Artificial Intelligence

The revolution changing the face of healthcare delivery

The eHealth year in review: part 4

20 December 2013

The result of the September federal election was never really in doubt, but you couldn’t say the same for the future of the PCEHR. As expected, newly elected Health Minister Peter Dutton set up a review of the system, the discussion about which dominated the last quarter of the year. As expected, long-time opposition health […]

NEHTA resurrects clinical leads under new name

19 December 2013

The National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) has established a new team of clinical governance advisors, following the mass resignations of the organisation’s former clinical leads team in August. NEHTA’s clinical governance unit (CG) has also taken on a new role and function, covering two sub-units of clinical safety and clinical functional assurance. It is headed […]

The eHealth year in review: part 3

19 December 2013

Rumblings under the surface of the NEHTA clinical leads team over the direction of the PCEHR erupted in the third quarter of the year, when the bulk of the team abruptly resigned. Despite the acute care and aged care sectors making PCEHR progress, the resignations looked ominous as the federal election loomed. In the third […]

NSW takes a federated approach with $400m eHealth blueprint

18 December 2013

NSW will take a federated approach that balances centralised IT decision-making with localised input as part of its Blueprint for eHealth in NSW, released today by Health Minister Jillian Skinner. The blueprint formally establishes a new eHealth NSW division as a separate entity from HealthShare – which provides services such as payroll and linen and […]

Allied health software vendor suspends PCEHR integration

18 December 2013

Allied health software specialist myPractice has decided to suspend any further work on integrating with the PCEHR until it becomes much more clear that the system is going to be of value and is wanted by its customers. myPractice founder and developer Glen Germaine said his company had been enthusiastic about integrating with the Healthcare […]

The eHealth year in review: part 1

17 December 2013

In 2013, as in 2012, no issue was more scrutinised in Australia’s eHealth sector than the PCEHR. The ongoing saga of the national eHealth system kept the proponents in the spotlight, the naysayers in anguish and Pulse+IT in copious amounts of copy. In the first of a four-part review of the year in eHealth, we […]

Gulf between patients and doctors over EMR access

16 December 2013

An Accenture survey of consumer attitudes towards patient access to electronic medical records has shown that 78 per cent of patients believe they should have full access, but only 22 per cent do so. The survey of consumers follows one taken late last year of doctors’ attitudes, in which only 18 per cent of doctors […]

Genie releases Mavericks, Windows 8.1 versions

16 December 2013

Clinical and practice management software vendor Genie Solutions has released v8.6.1 of its software, which is certified for use with Windows 8.1 and Apple’s new OSX 10.9, better known as Mavericks. Genie previous version features native integration for Macs with eRx Script Exchange. Practices using eRx can also upload this information to a patient’s PCEHR […]

Tale of a 10-year journey for SA Health

12 December 2013

In September this year, South Australian Health CIO David Johnston handed over the baton after a decade in the role, just as his team’s long-term strategy to implement a statewide integrated EHR was coming to a head with the rollout of the Allscripts EPAS system. While people may have a different opinion on whether a […]

App joins the fight against anti-vaxers

12 December 2013

The Australian Academy of Science has released a Science Q&A app to provide the scientific evidence for immunisation and help dispel the myths promulgated by anti-vaccination groups. Available for Android and Apple tablet devices, the app is based on based on the academy’s Science of Immunisation booklet, published last year and distributed to 7000 GPs. […]

PCEHR to be modified to allow health record overview

11 December 2013

The National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) has announced there are plans to modify the PCEHR infrastructure to allow a new overview to be presented in clinical software, and has also launched a training environment to let organisations give the PCEHR a test run with simulated data and patients. Officially available since Monday, the training environment […]

Glitch in PCEHR allows allied health to upload SHSs

11 December 2013

An apparent glitch in the security arrangements for the PCEHR means that allied health practitioners are able to upload shared health summaries through general practice software, contrary to the rules of the PCEHR Act. The act states that only medical practitioners, registered nurses or Aboriginal health workers, as the patient’s nominated healthcare provider, are allowed […]

Loddon Mallee sets its sights on teledermatology clinic

11 December 2013

Loddon Mallee Murray Medicare Local (LMMML) has recruited a second practice for a teledermatology clinic it is running in association with Royal Melbourne Hospital. The organisation is also looking to set up an oncology handover clinic for local residents and their GPs using telehealth, and is scoping out the viability of a telehealth-delivered pain clinic […]

Send A Script to collaborate with MediSecure

10 December 2013

Electronic prescription exchange service MediSecure has formed a collaboration with the developers of the Send a Script mobile pharmacy app. While it is not a formal partnership, both companies will promote each other’s products, with Send a Script featuring the collaboration on its app and MediSecure to work on branding on the paper scripts issued […]

PCEHR interface not the sticking point for clinicians

9 December 2013

Anecdotal evidence from users of general practice and medical specialist clinical software about the programs’ interfaces to the PCEHR shows that whatever clinical usability issues the system has, the actual interface is the least of its problems. Several clinical software vendors contacted by Pulse+IT say they have received very little feedback on the interfaces they […]

Triple Zero app with GPS identifies location in emergency

9 December 2013

National emergency services organisations have launched an app that allows callers ringing Triple Zero on their mobiles to be located by GPS tracking. The free Emergency+ app has been developed by the national Triple Zero Awareness Work Group (TZAWG) following concern about the release of smartphone apps that claimed to send location details to emergency […]

HotDoc the new kid on the block

9 December 2013

Melbourne-based HotDoc is the latest company to enter the growing online medical appointment booking market, offering a customised web booking application with a free mobile app and with plans to launch extra add-on features such as a practice management dashboard. Established by Melbourne doctor Ben Hurst last year, HotDoc has its sights set on improving […]

AIIA calls for action to implement the PCEHR plumbing

5 December 2013

The operators of the PCEHR need to concentrate on implementing the “plumbing” of the national eHealth system and ensure that standardised secure electronic messaging and health identifiers are widely used so that effective technical integration between software across the health sector and the PCEHR is possible. In its submission to the PCEHR review, the Australian […]

The San goes live with AMT for drug allergies

5 December 2013

The Sydney Adventist Hospital (SAH) has gone live with an updated version of its SNOMED-enabled allergies list that includes mapped brand and generic names for medications through the Australian Medicines Terminology (AMT). SAH, also affectionately known as The San, first instituted an allergies pick-list based on SNOMED-CT AU within its electronic medical record SanCare in […]

Basic technology a PCEHR barrier for allied health

4 December 2013

Low levels of computerisation – and a lack of incentive to invest in basic infrastructure – along with no clear role for allied health professionals in the national eHealth system have been highlighted as barriers to greater uptake in a number of submissions to the panel reviewing the PCEHR. Western Sydney Medicare Local (WSML) argues […]

AutumnCare to let GPs connect for medications profile

4 December 2013

Aged care software vendor AutumnCare is building functionality to enable general practitioners to view a full medications profile of their patients in residential aged care facilities, generated by AutumnCare’s Medicate module. GPs are currently able to remotely log in to the system to request medication changes from the resident’s nominated pharmacist. The changes are automatically […]

Aged care repeats calls for PCEHR transfer document

3 December 2013

The Aged Care Industry Information Technology Council (ACIITC) has repeated its long-held view that a transfer document be established on the PCEHR as a way to improve care coordination for older people moving between aged, primary and acute care. In its submission to the panel reviewing the PCEHR, the council – a joint venture between […]

Best Practice and Zedmed integrate with Tyro, NPDR

2 December 2013

Clinical and practice management software solutions Best Practice and Zedmed are now both integrated with Tyro’s EFTPOS Medicare Easyclaim solution, which enables Medicare rebates to be paid into the patient’s bank account almost immediately. Best Practice expects to have the functionality available in wide release next year. Both companies are also soon to release new […]

Dr Foster now on offer as Telstra outlines eHealth plans

2 December 2013

Telstra’s new healthcare division has secured the exclusive rights to provide the Dr Foster risk-adjusted quality measurement tool for hospitals in Australia. Telstra’s head of health, Shane Solomon, said 17 hospitals in Australia were currently using the tool and the Victorian government had recently contracted Dr Foster’s Quality Investigator platform for its major hospitals. The […]

PCEHR needs simplified registration, hospital participation

28 November 2013

The overwhelming majority of respondents to a survey aimed at informing the panel set up to review the PCEHR believe there are barriers to further take-up, and that there are many cases of usability issues that require further analysis. However, few respondents believed there are existing software products available that could replace the PCEHR, and […]

RACGP calls for suspension of further PCEHR development

28 November 2013

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has called for the development program for the PCEHR to be suspended immediately in order to consolidate the existing system and test for clinical benefit, usability and safety. In its submission to the panel reviewing the PCEHR, the RACGP has criticised the lack of clinical input into […]

Gulf between PCEHR rhetoric and reality – CeHA

27 November 2013

There is a “dramatic gulf” between what the builders of the national eHealth system are saying about the current state of play and the reality of the situation, according to the Consumers’ eHealth Alliance (CeHA). In its submission (PDF) to the three-man panel reviewing the PCEHR, CeHA has highlighted two areas that it believes are […]

Submissions to the PCEHR review panel

27 November 2013

As several submissions to the panel charged with reviewing the PCEHR have now become public, Pulse+IT has compiled a table of documents from expert groups and industry organisations who have answered the call for comment.

The deadline for submissions to the PCEHR review panel was Friday, November 22, with the panel due to report back to Health Minister Peter Dutton in mid-December.

This table will be updated as new submissions are released, and we've also provided as an extra resource links to previous submissions made by the various organisations. These include the calls for public comment on the draft PCEHR concept of operations in 2011 and the 2012 Senate Community Affairs Committee inquiry into the legislation for the PCEHR Act.

If your organisation has made a submission to the review panel, feel free to email it to us for inclusion in this table at hello@pulseit.news.

We also encourage readers to comment on these submission below or to contact us with your views directly.

CHF rejects doctor control of PCEHR, urges opt-out

27 November 2013

The Consumers Health Forum (CHF) has rejected the Australian Medical Association’s call to restrict the ability of consumers to control their individual records, but has agreed with its call to change the system to an opt-out model. CHF spokesman Mark Metherell said the AMA’s demand for doctor control of eHealth records was “a refusal to […]

AMA calls for opt-out PCEHR, reduced patient control

26 November 2013

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has recommended that the PCEHR become an opt-out system rather than the current opt-in process, and has also recommended that exemptions be placed on what clinical documents and information are controlled by the patient. In its submission to the three-man PCEHR review panel – one member of which is the […]

NEHTA takes over consumer PCEHR registration contract

26 November 2013

The National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) has taken over responsibility for a contract with McKinsey to boost consumer registrations for the PCEHR from the Department of Health (DoH), according to statements at last week’s Senate Estimates hearing. Linda Powell, first assistant secretary for eHealth policy, change and adoption in the department’s eHealth division, said DoH […]

ACRRM advocates secure messaging over PCEHR

25 November 2013

The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) has recommended that the federal government widen the focus on electronic sharing of health information from the PCEHR to more foundational elements, such as interoperable secure messaging, incentivising medical specialists and allied health to implement clinical information systems, and increasing the value of clinical documents. In […]

App to help GPs help patients in pain

25 November 2013

The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and the Centre for Palliative Care Research and Education (CPCRE) have jointly developed a free app and website for GPs to help better manage patients in pain at or near the end of their lives. The GP Pain Help App is available for iOS and Android […]

Queensland hospitals sending discharge summaries to PCEHR

25 November 2013

All public hospitals in Queensland now have the ability for clinicians to view their patients’ PCEHRs, and to upload discharge summaries to the record of patients who have one. NEHTA CEO Peter Fleming told a Senate Estimates hearing in Canberra last week that Queensland public hospitals had just gone live. Queensland is using its The […]

NSW creates eHealth strategy for rural and remote areas

21 November 2013

NSW Health is developing an eHealth strategy for rural and remote NSW that will lay out plans for the continued rollout of the statewide electronic medical record and the appointment of a rural eHealth director to oversee the strategy’s implementation. The long-awaited rollout of electronic medications management systems throughout the state’s hospitals is also going […]

MSIA board for 2014 announced

21 November 2013

The Medical Software Industry Association (MSIA) has announced its new board, which sees two board members elected to the executive and the return of two well-known players in the industry. EpiSoft’s Jenny O’Neill and Extensia’s Emma Hossack remain as president and vice-president respectively, while MediNexus’ Jonathan Klug has been elected as treasurer and MIMS’ Dinah […]

Big hairy audacious goal for mental health via Virtual Briefcase

21 November 2013

Late last year, Melbourne-headquartered psychology practice network Life Resolutions decided to take its new cloud-based practice management platform, Virtual Briefcase, on the road to introduce it to the wider psychology community. In addition to offering the platform to its own practices and franchises, Life Resolutions decided to open it up to independent practitioners who wanted […]

Sleep consultation in the palm of your hand

20 November 2013

Two maternal and child health nurses have launched a new app to assist families with infant and toddler sleep issues. The RockaBub app includes 71 video clips and an understanding your baby and toddler section in each age bracket, as well as a step-by-step guide to strategies. Developed by Cindy Davenport and Helen Stevens of […]

Public say on the PCEHR

20 November 2013

The Health Informatics Society of Australia (HISA) and the Health Information Management Association of Australia (HIMAA) are inviting responses to a survey on the PCEHR to help inform the organisations’ submission to the recently announced federal inquiry. Due to the short timeframe, there has been no call for public submissions but those individuals and organisations […]

Video conferencing in aged care achieves quick return

19 November 2013

Aged care provider Feros Care has seen a quick return on its investment in a new video conferencing suite, estimating that its new solution has paid for itself in 13 months mainly through a reduction in travel and accommodation expenses for care staff. Feros Care, which is also providing telehealth services over its new LifeSize […]

Lessons from the coalface: the PCEHR in practice

19 November 2013

Western Sydney has been at the heart of the rollout of the PCEHR, with many local GPs taking part in the early implementation plan as part of the Greater Western Sydney Wave 2 project. That project involved not only early trials of the PCEHR itself, but also several initiatives launched by NSW Health as part […]

Cloud companies brought together by DMZ in a box

18 November 2013

Melbourne health IT companies PicSafe Medi and Corazon Systems have signed a partnership to promote each other’s businesses and to further encourage the general and specialist practice communities to consider moving to the cloud. PicSafe Medi markets a mobile medical imaging system that allows users to securely take and store medical images, while Corazon Systems […]

Consumer perspective getting lost in PCEHR debate

14 November 2013

Melbourne-based digital design consultancy Navy Design is planning to undertake a month-long research project to gauge consumer attitudes towards the design and functionality of the PCEHR in the hopes that it can inform the current ministerial review into the system. Navy Design’s general manager Michael Trounce said the consumer perspective had been lost in the […]

ACHI committee aims to be leading voice on eHealth

14 November 2013

The Australasian College of Health Informatics (ACHI) has set up a subcommittee that aims to become an authoritative source of independent advice on the relative success or failure of eHealth implementations, including high-profile initiatives such as the PCEHR. Established late last year, ACHI’s program evaluation subcommittee (PES) is positioning itself as the peak national group […]

Barriers to PCEHR uptake in the real world

13 November 2013

One of the main criticisms of the PCEHR rollout that has featured in Health Minister Peter Dutton’s public statements on the system is that it seems to be significantly underused, with many doctors reluctant to take part and those that are equipped to use it seemingly slow to begin uploading shared health summaries. It is […]

Clinical and client support key to success for telehealth

12 November 2013

In addition to improving access to care in rural and remote parts of the country, one of the hidden benefits of telehealth is the support it is able to offer clinicians working in areas where resources are scarce, conditions are difficult and staff retention can be an ongoing problem. Jennylee Wood, a psychologist and co-ordinator […]

DocAppointments launches repeat script request function

12 November 2013

Online appointment booking service DocAppointments will demonstrate its new prescription request function at the General Practice Conference and Exhibition (GPCE) in Melbourne later this week. While other appointment booking services also offer script requests, DocAppointments is offering it for free to patients and as part of the monthly subscription for practices. Founder Calin Pava said […]

Opinion: the eHealth world moves on

11 November 2013

This story first appeared in the October 2013 issue of Pulse+IT Magazine. As a new government starts to exert control of the Australian eHealth system, it is timely to look back on the last three years to consider how many of the building blocks of eHealth have fared. Secure message delivery is one success, but […]

No intention to kill off the PCEHR: Royle

11 November 2013

The head of the federal government’s inquiry into the PCEHR, Richard Royle, said the panel had no intention to “kill off” the PCEHR but to ensure the system is a useful and workable clinical tool. According to the Health Informatics Society of Australia (HISA), Mr Royle told the HITWA 2013 conference in Perth on Friday […]

Is slow PCEHR rollout curbing clinicians’ enthusiasm?

8 November 2013

Field-testing of the PCEHR in actual clinical practice shows a wide variation of the amount of time it takes to prepare and upload a shared health summary to the system, but on average it seems to take about 3.6 minutes, NEHTA CEO Peter Fleming said. Addressing an eHealth session at the recent Rural Medicine Conference […]

Houston Medical getting set to integrate with Xero

8 November 2013

Practice and clinical management software vendor Houston Medical is close to receiving certification to be fully integrated with the Xero online accounting software system. Houston Medical’s VIP.net is one of the first fully featured clinical software packages to integrate with Xero, which also partners with allied health software specialists coreplus and Cliniko. Often called the […]

AusDI optimised for mobile devices

7 November 2013

Health Communication Network (HCN) has announced a simplified pricing structure for its AusDI medicines information resource that can be accessed through a range of devices. It is offering a single annual subscription fee of that provides access for up to three users across all content types and modules. AusDI can be accessed through a web […]

Electronic data joins the fight against persistent pain

6 November 2013

NSW Health has launched an electronic Persistent Pain Outcomes Collaboration (ePPOC) benchmarking exercise to help analyse which treatments are the most effective for the one in five Australians with persistent (chronic) pain. Ten public hospitals in NSW along with several hospitals in other states are taking part in the pilot project, which will enable benchmarking […]

Medicare Locals invest in shared care software for mental health

6 November 2013

Perth South Coastal Medicare Local has installed the mental health (MHAGIC) edition of Global Health’s MasterCare EMR, joining Fremantle, Bentley Armadale, Perth North Metro and headspace South West in installing the product. Global Health managing director Mathew Cherian said community services across Australia were looking to extend and upgrade their mental health services. The MasterCare […]

Online appointment booking services

6 November 2013

This story first appeared in the October 2013 issue of Pulse+IT Magazine. Practices are now spoiled for choice when it comes to online appointment booking services. With the various developers of these solutions bringing a range of experiences to the space, practices may find that using multiple solutions will allow them to maximise the benefits […]

Telstra outlines plans for investment in eHealth, PHRs

5 November 2013

Telstra will target home health and aged care as part of its push into the healthcare sector, but it is also looking at telehealth applications and personal health records in its healthcare offering. Speaking at a national investor day in Sydney recently, Telstra’s head of health Shane Solomon said dysfunction in the home health and […]

NEHTA to focus on meds management and pathology reporting

5 November 2013

NEHTA has set out its short-term strategy for the current financial year in an annual report released today, promising to focus on improving national eHealth infrastructure and responding to lessons learned from early use of the systems. It will also focus on ensuring that reliable medications information is available and that there is better standardisation […]

Opinion: Federal govt review of electronic health records program

5 November 2013

The Commonwealth government has announced a review of the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Records (PCEHR) program, perhaps not surprising as the program represents Australia’s first comprehensive attempt to establish a national eHealth records system. The experience of similar programs across the world has shown just how difficult it is to bring accessibility and usability of […]

Patients need place at PCEHR review table: consumer groups

4 November 2013

Consumer groups have welcomed the announcement of a review into the PCEHR, saying they look forward to advising the inquiry from a consumer perspective. The outgoing CEO of the Consumers Health Forum (CHF), Carol Bennett, said patients’ needs and wishes are central to the success of eHealth and the organisation expects them to receive close […]

Secure messaging pioneer takes on new role at Argus

4 November 2013

Ross Davey, who first conceptualised the Argus secure messaging software, has stepped down as general manager to take on a part-time role focusing on product direction and special projects. Mr Davey was working as the foundation director of the Collaborative Centre for eHealth at the University of Ballarat when he came up with the idea […]

PCEHR review panel to consider private sector involvement

4 November 2013

The three-person panel established to review the PCEHR has been asked to consider a role for the private sector in the system. Health Minister Peter Dutton announced yesterday that he had set up a panel to review the system, headed by UnitingCare Queensland executive director Richard Royle, along with AMA president Steve Hambleton and Australia […]

Victorian Auditor-General slams HealthSmart implementation

1 November 2013

The Victorian Auditor-General has released a devastating critique of the implementation of the HealthSmart clinical information system in Victorian public hospitals, finding that the project has run enormously over budget, has only been fully implemented in one health service and has drawbacks that potentially pose a threat to patient safety. The Clinical ICT Systems in […]

Telehealth helps increase home dialysis rates

31 October 2013

Melbourne’s Western Health is running a trial of remote monitoring and video conferencing technology to improve the rates of home dialysis for patients with chronic kidney disease. The home therapy utilising telehealth guidance and monitoring or HUG trial is the brainchild of the head of the nephrology unit at Western Health, Craig Nelson, and is […]

ePIP SMD commissioning deadline arrives

31 October 2013

General practices interested in maintaining compliance with the eHealth Practice Incentives Program must have commissioned a secure messaging solution by the close of business today. The ‘commissioning’ process refers to a series of technical and administrative steps that practices – usually with the help of their secure messaging provider – need to undertake to ensure […]

IDNT Online rebrands as Kalix

30 October 2013

The developers of the IDNT Online clinical management solution for dietitians have rebranded the system as Kalix, giving the cloud-based software a new look and feel but retaining its current features. Designed by clinical dietitian Claire Nichols and software engineer Felix Jorkowski from FC Dietetic Software Solutions, Kalix allows dietitians to write electronic client reports […]

Pros and cons of telehealth for medication management

30 October 2013

The Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS) is continuing its trial of video conferencing technology to manage medications for older people in their homes following a decision by Intel to withdraw its Home Guide device from sale in Australia. RDNS clinical nurse lead for telehealth projects, Carol Towers, told the Australian Centre for Health Innovation annual […]

Victoria abandons health IT centralisation

29 October 2013

Victorian health organisations will have a greater say in choosing and developing health IT systems after the state’s ministerial review panel recommended greater devolution of decision making to health boards. The Victorian government ordered the review in late 2012 following the collapse of the HealthSmart program. It was one of 10 large IT projects heavily […]

Calvary John James installs Stryker iSuite in OR

29 October 2013

Calvary John James Private Hospital in the ACT has installed Stryker’s iSuite technology in its new operating theatre. All monitors and imaging equipment have been replaced by the iSuite digital technology, which is mounted on booms on the ceiling so there is no need for theatre staff to manoeuvre heavy equipment. The iSuite digital imaging […]

Best Practice integrates with MEDrefer online referral service

28 October 2013

GP software vendor Best Practice is aiming to demonstrate the integration of online referral service MEDrefer into its clinical software at the General Practice Conference and Exhibition (GPCE) in Melbourne in mid-November. Best Practice chief commercial officer Craig Hodges said the company was also working very hard to have National Prescription and Dispense Repository (NPDR) […]

eRx goes live with Express app

28 October 2013

eRx Script Exchange has officially launched its eRx Express app, which allows patients to pre-order medicines through their smartphone. The new service has been integrated into pharmacy dispensing software and with eRx’s national eScripts network, which the company says is used by 15,500 GPs and 4100 pharmacists. eRx Express uses QR codes, which will be […]

Collaboration through technology for refugees

25 October 2013

In early 2010, Marienne Hibbert, Beverley-Ann Biggs and colleagues won a grant from the University of Melbourne’s Institute for a Broadband-Enabled Society to develop a web-based electronic health record to better coordinate healthcare for refugees and newly arrived immigrants in Victoria. Paediatrician Georgia Paxton was awarded a fellowship from the Windermere Foundation fund to her […]

Calculate out-of-pocket costs with The OOP

24 October 2013

Medical software solution provider Direct Control has launched The OOP, a mobile web service that allows medical and allied health specialists to calculate out-of-pocket costs and generate or email a quote or invoice to billing staff or the patient themselves. Currently available for disciplines including specialists, assistants in surgery and anaesthetists, The OOP is not […]

NACCHO launches app to link up Aboriginal health

23 October 2013

The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) has launched a new app that helps Aboriginal patients to find a health service, access health information online or by telephone and make a donation to the organisation. The NACCHO app also includes information about the Indigenous All-Stars AFL team, which it is partnering with to promote […]

WebRTC makes a splash at physiotherapy conference

23 October 2013

WebRTC technology was used to beam in two UK-based physiotherapy researchers to the recent Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) conference, fittingly to discuss the use of telehealth for physiotherapy. WebRTC is a draft web standard for real-time video, audio and data communication between web browsers that is expected to be ratified soon by internet standards bodies. […]

NPS launches interactive format for online case studies

22 October 2013

NPS has released its latest case study on tailoring ongoing treatment for type 2 diabetes in a new online format that offers CPD points GPs, pharmacists and nurses. The case study focuses on available treatment options for a 75-year-old male with type 2 diabetes, and is delivered in a new online format that provides immediate […]

World’s first dementia MOOC attracts mass registrations

22 October 2013

The University of Tasmania’a Understanding Dementia massive open online course (MOOC) has attracted 9300 registrations from more than 60 countries, with plans to continue the course twice a year, starting again next March. The MOOC, which is a free 11-week course delivered online and requires about three hours a week of study, covers both the […]

Virtual clinics provide high-definition masterclass in medicine

21 October 2013

The University of Wollongong’s Graduate School of Medicine has conducted two high definition “virtual clinics” across three campuses up to 1500km apart as part of a project to assist in the training of students in rural and remote locations. Part of a wider project that will also involve training students in how to conduct telehealth […]

Send a Script takes out medical Mobie

21 October 2013

Mobile pharmacy app Send a Script has taken out the best in medical category at the 2013 Australian Mobile Awards (Mobies), along with five other awards including the overall Golden Mobie for best design studio start-up app for small studios. Devised by Wollongong pharmacist Fabian McCann, the app allows consumers to take a photo of […]

Clinical utility of PCEHR an urgent priority: UGPA

18 October 2013

General practice representatives have called on the new federal government to address what it says are significant clinical utility issues associated with the PCEHR. The United General Practice Australia (UGPA) group has issued a statement saying its members had unanimously agreed that the focus of the PCEHR needed to be redirected to clinical utility and […]

MetaVision chosen for state-wide rollout in NSW ICUs

17 October 2013

iMDsoft’s MetaVision clinical information system for ICUs has been chosen by NSW Health to be installed in all of the state’s public intensive care units, replacing paper records. MetaVision, which is used in both of the ACT’s public hospitals and is being implemented in many Queensland public hospitals, will be installed in all of NSW’s […]

PicSafe Medi integrates with Box for HIPAA-compliant sharing

17 October 2013

PicSafe Medi, the Melbourne-based company that has developed a secure mobile medical imaging app and system, has signed an integration partnership with US-based secure content sharing company Box. The new integration is compliant with HIPAA regulations in the US, meaning healthcare providers can store and share sensitive patient data in a secure, cloud-based environment. PicSafe […]

CareStrong connects with people in the community

16 October 2013

Allied health services provider HealthStrong has launched a new service as part of its CareStrong community care division, introducing touchscreen-based technology to assist older people or people with disabilities to remain independent in their homes or retirement villages for longer. Called CareStrong Connect, the service is an internet-based solution to reduce social isolation and is […]

Online tracking of medications for older people

16 October 2013

NPS is promoting three methods for older people to keep track of their medications as part of its annual Be Medicinewise Week campaign, including a paper medicines list, a Medicines eList that can be created online and saved as a PDF, and its award-winning Medicines List app for the iPhone. As part of Be Medicinewise […]

eHealth PKI certificate renamed as NASH

15 October 2013

The Department of Human Services (DHS) has renamed the eHealth record PKI certificate for individual access to the provider portal of the PCEHR as the National Authentication Service for Health (NASH) PKI certificate for healthcare provider individuals. It is also working to create a distinct look for NASH PKI certificates to differentiate them from Medicare […]

National eHealth strategy review to be considered this year

14 October 2013

Federal, state and territory health ministers will later this year examine a review of the 2008 national eHealth strategy, which is currently being conducted by Deloitte. Linda Powell, first assistant secretary for eHealth policy, change and adoption with the Department of Health, told an industry forum recently that the department had contracted Deloitte to conduct […]

States commit to rapid eHealth integration project

10 October 2013

The majority of states and territories will have the ability to begin allowing acute care clinicians to view clinical documents and send discharge summaries to the PCEHR system by the end of the year. In a panel discussion at a recent ICT forum organised by the Department of Health and NEHTA, jurisdictional representatives provided an […]

$5m to build youth e-mental health platform

10 October 2013

The federal government has committed $5 million over three years to help fund the development of a comprehensive e-mental health platform for young people. Federal Minister for Health Peter Dutton announced today that the money will be allocated to the Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre to develop a comprehensive e-mental health platform to make […]

coreplus ramps up eHealth strategy for allied health

10 October 2013

Allied health practice management software specialist coreplus has brought forward its implementation plans for eHealth compliance and is also working with community organisations to link them up with allied health practitioners through the software. coreplus, formerly known as Intracore, offers a cloud-based practice management solution for allied health practitioners and works with a number of […]

uHealth targets pharmacies with asthma monitoring device

10 October 2013

Sydney-based digital healthcare company uHealth has partnered with publicly listed device manufacturer iSonea to begin distributing the AirSonea asthma device in pharmacies, as well as direct to consumers online. AirSonea was listed by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in August and is due to go global next year. It is the world’s first digital device […]

Future of Aged Care Gateway still unclear

9 October 2013

The future of the former government’s five-year Aged Care Gateway is still unclear following the transfer of responsibility for aged care from the Department of Health to the new Department of Social Services (DSS), although plans to select an external delivery partner are continuing. Responsibility for the Aged Care Gateway now rests with DSS. The […]

PCEHR may accept existing advance care directives

9 October 2013

The Department of Health is looking at the possibility of loading existing advance care directives to the PCEHR as PDFs, a method it is also considering to begin loading pathology reports to the national system. While the newly elected federal government has yet to make clear its plans, DoH’s first assistant secretary for PCEHR system […]

App allows GPs to personalise the MBS

8 October 2013

A Northern Territory-based GP has developed a desktop app that allows users to search for the correct MBS item number and sort commonly used items into folders according to personal preference. The MBS Item Browser app was designed by Cameron Edgell, who practices on Elcho Island, situated north-east of Arnhem Land. Dr Edgell also has […]

Easy search for fee schedules with Medical Fees Online

8 October 2013

The doctor behind the EasyAssist software for surgical assistant billing has developed a new web-based database to allow doctors to quickly look up any item in the Medicare Benefits Schedule and find out the fees that apply. As well as the Medicare fee schedule, Medical Fees Online (MFO) also provides the fees from health fund […]

FHIR to help drive down the cost of interoperability

4 October 2013

The first Australian FHIR Connectathon will be held in conjunction with the International HL7 Interoperability Conference (IHIC 2013) later this month, offering Australian-based integration specialists the opportunity to see the new standard up close. Representatives from NEHTA and the PCEHR national infrastructure partner Accenture are planning to be involved in the event as part of […]

Increased role for pharmacists could improve rural GP access

3 October 2013

Allowing pharmacists an increased scope of practice and the introduction of physician assistants are two suggestions for ending the most extreme shortages of GP services in certain parts of the country, according to a Grattan Institute report. Written by health economist and the director of the Grattan Institute’s health program, Stephen Duckett, and health fellow […]

GP and community nursing data added to NZ shared viewer

2 October 2013

The Shared Care View (eSCRV) electronic health record being used by clinicians in New Zealand’s Canterbury region has completed stage one of its rollout, with general practice and community nursing data now accessible. The eSCRV, which has been built on Orion Health’s Concerto clinical portal technology, was first conceptualised following the 2011 earthquake. It has […]

Q&A with SomerCare’s Damien Malone

2 October 2013

Damien Malone is the director of nursing and facility manager at the SomerCare aged care facility on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. He was also recently elected to the committee of HISA’s aged care special interest group. He spoke to Pulse+IT about the challenges for IT in aged care and how technology needs to make life easier, […]

Assistive technologies on show at COTA forums

1 October 2013

Aged care peak body the Council on the Ageing (COTA) is holding a series of events in Canberra, Melbourne and Brisbane later this month focusing on the use of assistive technologies in aged care. The guest speaker at the COTA Assistive and Enabling Technologies forums will be Kevin Doughty, director of the Centre for Usable […]

Telstra makes strategic investment in Fred IT

1 October 2013

Telstra has added further to its health portfolio by taking a 50 per cent interest in community pharmacy market leader Fred IT. While the exact sum was undisclosed, Fred IT Group CEO Paul Naismith said Telstra had become a major investor in Fred IT. Fred’s previous major shareholder, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, will retain […]

« Previous 1 … 69 70 71 72 73 … 83 Next »