Artificial Intelligence

The revolution changing the face of healthcare delivery

Government begins consumer eHealth push 

14 May 2012

The federal government has launched a new website aimed at educating consumers about the eHealth records system prior to the PCEHR’s launch on July 1. The government describes the website, at www.ehealth.gov.au, as an online “learning centre” that will inform and educate the public and healthcare professionals about eHealth and the PCEHR. A spokeswoman for […]

Work to begin on pharmacy and pathology specs for PCEHR

10 May 2012

The National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) has issued a call for expressions of interest from community pharmacy software vendors to join a new panel to work on incorporating PCEHR specifications into their software. The deadline for expressions is June 4, with a shortlist to be announced after July 2. The community pharmacy software panel is […]

PIP for PCEHR “not a requirement but a threat”: AMA

9 May 2012

The Australian Medical Association has attacked the federal government’s plans to reduce spending on the Practice Incentive Program (PIP), including the new requirement that practices participate in the PCEHR to receive payments under the eHealth PIP. AMA president Steve Hambleton said the cuts were “a big hit to general practice and quality patient care”. He […]

One-off telehealth payments to end in 2014

9 May 2012

The federal government will cease funding for its range of telehealth initiatives earlier than expected to encourage practitioners to take up telehealth service provision sooner, the federal budget papers reveal. While the MBS item numbers introduced last year will not be affected, a minimum distance will be applied, the government said. A 15km minimum distance […]

Government sets target for PCEHR uptake

9 May 2012

The federal government has set a target of 500,000 consumers signing up for a PCEHR in the first year of its operation. According to budget papers released yesterday for the eHealth implementation program, a key performance indicator for the PCEHR program will require a further million consumers to sign up in 2013-2014, with 2.2 million […]

Use it or lose it – PCEHR for PIP

9 May 2012

General practices will be required to participate in the PCEHR program or become ineligible for the eHealth Practice Incentive Program (PIP) under new measures announced in yesterday’s federal budget. The incentives, which can range up to $50,000 depending on the size and needs of the practice, require practices to have secure messaging capability, site and […]

Adverse drug reaction reporting goes online

8 May 2012

MIMS has introduced new functionality to allow users to report unexpected adverse drug reactions to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) directly from within MIMS Online and eMIMS. Adverse drug reactions are typically reported to the TGA advisory committee on the safety of medicines (ACSOM) by TGA Blue Cards, by phone reporting, or by contacting the […]

NZ goes for gold in medication management

8 May 2012

New Zealand has taken on the ambitious target of rolling out an electronic medications management (eMM) system in every hospital in the country by 2014. With only one hospital using it at the moment this might seem a tall order, but under the national eMM program, all work is being shared and guidelines prepared so […]

Australia joins Facebook organ donation community

8 May 2012

Facebook has added Australia to its list of countries that enable users to designate themselves organ donors as part of its push to spread the word about organ donation internationally. Last week, Facebook announced that users in the US and the UK could show their organ donation status in the Health and Wellbeing section of […]

Zedmed releases upgrade with dual eScript exchange functionality

7 May 2012

Zedmed has released v18 of its clinical and practice software, featuring a number of enhancements including eRx dispense notifications, MediSecure functionality and a flag for patients with no Individual Healthcare Identifier (IHI). Zedmed v18 is now available for download from the company’s private support area and will be rolled out to practices shortly. For doctors […]

NPS updates online medicines brand finder

7 May 2012

The NPS online Medicine Name Finder has been updated with a new feature to help consumers make choices between medicine brands. Designed to help people find important information about their prescription medicines, the tool has a quick and easy-to-use interface where users can type in the name of their medicine to find out more about […]

MD and PracSoft training for Melbourne

3 May 2012

Health Communication Network (HCN) is running Medical Director 3 and PracSoft training sessions in Melbourne at the end of the month. Aimed at nurses, receptionists, allied health professionals and doctors, the MD3 training session will be held on Thursday, May 31, with the PracSoft session following on Friday, June 1. The MD3 session will cover […]

Social media for hospitals more than “bums on seats”

2 May 2012

Emergency physician and medical informatics blogger Mike Cadogan has released a survey on social media use by Australian hospitals, finding that we are still lagging behind the US and the UK and potentially missing out on the benefits of wider healthcare communication. Dr Cadogan, a writer for the Life In The Fast Lane blog and […]

Digital stethoscope wins Imagine Cup

2 May 2012

A team of medical and computer science students from the University of Melbourne has won the Australian finals of Microsoft’s Imagine Cup with the StethoCloud device, a digital stethoscope attached to a smartphone which listens to and digitalises a patient’s breathing sounds and patterns. The patterns are then compared against a medical database to deliver […]

AAPM names new CEO, adds eHealth Roadshow dates

30 April 2012

The Australian Association of Practice Managers (AAPM) has appointed Gillian Leach as its new CEO, taking over from Dean Barton-Smith. Ms Leach has extensive experience in health service management, her previous role being CEO of Whitehorse Community Health Service in Melbourne. She is also a former CEO of Arthritis South Australia and executive director of […]

Kaiser Permanente’s online chief to headline medicines symposium

30 April 2012

The vice-president for online services at US healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente, Anna-Lisa Silvestre, will provide an insight into the company’s electronic health record system at the upcoming National Medicines Symposium, being held in Sydney next month. Ms Silvestre has overseen the strategy for the organisation’s web presence since 1995, including the development of the hugely […]

HCN updates MDref, adds asthma info line referral

30 April 2012

Health Communication Network (HCN) has released its May 2012 MDref drug database update for Medical Director 3. The differential update is current from May 1 and builds on the April 2012 full build of MDRef. It can only be applied over the April version. HCN has also added a new direct link to the Asthma […]

Medtech looks to telehealth incentives for VitelMed expansion

27 April 2012

Medtech Global has completed a successful trial of its new VitelMed telehealth solution in a Melbourne aged care facility and is now looking for clinical groups to partner it in a bid for funding under the federal government’s new NBN-enabled telehealth pilot program. It is also encouraging general practices, specialists and aged care providers who […]

LRS Health and Sysmex form trans-Tasman alliance

26 April 2012

Australian pathology management system provider LRS Health and New Zealand-based laboratory information system vendor Sysmex have formed a collaborative arrangement to allow each country to market their products across both countries. LRS Health’s products include the MediPATH lab management solution and an automatic hospital billing system called MediBILL that interfaces with Medicare. Sysmex markets the […]

Stat Health adds eRx, graphic templates in upgrade

26 April 2012

Medical software vendor Stat Health has added electronic prescribing functionality through eRx to its Stat clinical software program. As part of its version 2.3 upgrade, Stat Health has also added new data reporting functionality and new custom designed clinical graphic templates. The data reporting tool will allow users to interrogate clinical data more fully than […]

Leecare takes out ITAC top award

24 April 2012

Aged care software specialist Leecare Solutions was named ICT company of the year at the Information Technology in Aged Care (ITAC) conference in Melbourne late last week. Leecare, which launched its web-browser based, open standards Platinum 5.0 clinical and care management software in December 2010, has won previous ITAC awards for implementations at a number […]

Antibiotic-resistance campaign hits Facebook

24 April 2012

NPS has launched a Facebook page to encourage consumers to spread the word about antibiotic resistance. Part of a new NPS campaign to inform the community of the dangers of overuse of antibiotics, the Facebook page aims to sign up 35,000 people who will pledge to take three steps towards reducing antibiotic misuse, which it […]

Emerging Systems develops iPad, iPhone app for hospital use

23 April 2012

Emerging Systems has developed a new iPad and iPhone app that will allow clinicians to both view and update patient details while on the move. Emerging Systems, which supplies the EHS clinical information system to St Vincent’s & Mater Health in Sydney and throughout public hospitals in South Australia, is trialling the new app with […]

Q&A: Bill Crounse, Microsoft

23 April 2012

Microsoft’s senior director for worldwide health, Bill Crounse, has long had a keen interest in Australian eHealth. He spoke to Pulse+IT on his recent trip to Australia. Pulse+IT: What are your thoughts on Australia’s current eHealth system? Dr Bill Crounse: When we look at health worldwide, I see Australia on the same level of maturity […]

Medtech launches 32 update, Master training portal

20 April 2012

Clinical software vendor Medtech Global has released a new version of its Medtech32 practice management system and launched an online training portal called Medtech Master. Medtech Global’s chief technology officer, Rama Kumble, said Version 8.1.0 has a number of enhancements, including the integration of the Healthcare Identifier Service to allow for the querying of a […]

Blue Chip training for Melbourne

20 April 2012

Health Communication Network is holding a Blue Chip training session in Melbourne on May 30. The one-day training session is aimed at receptionists, practice managers and practitioners who are new to Blue Chip or are self-taught. Topics include opening and searching patient files, making and editing appointments, making referrals, invoicing and receipting and Medicare Online. […]

Wound care goes mobile

20 April 2012

This article first appeared in the April 2012 edition of Pulse+IT Magazine. Late last year, an innovative project for the remote management of chronic wounds made the news when it won a Victorian Healthcare Association (VHA) award. The technology behind the project is simple yet elegant, and has much potential in assisting the elderly and […]

NZ to host openEHR seminar

20 April 2012

Health Informatics New Zealand (HINZ) and HL7 NZ are hosting a seminar in Auckland in June featuring one of the pioneers of healthcare interoperability, Ed Hammond. Professor Hammond is one of the founders of HL7, the global standardisation body for health information systems interoperability, which was established in 1987. The seminar will concentrate on electronic […]

Feature: Babywatch keeps an eye on the prize

19 April 2012

This article first appeared in the April 2012 edition of Pulse+IT Magazine. The team behind the Babywatch infant identification system has signed its first contract with Sunnybank Private Hospital in Brisbane. This elegant web-based solution to managing infant identification is also about to be installed at in a neo-natal special care nursery in a major […]

Intrahealth goes native for iOS

19 April 2012

Medical software vendor Intrahealth has released a native iPhone and iPad application for its integrated practice management system Profile. Profile for iOS is a ‘native’ app, designed specifically for Apple’s iOS operating system, Intrahealth’s area manager for Australia, Karam Kanan, said. “It basically means that it follows the look and feel of the operating system […]

Charm Health gets ready to launch CHI

17 April 2012

Health informatics specialist Charm Health is working on the final stages of its new CHI platform, which was recently selected as the preferred solution for the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney. Charm Health CEO Janine Garrett said the company had been working on the new platform for some years […]

Feature: Why did Google Health fail?

16 April 2012

This article first appeared in the April 2012 edition of Pulse+IT Magazine. Why did Google Health fail? It didn’t – Google just pulled the service too early, according to Microsoft’s David Dembo. He believes that consumers, like healthcare professionals, need to be convinced that the use of online tools will significantly improve their health and […]

Experts call for national eHealth safety enforcer

16 April 2012

Australia needs an independent oversight body to ensure the safety of complex eHealth systems like the PCEHR to minimise risks to patients, industry experts claim. In an editorial in today’s Medical Journal of Australia, Enrico Coiera, director of the Centre for Health Informatics at the Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Michael Kidd, executive dean of […]

Researcher queries safety of mobile apps for clinical use

16 April 2012

Prominent eHealth researcher Juanita Fernando has called for more oversight of the use of clinical software on personal mobile devices. Dr Fernando, a researcher in the Mobile Health Research Group with the Faculty of Information Technology at Monash University, said that despite the potential benefits of using clinical software on mobile devices, the lack of […]

Nurses pen trial of new digital pathways

13 April 2012

A nurse-led trial of a digital pen that captures data at the point of care is up and running at Frankston Hospital in Victoria to see if it can improve the care of patients with a fractured head or neck of femur. The digital pen, distributed in Australia by the Print Media Group, uses an […]

Feature: cdm Nets funds for diabetes care project

13 April 2012

This article first appeared in the April 2012 edition of Pulse+IT Magazine. Since its early days as a collaborative care project, cdmNet has been rolled out across the country and is now RACGP Oxygen’s preferred IT solution for managing chronic illness. It is also being used as the IT infrastructure partner for the federal government’s […]

Doctors will not be liable for PCEHR breaches: DoHA

13 April 2012

The terms and conditions for healthcare provider participation in the PCEHR will not require them to assume all legal liability for breaches of the system, according to the Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA). The Australian Medical Association (AMA) had rejected an early draft of the PCEHR participation agreement, saying it appeared healthcare providers would […]

ACHI criticises lack of technical regulation in PCEHR rules

12 April 2012

The Australasian College of Health Informatics (ACHI) has criticised the exclusion of rules and regulations covering the technical design and operational control of the PCEHR from a consultation paper released by the Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) last month. In its response to the paper outlining the proposed rules and regulations for the PCEHR, […]

Feature: Automated queue management in a healthcare setting

12 April 2012

This article first appeared in the April 2012 edition of Pulse+IT Magazine. Melton Health is one of three Super Clinics funded by the Victorian government to provide same-day hospital and ambulatory care services in the outer-western metropolitan area of Melbourne. The clinic provides over 90,000 episodes of care per annum and has successfully implemented “world […]

DCA acquires Communicare, readies for secure delivery of CDA

11 April 2012

Database Consultants Australia (DCA) has bought WA-based software vendor Communicare, adding the Aboriginal healthcare specialist to its growing list of assets. DCA, which two years ago bought the Argus secure message exchange software, also owns TCM, a software package that supports community-based service delivery to the aged care, disability and mental health sectors, as well […]

eHealth and connected care in Hong Kong

11 April 2012

This article first appeared in the April 2012 edition of Pulse+IT Magazine. Connecting care across the array of participants that comprise our health systems is of vital concern everywhere, so it is important to look at developments in other parts of the world, such as Hong Kong, to consider the extent to which their successes […]

AMA rejects registration rules for PCEHR

10 April 2012

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has called on the Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) to reconsider its approach to the proposed conditions for registration of healthcare providers for the PCEHR. In a strongly worded letter to the assistant secretary of the eHealth strategy and legislation section of DoHA, AMA general secretary Francis Sullivan has […]

AMA releases suggested MBS item numbers for PCEHR work

10 April 2012

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has devised its own list of items to be added to the Medicare Benefits Schedule to adequately recompense doctors for the work it says will be required to prepare and manage a shared health summary for the PCEHR. The item numbers start from $53 for “professional service initiated by the […]

AGPN calls for payments to individual GPs for PCEHR

10 April 2012

General practitioners will require an individual service incentive payment (SIP) as well as practice-level incentives to encourage the uptake of the PCEHR, according to the Australian General Practice Network (AGPN). AGPN chair Emil Djakic said the time-based MBS items were a “piecemeal approach to developing the PCEHR”. Health Minister Tanya Plibersek recently announced that GPs […]

NEHTA and GS1 to host NPC webinars

10 April 2012

GS1 Australia and the National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) are holding webinars each day next week to help suppliers understand how to use the National Product Catalogue (NPC). The ‘Realise the Efficiency of the NPC’ webinar will show how to use the NPC to bring new business efficiencies to their organisation and provide essential information […]

Orion prepares Rhapsody for PCEHR

5 April 2012

Orion Health has released version 5 of its Rhapsody integration engine, which includes new standards to support connections to the PCEHR. Additions to v5 include native clinical document architecture (CDA) support including translation to and from HL7 2.x, and IHE cross-enterprise document sharing (XDS.b) support, which is required for document exchange to the national PCEHR […]

MIMS releases AMT dataset to vendors

5 April 2012

MIMS has released a test file of its Australian Medicines Terminology (AMT) map data to its software vendor partners ahead of the planned version 3 release by the National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) in June. MIMS has been working for over a year towards a complete mapped dataset where the MIMS medicines list will align […]

Telehealth funds released for aged, palliative and cancer care

5 April 2012

The federal government has issued an invitation to apply for funding for its new $20 million NBN-Enabled Telehealth Pilots program. The program is open to practitioners who have already received a telehealth incentive payment. It is jointly sponsored by the Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) and the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital […]

MD3, PracSoft training for NSW and SA in May

5 April 2012

Health Communication Network (HCN) is holding Medical Director and PracSoft training sessions in NSW and South Australia next month. The NSW MD3 training day for will be held on Thursday, May 3, at HCN’s headquarters in St Leonards, Sydney. The PracSoft training day will be held at the same location on Friday, May 4. The […]

MD3 training for Melbourne

5 April 2012

Health Communication Network (HCN) is holding Medical Director and PracSoft training sessions in Melbourne this month. The MD3 training day will be held on Thursday, April 26, and PracSoft on Friday, April 27. Both will be held at Training Choices, 50 Queen Street, Melbourne. The topics covered in the MD3 session are the more widely […]

AMA survey finds practices not ready for PCEHR

4 April 2012

A survey carried out by the Australian Medical Association in preparing a guide to using the PCEHR has found that few practices are ready to start using the system on July 1. The survey, an online poll of AMA members run for two weeks in January, showed that only eight per cent of practices will […]

Looking for a big connection at HIMSS 2012

3 April 2012

This article first appeared in the April 2012 edition of Pulse+IT Magazine. The Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) annual conference and exhibition 2012 was held in Las Vegas from February 20 to 24. On display was a ‘desert storm’ of the latest technology, information systems, innovation, forecast trends and ideas for healthcare in the […]

Motion adds dual-input display to top tablet

3 April 2012

Motion Computing has upgraded its top-selling F5v tablet PC, adding combined touch and digitiser pen functionality among other features. The new model enables clinicians to use both two-finger touch and pen capability, which Motion’s country manager for Australia and New Zealand, Brett Gross, said was important for clinicians who need to flick through charts at […]

HCN, MIMS release drug database updates

3 April 2012

Health Communication Network (HCN) has released the April update of its MDref drug database for Medical Director 3. The update, which is current from April 1, includes a fully rebuilt MDref drug database, full consumer medicines information, product information, updated NPS Radar data and Medical Director content such as letter writer templates and post prescribing […]

Zedmed launches online learning for AAPM members

2 April 2012

Zedmed has launched online learning modules on the Australian Association of Practice Managers (AAPM) website to allow members to keep up with changes in healthcare management. Short previews of the three practice management essentials modules will also be available on Zedmed’s website this week. The modules include clinical results and reporting; an office module on […]

SimMan 3G gives vocal response to students

2 April 2012

The University of Technology, Sydney, has officially opened a new clinical laboratory facility for nursing and midwifery students, complete with a third-generation wireless SimMan computer-controlled mannequin. UTS has invested in several versions of the popular SimMan products over the years, including a number of advanced life support (ALS) simulators. The tetherless SimMan 3G includes a […]

HCN signals end of MD2 support, announces MD3 training session

30 March 2012

Health Communication Network (HCN) has urged its customers using Medical Director version 2 to upgrade to version 3 as they will no longer be able to use the system to prescribe from May. MD3 was first released in 2005 and is now used by all but 2% of HCN’s Medical Director customers. The company announced […]

eScript fee claims now in real time only

30 March 2012

The 15c electronic prescription fee for pharmacists can only be claimed through PBS Online from April 1. Real-time online claiming for the fee was introduced by Medicare on July 1 2011 but a transition period was introduced to allow the claim to continue to be processed manually. That transition period finishes on 31 March and […]

HINZ investigates meaningful use

30 March 2012

The ‘meaningful use’ policy instituted in the US to drive uptake of eHealth by medical practitioners is the topic of discussion at the next instalment of the 2012 HINZ seminar series. Former international director of SNOMED CT Michael Sterns will be the guest speaker at the breakfast meeting, being held in Auckland on April 24. […]

Wave sites start consumer registration for eHealth Network

29 March 2012

Consumers have begun registering for eHealth services through the eHealth Network, established by the three Wave 1 sites and one Wave 2 site for the implementation of the PCEHR. The network and the website were launched earlier this year by the four sites – Metro North Brisbane Medicare Local, Accoras, Hunter Urban Medicare Local and […]

Upgraded eHealth PIP under consideration: DoHA

29 March 2012

The Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) is currently consulting with stakeholders to consider an upgrade to the Practice Incentives Program (PIP) eHealth payments. While there is no detail as yet and a decision has not been made, a DoHA spokeswoman said “consultation is currently under way to upgrade the current Practice Incentive Program payments […]

GPs can claim longer MBS consults for PCEHR

28 March 2012

General practitioners will be able to claim for longer consultations under the Medical Benefits Scheme if they spend time creating or adding to shared health summaries in patients’ PCEHRs. Federal health minister Tanya Plibersek announced today that MBS consultation items will be available to GPs as part of providing continuity of care to a patient […]

PCEHR roll out will be a slow process: Plibersek

28 March 2012

The PCEHR will have a gradual roll out and the launch date of July 1 is just the first step, Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said. Addressing the Health-e-Nation conference on the Gold Coast this morning, Ms Plibersek compared the PCEHR to the Snowy Mountains Scheme in that it took years to build and moved over […]

Consumers call for reinstatement of ‘no access’ to PCEHR

27 March 2012

The omission of a ‘no access’ provision in the proposed rules and regulations for the operation of the PCEHR is “far from ideal”, according to the Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF). The proposed rules were released by the federal government last week and are open for public comment until April 11. The rules reflect […]

NZ expands MedChart roll out

27 March 2012

Funding has been secured to roll out iSOFT’s MedChart medications management system to more beds at Dunedin Hospital in New Zealand. The hospital conducted a trial of MedChart in late 2010 under the auspices of the NZ National eMedicines Program. The new funding will extend the roll out of the software to a further 120 […]

ICT skills shortage threatens economic growth: ACS

27 March 2012

The value and continued growth of Australia’s digital economy is threatened by an acute shortage of skilled ICT workers, according to the Australian Computer Society (ACS). ACS CEO Alan Patterson told an industry conference last week that a number of issues currently facing ICT in Australia have the potential to hinder the development of the […]

MSIA: There and back again: an eHealth journey

26 March 2012

This article is published in the forthcoming April 2012 edition of Pulse+IT Magazine. As the journey to the PCEHR begins its approach to the station, is the end result going to be a smooth disembarkation or an absolute train wreck? The answer may lie somewhere in between, but whatever occurs, it is important that the […]

Vimcore accepted into UNSW technology incubator

26 March 2012

A start-up company that is developing a website to help employers incentivise staff to take more care of their health has been given a place at the University of NSW’s new venture incubator space. Vimcore is aimed at making it attractive for small companies to invest in their employees’ health by promoting staff engagement. Developed […]

Majority make mistakes with meds

26 March 2012

Fifty-seven per cent of Australians have made a mistake with their medicines in the past 12 months, according to new research by NPS. A survey of 1205 people found that 44 per cent said they had forgotten to take a dose, and one in four had taken a medication without food when they were directed […]

PCEHR data will be safe: NEHTA

26 March 2012

The National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) has moved to allay fears over the security of the PCEHR system and who has access to personal health information. Addressing the joint select committee on cybersafety for senior Australians in Sydney on March 23, NEHTA’s head of architecture David Bunker said that in the design and development of […]

DoHA releases PCEHR rules and regulations

22 March 2012

The Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) has released a series of proposed provisions for the regulations and rules that will underpin the PCEHR. The proposed regulations and rules specify arrangements for the advisory committees required by the legislation as well as definitions of who is eligible as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health […]

Bizcaps updates software for healthcare tenders

22 March 2012

Software developer Bizcaps has released a complete revision of its entire business platform and has announced additional enhancements due later this year. The company, which provides amongst other products software to assist suppliers and users of the National Product Catalogue, has updated its master data management (MDM) and business process management (BPM) software. Bizcaps is […]

Interview: David Cooke, NEC Australia

22 March 2012

In late 2009, the two peak bodies for the aged care industry – Aged Care Association Australia (ACAA), which represents the private aged care sector, and Aged & Community Services Australia (ACSA), which covers charitable and not-for-profit providers – got together to set up a council to help improve the use of IT in the […]

Accenture lead architect to speak at DG2012

21 March 2012

David Thatcher, the lead architect for the national infrastructure consortium developing the PCEHR, will headline the speakers’ list at next week’s Health Informatics Society of Australia (HISA) Data Governance conference in Melbourne. Mr Thatcher has been an integral part of Accenture’s PCEHR implementation team for the past year and is Accenture’s lead architect with responsibility […]

AAPM takes to the eHealth road

21 March 2012

The Australian Association of Practice Managers (AAPM) has organised a national eHealth roadshow for practice managers and their staff, starting in Canberra on March 29. The National eHealth Roadshow, sponsored by the National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA), will visit over 20 cities and towns across Australia giving practice managers the opportunity to see how they […]

HealthLink launches electronic pathology ordering

21 March 2012

HealthLink has launched its eLab electronic pathology ordering system on the Australian market. eLab was originally developed as part of an international collaboration between HealthLink and Danish company Danish Medical Data Distribution (DMDD). Called WebReq in Denmark, it has been up and running there for six years and is now used by all community-based practices […]

Senate committee recommends passage of PCEHR bill

20 March 2012

The Senate committee investigating the legislation underpinning the PCEHR has recommended it be passed. The Labor-dominated committee split as expected on party lines, with the two Coalition senators issuing a dissenting report and the two Greens senators recommending minor amendments. The committee did agree that there were problems with governance and the ‘opt-in’ model, recommending […]

InterSystems gives TrakCare an enhanced interface

19 March 2012

InterSystems will release a new version of its TrakCare unified health information system, featuring improved medication management functionality and an enhanced web interface, to the market tomorrow. The new release of TrakCare offers electronic medication management functionality across electronic prescribing, dispensing and medication administration. Medication management is a major focus, with all data relevant to […]

HL7 analyst test added to forum

19 March 2012

HL7 Australia is planning to hold an HL7 international analyst certification test following its conformance and certification forum in Brisbane next month. The HL7 international analyst certification is an internationally valid qualification which certifies HL7 professionals in the areas of CDA, HL7 V2.x and the V3 Reference Information Model (RIM). Certified analysts are entered onto […]

PCEHR operational blueprint in final draft: DoHA

19 March 2012

An operational blueprint that will set out how the PCEHR will be managed after the system is launched on July 1 is in its final draft, according to the Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA). In a response to questions put on notice during a Senate committee hearing into the PCEHR last month, DoHA said […]

NEHTA rejects PCEHR safety criticisms

19 March 2012

The National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) has rejected claims by the Medical Software Industry Association (MSIA) that there are serious design flaws in important components of the PCEHR. In a written reply to questions put on notice during a Senate committee hearing into the PCEHR in February, NEHTA defended its governance mechanisms and rejected arguments […]

NPS launches online practice review for pharmacists

19 March 2012

NPS has launched its first online Pharmacy Practice Review, providing the latest evidence-based advice to patients with cardiovascular disease who have been prescribed a statin. Building on the 2011 paper version, Pharmacy Practice Review: Reducing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, pharmacists can now complete the activity online and immediately receive tailored feedback and individual patient management […]

Health Informatics: “Seriously cool”

16 March 2012

This article first appeared in the 20 February 2012 edition of Pulse+IT Magazine. Katerina Andronis, Director at Deloitte, has recently become the first female chair of the Health Informatics Society of Australia. She spoke to Pulse+IT and shared her passion for health informatics. How do you describe health informatics to those outside the field? I […]

Blue Chip update adds ECLIPSE features

15 March 2012

Health Communication Network (HCN) has added a new solution that combines Medicare Online and Medicare Easyclaim to the latest version of its Blue Chip practice management solution for specialists. It has also added Medicare’s ECLIPSE online claiming solution for inpatient medical claiming. ECLIPSE enables doctors, health funds and practice administrators to lodge and settle claims […]

HISA looks for Standards bearers

15 March 2012

The Health Informatics Society of Australia (HISA) has invited nominations from interested parties to represent it on Standards Australia’s IT-014 health informatics technical committee and a new sub-committee, IT-014-13 clinical decision support. HISA was formerly represented on IT-014 by eHealth consultant David Rowlands, who stood down recently to further his business in Asia. The committee […]

Feature: Cradle Coast site emphasises end of life care

15 March 2012

This article first appeared in the 20 February 2012 edition of Pulse+IT Magazine. The Cradle Coast Connected Care (4C) project is building a PCEHR-conformant repository to house shared health summaries and advance care plans for aged care residents, which will inform national policy for future PCEHR-based end-of-life care components. The Cradle Coast area of Tasmania […]

Feature: Calvary building a shared care repository

15 March 2012

This article first appeared in the 20 February 2012 edition of Pulse+IT Magazine. As two of the nine Wave 2 sites, Calvary Health Care ACT and St Vincent’s & Mater Health Sydney are collaborating on some of the core components of the PCEHR, including discharge summaries, eReferrals and specialist letters. Calvary eHealth is targeting aged […]

NEHTA gets mobile at Wave sites

15 March 2012

The National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) has launched a new information campaign to inform health professionals about how the foundations of the PCEHR and other eHealth initiatives will work. Aimed at the healthcare workforce rather than consumers at this stage, a Model Healthcare Community (MHC) truck is being sent around the country to explain eHealth […]

Feature: Sydney connects with shared health record

15 March 2012

This article first appeared in the 20 February 2012 edition of Pulse+IT Magazine. The Eastern Sydney Connect Wave 2 site has already signed up 338 GPs and 1300 consumers to its project, which will test some of the core components of the PCEHR, including discharge summaries, electronic referrals and specialist letters. It is a huge […]

PCEHR software developers conference added to Health-e-Nation

14 March 2012

A one-day software developers’ conference about the introduction of the PCEHR has been added to the agenda for CHIK Service’s annual Health-e-Nation conference, being held on the Gold Coast later this month. Organised in association with the National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA), the free one-day workshop is aimed at guiding software developers as to what […]

Virtual clinic for mental health

13 March 2012

The federal government has invited mental health organisations to apply for funding for a new virtual mental health clinic to provide telephone and web-based cognitive behavioural therapy. The government has made $20 million available over three years for the virtual clinic, which will be hosted on new $12 million mental health portal, due to be […]

HL7 to hold forum on CCA

12 March 2012

HL7 Australia is holding a one-day forum on conformance, compliance and certification (CCA) for HL7 CDA documents and HL7 V2.x messages in Brisbane next month. Hosted by the Australian eHealth Research Centre (AEHRC), the forum will explore the current and expected requirements for CDA, V2.x, coded values, healthcare identifiers and secure messaging delivery (SMD). Delegates […]

Feature: GWS closing the primary-acute care loop

12 March 2012

This article first appeared in the 20 February 2012 edition of Pulse+IT Magazine. Good communication about a patient’s clinical management is a major component to providing continuity of care across acute and primary healthcare settings. The lead site for the PCEHR in Greater Western Sydney aims to share clinical documents between these settings, and is […]

Feature: Accoras seeks accord with health identifiers

12 March 2012

This article first appeared in the 20 February 2012 edition of Pulse+IT Magazine. The eHealth team at Accoras is working closely with general practices to sign them up to the new Health Identifiers Service. It has so far signed up 70 practices and is looking to begin recruitment of 25,000 patients, particularly war veterans, people […]

Feature: Sharing records in the North, West and South

12 March 2012

This article first appeared in the 20 February 2012 edition of Pulse+IT Magazine. The Northern Territory is working on expanding its widely successful shared electronic health record to communities in the Kimberley and South Australia, as well as planning its transition to the PCEHR. With 47,000 users to date, the NT is a prime example […]

Feature: Medibank builds portal for consumer health

8 March 2012

This article first appeared in the 20 February 2012 edition of Pulse+IT Magazine. Health insurer Medibank is creating an online health record for its customers in which users can store their personal health information. It is aimed at allowing consumers to take control of their health information and will eventually link up with the PCEHR. […]

Feature: Mater puts expectant mothers online

8 March 2012

This article first appeared in the 20 February 2012 edition of Pulse+IT Magazine. The Wave 2 PCEHR project being piloted by Queensland’s Mater Health Services has tied in nicely with its ambitious Smart Hospital strategy. It has already set up a portal for external doctors and is now building one for patients too. Mater Health […]

MSIA: From eHealth blue sky to eHealth grass roots – will the twain ever meet?

8 March 2012

This article first appeared in the 20 February 2012 edition of Pulse+IT Magazine. Beyond the Wave sites, the usual measured approach to investment in clinical software seems to be occurring by healthcare providers and software companies without a lot of regard for the national agenda. Which begs the question — how can the grass roots […]

iPad 3 features integrated dictation, higher resolution screen and camera

8 March 2012

Apple’s latest version of the iPad will support a new dictation function, allowing users to dictate messages and notes and convert them immediately to text, as well as a much higher resolution display that will make viewing clinical images easier. The new iPad, to be released in Australia on March 16, features Apple’s new Retina […]

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