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."

Sunday, June 25, 2023

AusHealthIT Poll Number 702– Results – 25 June, 2023.

Here are the results of the poll.

Has Wesfarmers Done A Good Deal Buying InstantScripts For $135M?

Yes                                                                26 (59%)

No                                                                 13 (30%)

Have No Idea                                                  5 (11%)

Votes: 44

A pretty clear outcome suggesting that most readers think Westfarmers were pretty canny with the purchase.

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

A good count of votes. But also a pretty clear outcome. 

5 of 44 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.

 

I Took Six Months Off And Nothing Changed!

It is really amazing what rubbish continue to get fed to us by ADHA.

These 2 little gems appeared recently!

23 June 2023

ADHA announces ‘coalition of the willing’

Government Interoperability

By Wendy John

The Council for Connected Care has been launched to accelerate healthcare data sharing.


A consortium of 25 health leaders has been assembled by Canberra with the imperative to finally make healthcare data sharing a reality.

The new Council for Connected Care was established by the Australian Digital Health Agency and has been tasked with accelerating interoperability.

Peter O’Halloran, chief digital officer of the ADHA, said he was excited about the creation of the Council, which would have a strategic voice and help accelerate implementation of the national interoperability plan.

“We’ve got all those people, some of the best and brightest in healthcare – academics, clinicians, consumers, policy and technical people – all in one room together to ensure that what we’re doing will meet the needs of healthcare consumers and clinicians,” he said.

The Council is chaired by Mr Rob Heferen, chief executive of the Australian Institute of Health, and is supported by a dedicated secretariat. Members represent key players in the healthcare sector including First Nations healthcare, consumers, digital health and peak bodies.

There is one representative from the medical software industry and currently no members who own or run digital health platforms.

However, Mr O’Halloran said a range of members had significant commercial expertise, including those providing services in the health and aged care sectors. He added that the Council was a strategic representation of the healthcare sector and that a series of task-specific working groups would be established at an operational level.

Mr O’Halloran told TMR that the Council was a missing piece of the puzzle of establishing interoperability in Australia.

“Now we’ve got the coalition of the willing who want to actually help us progress [interoperability] and progress it quickly. We have the national interoperability plan, there are 44 actions. The Council gives us the ability to get traction quickly, move forward quickly,” he said.

Here is the link to the full article:

https://www.medicalrepublic.com.au/adha-announces-coalition-of-the-willing/93909

And here is another interesting one.

25 May 2023

Digital health reform: Government can’t do it alone


By Wendy John

Digital health heavyweights connect with industry to outline MHR strategy.


The Federal Budget may have promised almost $1.1bn for reforms in digital health but using that money wisely and usefully will take comprehensive input from the industry, say experts.

Budget measures include $325.7m to run the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA), which is separate to extra buckets for e-prescribing ($111.8m), My Health Record ($429m over two years), modernising healthcare delivery ($69.7m), and intergovernmental agreement ($126.8m).

But money isn’t the only key to success, said Daniel McCabe, the Department of Health and Aged Care’s first assistant secretary in digital health, speaking at last week’s Medical Software Industry Association event.

“The government doesn’t have all the intellectual property or wherewithal to make this happen,” he said.

“It needs a lot of work with industry to move the plan forward. We realise now we need to bring on all healthcare providers including nurse practitioners. We are trying to put the patient back in the centre of the healthcare agenda.”

Some of that patient-centred goal would be created collaboratively with industry, while some would be mandated, he said.

Mr McCabe said the CSIRO would present an interoperability adoption strategy and roadmap in 2025.

Amanda Cattermole, chief executive at the ADHA, said the budget enabled the ADHA to do its part as a steward of the national health infrastructure, “providing some, but not all” of the digital health services patients required.

“The most exciting part is the policy environment the ADHA is now working in,” she said.

“Government support has moved digital health from the ‘nice to have’ into the absolute cornerstone. This an historic moment for the agency.”

Panelist Graham Grieve, the creator of fast health interoperability resources (FHIR) interoperability standards, was asked about what concerned him most about Australia’s digital health infrastructures.

He said that the rest of the world was designing systems that were “genuinely patient centred since they do not have something like the My Health Record (MHR)”.

“Given the ADHA’s significant operational stake in MHR, can it lead, and be trusted to lead, a system redesign that isn’t jaundiced by being tied to MHR? This is something that we’ll all need to pay close attention to,” he said.

Ben Cardillo, CEO of Capstone, said while it was encouraging to hear government and ADHA leaders state their commitment to consultation, a commercial lens was critical.

“Australia has a complex, multi-tiered health system. The department and ADHA’s challenge will be to develop a compelling business case to convince the myriad of different stakeholder groups to adopt new systems and processes based on common, national standards.  Not a trivial task,” he said.

David Rowlands, head of Digital Health Leadership Australia, revealed the development process for an Australian FHIR management framework. The framework would include a community process to develop interoperability standards and a governance structure. Mr Rowlands has been engaged by the CSIRO to develop a minimum viable plan by June 2023.

Here is the link to the full article:

https://www.healthservicesdaily.com.au/digital-health-reform-government-cant-do-it-alone/1048

One tiny question. Has anyone thought a Digital Health Future in Australia WITHOUT the MyHealthRecord might be best?

David.

Monday, June 12, 2023

AusHealthIT Poll Number 701– Results – 11 June, 2023.

Here are the results of the poll.

Is The Potential Of AI In Digital Health Over-Hyped?

Yes                                                                 38 (67%)

No                                                                  16 (28%)

Have No Idea                                                   3 (5%)

Votes: 57

A pretty clear outcome suggesting that most readers think there is a degree of excessive hype around AI in digital health. I am not sure they are right.

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

A very good count of votes. But also a pretty clear outcome. 

3 of 57 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.

I Asked ChatGPT - What Would Be The Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Digital Health?

 Here is what it thought!

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“The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in digital health is expected to be significant and transformative. Here are several key areas where AI is already making an impact and is expected to continue doing so:

  1. Improved diagnostics: AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of medical data, including images, lab results, and patient records, to assist in the diagnosis of diseases. AI-powered diagnostic tools can help healthcare professionals detect conditions earlier, identify patterns and correlations, and provide more accurate and personalized treatment plans.
  2. Personalized medicine: AI can enable personalized treatment plans by analyzing individual patient data, including genetic information, medical history, lifestyle factors, and treatment responses. This information can be used to tailor therapies and interventions to specific patients, optimizing outcomes and minimizing adverse effects.
  3. Remote monitoring and telehealth: AI-enabled remote monitoring devices and telehealth platforms can continuously collect and analyze patient data, allowing healthcare providers to monitor patients' health status remotely. This can help in early detection of health issues, improve chronic disease management, and reduce the need for in-person visits, particularly in underserved areas.
  4. Drug discovery and development: AI algorithms can sift through massive volumes of biomedical data, including scientific literature, clinical trial data, and genetic information, to identify potential drug candidates and accelerate the drug discovery process. AI can also optimize clinical trials by identifying eligible participants and predicting treatment responses.
  5. Workflow optimization: AI can streamline administrative tasks, such as appointment scheduling, medical coding, and billing, allowing healthcare professionals to focus more on patient care. Natural language processing (NLP) algorithms can also automate medical transcription, enabling faster and more accurate documentation of patient encounters.
  6. Predictive analytics: By leveraging machine learning techniques, AI can analyze patient data to identify patterns and predict health outcomes. This can be valuable in predicting disease progression, identifying high-risk patients who may benefit from proactive interventions, and improving population health management.
  7. Health chatbots and virtual assistants: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can provide 24/7 support to patients, answering their health-related questions, providing medication reminders, and offering general health advice. These tools can help individuals access information and support, especially in areas with limited healthcare resources.

While AI holds great potential in digital health, there are also challenges to address, including privacy concerns, data security, algorithm bias, and the need for regulatory frameworks to ensure safe and ethical use of AI in healthcare. Nonetheless, AI has the potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery, improve patient outcomes, and enhance the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the healthcare system.”

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That’s telling me!

David.

Sunday, May 28, 2023

AusHealthIT Poll Number 700– Results – 28 May, 2023.

 Here are the results of the poll.

What Do You Think Of The Amount Of Money Allocated To The ADHA In The Recent Federal Budget? (About 300 Million Dollars)

Too Much                                                           22 (96%)

About Right                                                           1 (4%)

Not Enough                                                            0 (0%) 

Have No Idea                                                         0 (0%)

Votes: 23

A pretty clear outcome suggesting that most readers think we are spending too much on the ADHA

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

A very poor umber of votes. but a pretty clear outcome. 

0 of 23 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.

Chat-GPT 4 Has An Interesting Take On Digital Health Progress In Australia

GPT Q and A!  - 27/05/2023

Q. How Is The Discipline Of Digital Health Progressing In Australia?

A. The discipline of Digital Health in Australia is experiencing significant progress and growth. Digital health refers to the use of digital technologies, such as electronic health records, telehealth, health apps, and wearable devices, to improve healthcare delivery, patient outcomes, and population health management.

Australia has been actively embracing digital health initiatives and has made substantial investments in this field. The Australian government has implemented various programs and policies to promote the adoption and integration of digital health technologies across the healthcare system. One notable initiative is the My Health Record system, which aims to create a shared electronic health record for all Australians, enabling better coordination of care and access to health information.

In addition to government initiatives, there is a growing ecosystem of digital health startups, research institutions, and industry collaborations in Australia. These entities are driving innovation in areas such as telehealth services, remote patient monitoring, health data analytics, and health informatics.

Australian healthcare providers, including hospitals, clinics, and primary care practices, are increasingly adopting digital health solutions to enhance patient care, improve efficiency, and enable better communication and collaboration among healthcare professionals. Telehealth services, in particular, have seen significant growth, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing patients to access healthcare remotely and reducing barriers to care, such as geographical distance.

Furthermore, research and academic institutions in Australia are actively engaged in digital health research, exploring areas such as artificial intelligence in healthcare, data privacy and security, health data analytics, and patient-centered digital interventions.

Overall, the discipline of Digital Health in Australia is progressing rapidly, driven by government support, industry innovation, and research advancements. The adoption and integration of digital health technologies continue to transform the healthcare landscape, offering opportunities to improve healthcare outcomes, enhance patient experiences, and address healthcare challenges.

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Good to know! What do you think?

David.