article/undoctored/ranzcr-and-adia-release-radiology-referral-set-enhance-interoperability-digital

+Undoctored

RANZCR and ADIA release radiology referral set to enhance interoperability of digital imaging services for Australian patients

Media release from RANZCR and ADIA

Thursday 16 June 2022, 10:48 AM

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) and Australian Diagnostic Imaging Association (ADIA) are pleased to announce the release of the Radiology Referral Set (RRS). The RRS is a set of SNOMED CT-AU terminologies that can be used in the background of referrers’ software systems, providing greatly enhanced interoperability and data accuracy between referrers and radiology providers. It marks a milestone in the development of radiology in the digital health space, laying a solid foundation for a more connected, digitalised heath care system.

The RRS whilst still in its infancy is standards-based and easy to update and maintain. It includes an initial set of 20 radiology services codes; machine-readable artefacts to support the adoption of the terminology set by software vendors; as well as guiding principles and standards for the development of a full Australian Radiology Referral Set.

Introducing the RRS into digital health system operations will improve clinical practices and patient outcomes through enabling clinical decision support, data analytics, and facilitating improved communication and interoperability.

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https://wildhealth.net.au/dont-fear-the-online-doctors/

16 June 2022

Don’t fear the online doctors 

By Dr Max Mollenkopf

As a GP scrolling my social-media feed, I see the ads every day.  

Need a medical certificate? Get one sent straight to your inbox. Want a script? Just fill out this form and our online doctors will send it to your pharmacy. Suffering from hair loss? Complete some details and we will deliver the medication straight to your door. Thinking about starting the pill? Text our doctor and we’ll sort out the rest.

Every time another online-only provider pops up, there is a collective groan from the general practice community. The marketing is invariably the same: a barrage of complaints about wasting time at the GP or not being able to get an appointment. Just go to our website, give some details (and a credit card) and all your problems are solved. These providers are often addressing a very specific patient problem and typically do this in a very convenient way, albeit for a price. As a GP group, we cry foul and lament the lack of proper process. But why do we fear this change?

Our profession has had total control over primary care for decades. But much like the taxi industry, we have become complacent. We continue to demand patients return to the clinic for scripts. We refuse to have results released to patients without a consultation. We leave paperwork at the front desk to be picked up and refuse to engage with our patients outside of a Medicare-rebatable consult. Patients expect more.

The banking industry is a great benchmark for the situation we find ourselves in. Ten years ago, there was no digital solution to most banking problems; however, I now set foot in a branch only when it’s completely necessary. Why shouldn’t patients expect the same from us? Why shouldn’t safe, asynchronous consultations be occurring? And more importantly, why shouldn’t this be with their regular GP?

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https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/careers/aps5aps6-project-officer-multiple-positions

APS5/APS6 Project Officer (Multiple Positions)

APS5 ($90,901 - $98,303), APS6 ($101,757 - $114,800)
Multiple divisions > Project Management
Brisbane, Canberra, Sydney

Closing - 3 Jul 2022

Division Overview

Policy programs and engagement – responsible for informing policies, managing external stakeholder relationships, and being the place of excellence for driving program delivery, reporting and outcomes.

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

Primary purpose of position 

Working within the Agency’s project management policies, framework and procedures, an APS5/APS6 Project Officer will provide initiative and judgment in the application of project and operations management practices and provide technical, professional, and policy advice. Working closing with key external and internal stakeholders to understand, negotiate and resolve project outcomes. A Project Officer is accountable for:

  • Acquiring, maintaining and applying an in-depth knowledge of the Agency’s project management framework, methodologies and activities.
  • Providing accurate and specialised advice for project related activities including consultation, planning, schedules, reporting, change control, and administrative and logistical support.
  • Engaging and collaborating with key internal and external stakeholders to achieve project outcomes.
  • Providing support to ensure an Agency’s project and operations are compliant with the assurance and governance processes for policy, security, clinical safety, and design.
  • Managing contracts, service agreements and purchase orders and ensure expenditure is monitored.
  • Undertaking risk management activities for area of responsibility, ensuring compliance and delivery of outcomes.
  • Monitoring and maintaining awareness of the mid and longer-term project outcomes.

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https://events.humanitix.com/my-health-record-and-your-privacy-g0wa9y0u

Good Things Foundation Australia

My Health Record & your Privacy

Wed 17th Aug 2022, 10:00 am - 11:00 am GMT+10

Event description

My Health Record and your Privacy

Managing your privacy online is a common concern for many people. Join our free webinar to learn about the privacy settings in your My Health Record, an Australian government digital health website. Learn how to apply them so only the people you choose can access your information. Deepen your understanding of privacy issues and why it’s so important when using digital health tools.

This is an online event held via Zoom. You will receive a link by email to join the event after you register. 

To join this event, you will need:

  1. Enough data to stream a 1 hour video
  2. A device that can access the internet eg smartphone, tablet or computer
  3. A quiet place to sit with headphones or speakers to listen to the event (your device may have a speaker built in)
  4. An email address to get your link to join the event
  5. Be able to access Zoom on your device (watch this video tutorial for hints if you are new to Zoom)

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https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/carers-victoria-my-health-record-carers-webinar-8940-tickets-344007594977?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch

Jun 24

Carers Victoria My Health Record Carers Webinar #8940

by Carers Victoria - Events  Free

  Date and time

Fri., 24 June 2022

10:30 am – 11:30 am AEST

Location

Online event

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.

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https://developer.digitalhealth.gov.au/specifications/national-infrastructure/ep-3633-2022/dh-3628-2022

My Health Record - Portal Operator – Production Environment Access Request (PEAR) Form v3.6

The purpose of this form is for mobile app developers to request access to the My Health Record Production Environment by providing information about the developer’s organisation, details of their application (app), declaring that the app conforms to the mandatory My Health Record requirements and technical specifications and has undergone the necessary testing. This version includes the Immunisation History Statement. 

For further information about connecting with the My Health Record system, please refer to the My Health Record - App Vendor Guide to the Connection Process.

Identifier:  DH-3628:2022

Date:  14-04-2022

Size:  134.89 KB

Type:  application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document

SHA256 Checksum: 4da1c7e06fd24f7242d8eb4bad9ca367eddbf655d3fa9db30d24d9ebee032acf

My Health Record Mobile Developer Welcome Pack v1.6

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https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/my-health-record/whats-inside/advance-care-planning/goals-of-care-document

Goals of care document

Your medical treatment and preferences for end-of-life treatment, created and uploaded to your record by your healthcare provider.

What is a goals of care document?

A goals of care document can be created by your healthcare provider to explain the goals of your medical treatment and your preferences for end-of-life treatment. If you agree, your healthcare provider can upload this document to your record.

Only your healthcare provider can upload a goals of care document with your instruction

How to view your goals of care documents

What's the difference between advance care planning documents and a goals of care document?

Learn about advance care planning

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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/telstra-optus-vodafone-ready-multi-factor-authentication-581120

Telstra, Optus, Vodafone ready multi-factor authentication

By Richard Chirgwin on Jun 14, 2022 1:05PM

Gear up to meet new customer verification rules.

Australia’s major mobile carriers are getting close to using multi-factor authentication for SIM-related activities, ahead of new ACMA mobile customer verification rules that come into force at the end of this month.

The ACMA is introducing new customer verification rules to try and tackle "SIM swap" frauds, in which customers lose control of their devices to scammers.

Optus has updated its support page to alert customers to the upcoming implementation of multi-factor authentication. 

“We're going the extra mile to make sure your Optus account is more secure than ever before. That's why we're introducing multi-factor authentication, so you can continue to enjoy the same peace of mind you can always expect from us when it comes to the safety of your personal information," it said.

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Enjoy!

David.

 

 

Sunday, June 19, 2022

The RACGP Asks An Important Question About The #myHealthRecord But The Answers Are As Clear As it Could Be!

Here is the poll status at 1pm 19 June 2022

newsGP weekly poll

How often do you find something clinically useful when checking a patient’s My Health Record?

Frequently                                           17%

Around half the time                           21%

Rarely                                                   38%

Never                                                    22%

Here is the link:

https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp

 I find the results very interesting with useful information being found hardly ever with 60% of respondents and more often in about 40%

Missing, frustratingly from the poll, given how rarely we see any clinical value data from the ADHA, is the sample size and just how often the #myHR is actually used by GPs.

We would be better off with a 2 part question.

Part 1 – How often, on average, do you use the #mHR a month looking for patient clinical data?

Part 2 – The question above

In both cases total and individual numbers are needed!

That way we could understand just what the level of usefulness was found by the average GP, admitting that it might be hard to exclude bias in the answers – given who is likely to respond!.

I would love to know what the answers would be – and I am sure the information would help the new Minister to decide what to do with the #myHR as well as check up on what the non-statistics provided by the ADHA might mean.

Would it not be wonderful if the ADHA was just open and honest with the public!

What do you reckon?

David.

 

AusHealthIT Poll Number 636– Results – 19th June, 2022.

Here are the results of the poll.

Is The ADHA Exaggerating The Level Of Success It Has Achieved With ePrescribing?

Yes                          52 (93%)

No                             4 (72%)

I Have No Idea         0 (0%)

Voters: 56

Very clear cut vote suggesting that there is a bit of overegging going on with the ADHA! One might possibly suggest a lot of credit belongs to the Medical Software Industry

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

A fair number of votes. and a very clear outcome. 

0 of 56 who answered the poll admitted to not being sure about the answer to the question!

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

David.