Artificial Intelligence

The revolution changing the face of healthcare delivery

eJHI releases Vol 5, No1

30 April 2010

The electronic Journal of Health Informatics (eJHI) has released its latest instalment online. The edition is a special issue on Systemic Interoperability, guest-edited by W. Ed Hammond, Director, Duke Center for Health Informatics. A Past President of the American Medical Informatics Association, Mr Hammond has served three times as Chair of Health Level 7 where […]

Apple announces new iPhone operating system

30 April 2010

Apple has announced the fourth major revision of its smart phone operating system, iPhone OS4. To be made available during the southern hemisphere winter, the updated system will provide developers with a richer toolkit with which to craft applications for iPhones, iPods and eventually iPads. Apple will also provide developers with an opportunity to embed […]

RACGP releases draft 4th edition Standards for general practices

30 April 2010

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has launched a draft version of its Standards for general practice (4th edition). The Standards are used as the benchmark against which general practices are accredited by AGPAL and GPA, with accredited organisations able to access Practice Incentive Payments. As with the current third revision of the […]

ACHI broadens its horizons

30 April 2010

The Australasian College of Health Informatics (ACHI), the professional body for Health Informatics, has recently expanded its remit to the Asia-Pacific Region. The college, which was founded in 2002, adopted the “Australasian“ title late last year to enable it to respond to the increasing level of e-health activity occurring in the region. According to ACHI […]

Nuance acquires MacSpeech

30 April 2010

Nuance Communications has acquired MacSpeech, the market leading provider of speech recognition solutions for MacOS X. Since its initial release in 2008, MacSpeech has been licensing Nuance’s Dragon dictation technology for inclusion in its products, however the solution never achieved feature parity with Nuance’s long-established Dragon NaturallySpeaking family of products, predominantly designed for Microsoft’s operating […]

ArgusConnect commences rollout of version 5 secure messaging

30 April 2010

ArgusConnect, developer of the Argus suite of secure clinical messaging products has begun deploying an updated version of its software. Written in Java and available for Windows, MacOS and Linux, Argus v5 touts several improvements over its predecessor including an automated software update service that will reduce the manual intervention required to upgrade the software […]

iCare and QPS partner to coordinate aged care data

30 April 2010

Software provider iCare revealed in late March a new tie-up with QPS Benchmarking that would allow benchmarking data to be captured in iCare’s aged care software, potentially taking steps out of administrators’ regular workflow. In a statement, iCare said the objective of the deal was to integrate the capture of healthcare information between the companies’ […]

Mobile focus for mental health charity

30 April 2010

Mental health charity SANE Australia has embraced the burgeoning mobile phone platform, launching a mobile version of its website designed for iPhones and other smartphones with a host of resources customised for on-the-go access. “We have witnessed changes in the way people are seeking help and information, especially young people, with a third of SANE […]

Information Technology Aged Care conference coming to Melbourne

30 April 2010

The fourth Annual Information Technology in Aged Care (ITAC) conference will be held on Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 July at the Sofitel Melbourne on Collins. Jointly convened by the Aged Care Association Australia, Aged and Community Services Australia, and the Health Informatics Society of Australia, the conference will bring together local and international experts […]

Secure Messaging Connectathon hosted by IHE Australia in Canberra

30 April 2010

Australian Health IT developers gathered in Canberra in April to enhance and test their products’ capacity to securely transfer clinical information. The event proper ran from Monday through Friday of the week starting 19 April, with an Open Day hosted on Wednesday giving interested parties the opportunity to learn about the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise […]

Australian SNOMED Clinical Terminology Released

28 February 2010

In December 2009, the National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) launched the first release of SNOMED CT-AU to Australian licence holders. A standard clinical terminology enables the terms used as part of clinical communications to be clearly recorded and interpreted and gives healthcare providers and developers of e-health applications a common language to ensure consistency and […]

E-health software testing consensus statement released

28 February 2010

Four peak industry groups have joined with the National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) to develop a standards assessment approach for medical software in Australia. A statement released in December defines ten key principles on which compliance, conformance and certification of software products will be based and outlines a cost-effective pathway to standards development using existing […]

iSOFT Looks To USA While Australia Plays “Catch-up”

28 February 2010

iSOFT has noted what it says are “early signs” of action on e-health by Australia’s Federal Government but indicated its major growth driver would be the United States’ US$34 billion stimulus investment in Health IT systems, leaving Australia to follow other countries in the provision of e-health funding. “In Australia … we have seen the […]

DoHA rejects concerns about NEHTA’s future role

28 February 2010

The Department of Health and Ageing has rejected as “laughable” opposition questions about whether there were plans for the National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) to ever function as a commercial entity in the e-health marketplace. During a Senate Estimates Committee hearing held in mid February, Liberal Senator Sue Boyce queried the future status of the […]

RACGP to use 4th Edition Standards to drive e-health

28 February 2010

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is currently developing the fourth iteration of its standards for General Practice, flagging an intention to use the revised requirements to increase the utilisation of information technology in general practices. While the current 3rd Edition Standards contain criterion that relate to information technology, the 4th Edition Standards […]

DCP commercialised to support ongoing development

28 February 2010

Dr Anton Knieriemen, a GP who has developed the Doctors Control Panel (DCP) software utility has announced plans to commercialise the product, which has been freely available until now. The DCP is designed to act as an adjunct to clinical and practice management software, delivering access to summarised patient information in a pop-up panel. The […]

ASADA Integrates MIMS Data Into Anti-Doping Website

28 February 2010

The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) has integrated the MIMS medicines database into the “Check your substances” section of its new website. According to the organisation, making this information available through the website will provide athletes and sports administrators with peace of mind when looking for the latest information about medications and substances. The online […]

AGPN calls for “e-health change and adoption” funding

28 February 2010

The Australian General Practice Network (AGPN) has called for $31 million in funding over three years to assist general practices to meet the ever-growing IT demands being placed on these organisations. As part of a broader submission to the Federal Budget, AGPN said e-health initiatives such as the E-Health Support Office Program (EHSOP) — which […]

InterSystems appoints new regional manager

28 February 2010

InterSystems has appointed Stan Capp to the position of Country Manager, Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia. Capp has been charged with managing and growing InterSystems’ regional business, which he indicated will be aided by leveraging InterSystems’ achievements in international healthcare markets. “InterSystems technology is at the heart of so many successful electronic healthcare […]

Hospital group deploys SAAS to control Spam email

28 February 2010

A group of hospitals in Sydney has selected a Software-as-a-Service (SAAS) solution to handle the detection and processing of spam email. St Vincent’s & Mater Health Sydney is one of Australia’s largest not-for-profit, non-government health care providers. Its hospitals — St Vincent’s Public, St Vincent’s Private, St Joseph’s and The Mater — provide specialist and […]

HCN reaches milestone with PracSoft Easyclaim

28 February 2010

HCN has announced that it now has over 1,000 practices actively using the Medicare Easyclaim functionality in its PracSoft practice management solution. The software has been designed to work with EFTPOS terminals from Tyro, which connect to the practice’s network instead of a telephone line. According to HCN, throughout January more than 440,000 Easyclaim transactions […]

IHE to host secure messaging Connectathon in Canberra

28 February 2010

The Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) initiative is preparing to host a secure messaging “Connectathon” in Canberra. To be held between 19-23 April, the event will provide software developers with an opportunity to test their products’ ability to interconnect with the products of other companies participating in the event. Interconnectivity describes the ability for software […]

Community Pharmacy deal to fund e-prescribing adoption

28 February 2010

Announced as part of the “in principle” agreement reached between The Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the Federal Government in January, the Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement is to include provisions for the funding of electronic prescribing. While prescribers in Australia have long used computers and clinical software to print scripts, modern electronic prescribing systems introduced […]

Telstra previews faster wireless broadband modem

28 February 2010

Telstra has unveiled a new USB modem that will allow customers to take advantage of the speed upgrade it activated on its Next G mobile broadband network last month, saying the device would go on sale “later this year”. The infrastructure upgrade will allow Telstra customers to send and receive wireless data using two channels […]

Northern Territory DHF funds development of Web Service secure messaging

28 February 2010

Clinics in the Northern Territory have commenced rolling out a new secure messaging solution designed to improve their ability to connect to the Territory’s Shared Electronic Health Record (SEHR). Dubbed the Web Services Messaging Application (WSMA), the technology has been released as an Application Programming Interface (API), which allows developers of clinical software to tightly […]

Alphastudy clinical research platform released

27 April 2009

A knowledge creation, management and dissemination platform specifically designed for the healthcare industry has been released. Dubbed Alphastudy, the system was developed by David Dinh who built the foundations of the platform to assist him with his work with the Asthma Clinical Assessment Form and Electronic decision support (ACAFE) research project. This project was formally […]

Easyclaim subsidies offered to incentivise integration

27 April 2009

Senator Joe Ludwig has announced subsidies totalling $6 million will be made available to parties who design, develop or rollout integrated Medicare Easyclaim solutions. The incentive package was announced at the Australian Pharmacy Professional Conference held in early April, a curious venue for such an announcement given that Easyclaim has no current application in community […]

Houston to demonstrate new Day Surgery module at IAAS Ambulatory Surgery Congress

27 April 2009

Houston Medical will demonstrate their new Day Surgery module at the International Association for Ambulatory Surgery (IAAS) Congress, to be held in Brisbane starting on July 3. The software developer is best known throughout Australia and New Zealand for its specialist practice software solution, Houston VIP, which is widely adopted by ophthalmology practices drawn to […]

IBA acquires HATRIX Pty Ltd

20 April 2009

On April 17, IBA announced that it had acquired Australian-based HATRIX Pty Ltd. HATRIX develops medication software solutions for acute care, aged care and community health care providers in Australia and New Zealand. As part of the acquisition, IBA will pay HATRIX shareholders an initial consideration of $2 million. A further earn-out, capped at $13 […]

GPA releases interactive online accreditation resource

20 April 2009

General Practice Australia (GPA) has launched an online solution to assist practices to prepare for their accreditation visits. Dubbed Accreditation Plus (A+), the web-based solution allows practice staff to undertake a practice self assessment against each of the RACGP standards for accreditation. Progress is monitored through visual indicators and at any stage, a preliminary report […]

APCC add new measures to practice reporting program

20 April 2009

Australian Primary Care Collaboratives Program has introduced new measures to help practices improve patient care. Following review by the Australian Primary Care Collaboratives (APCC) Program’s Expert Reference Panels and consultation with national expert organisations, the Program is improving how practices report by introducing a range of changes to the Program measures this month. In 2005 […]

MEDI Vault Internet backup solution for health launched

20 April 2009

File Pty Ltd has launched a secure online backup solution designed specifically for the health sector. Dubbed MEDI Vault, the system allows practices and other health care organisations to encrypt and upload their important data to redundant MEDI Vault servers located in multiple hosting facilities spread across Brisbane. The system is designed to perform backups […]

NEHTA releases eligible PIP vendors list

8 April 2009

The National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) has released a list of 24 software developers that have committed to engage with NEHTA in an attempt to improve secure messaging interoperability. The need for such a list eventuated as a result of recently released eHealth Practice Incentives Program (eHealth PIP) criteria, which mandates practices have installed at […]

eHealth PIP brings confusion

15 March 2009

Medicare Australia has updated the criteria for general practices seeking to maintain access to the e-health (formally IT/IM) component of the Practice Incentives Program (PIP). The scheme is intended to advance the use of computers and related technology in general practice by offering substantial payments to practices that comply with a series of criteria formulated […]

Management Advantage and HATRIX integrate aged care software solutions

13 February 2009

Two aged care clinical software providers will integrate their products to streamline clinical workflow in aged care facilities. Management Advantage and HATRIX say the integration of Management Advantage’s Manad Plus and HATRIX’s MedChart will be an industry first. The integrated solution, currently in the on-site testing stage and set to be launched later this month, […]

Advantech, Microsoft and Intel team up to demo mobile clinical hardware

13 February 2009

Advantech Australia will be holding a free roadshow in Sydney early next month. The Technology in Medicine Roadshow features speakers from Advantech Australia, Intel Digital Health and Microsoft Windows Embedded Division, as well as product displays. Advantech Australia’s medical product manager Brad Waters said the event, which is sponsored by Advantech, Microsoft Windows Embedded and […]

Compuware survey highlights impact of IT outages in health

13 February 2009

IT outages in healthcare settings compromise patient safety and disrupt clinicians, a survey has revealed. The Compuware survey found the average length of the most severe healthcare information system outages in 2008 was 4.1 hours. However, 39 per cent of survey respondents said their most severe outage was less than one hour, with 19 per […]

Profile: Diagnostic Imaging Pathways

13 February 2009

A clinical decision support tool and educational resource for diagnostic imaging has been developed by a team based at Royal Perth Hospital in Western Australia. Diagnostic Imaging Pathways presents clinical scenarios for the benefit of diagnostic imaging referrers, providers and patients. Each clinical scenario includes a flowchart giving the appropriate order of imaging, accompanied by […]

e-Health networking event to be held in Perth

13 February 2009

E-health professionals are invited to attend a networking event being held in Perth later next month. The Health Informatics Society of Australia (HISA) WA branch and Health Information Management Association of Australia’s (HIMAA) “Hooking up with a Health Informatician” networking evening will be held on Wednesday March 25 from 17:45. The evening is a follow-up […]

Medical-Objects to deliver SNOMED CT training in March

6 February 2009

In late March, Health IT software company Medical-Objects will deliver a pair of “SNOMED CT and Decision Support” training courses in Brisbane and Sydney. To be held on 24th and 31st respectively, the one day seminars are broadly pitched and suitable for all health informaticians and Health IT industry participants. The training courses will be […]

BigPond partners with health information website

5 February 2009

Telstra has partnered with an online medical site to give consumers easier access to health information. Accessible from the BigPond home page, the Virtual Medical Centre has more than 22,000 pages of medical information and advice from specialists. Patients and medical professionals can become a member of the site for free, with professionals needing to […]

Healthscope extends iSoft contract

5 February 2009

Australian private hospital provider Healthscope will continue its roll-out of IBA Health Group’s iSOFT software at 38 of its hospitals, IBA Health Group announced. The agreement, worth $4.2 million over three years, is in addition to a $14 million, seven year agreement announced between the two companies in December 2007. The $14 million deal saw […]

MSIA seeks general manager

5 February 2009

The Medical Software Industry Association (MSIA) is seeking a half-time general manager. The Association is urging interested applicants to apply for the newly created role, which reports directly to the MSIA Board. The Association said the two-and-a-half days a week paid position will involve leading and co-ordinating all aspects of the MSIA’s work, especially membership […]

Church Resources commences aged care IT pilot

5 February 2009

A group of rural aged care facilities will have access to IT applications through a pilot program being launched by charitable trust Church Resources. The ConnectCare program will see a suite of technology applications and infrastructure rolled out in four not-for-profit rural aged care homes in NSW and Queensland. The four homes are Nambucca Valley […]

Stat Health Systems partners with First DataBank

2 February 2009

Stat Health Systems has announced a new partnership with First DataBank (FDB), a provider of integrated drug knowledge bases and electronic clinical decision support solutions. Designed with Australian general practice in mind, Stat Health Systems’ product, “Stat”, is a fully integrated clinical and practice management solution incorporating electronic prescribing with enhanced clinical decision support and […]

SA TAFE campus selects HealthSolve Care Management for nursing students

2 February 2009

Starting in February, nursing students at the Panorama College of TAFE will use the HealthSolve Care Management System during their studies. According to Lecturer in Community Services, Melissa Beeston-Nicholls, the decision to expand the teaching syllabus comes in response to requests from students seeking a working knowledge of relevant IT solutions. “Students were asking to […]

Global Health deploys e-PAS, signs agreement with ACT Health

31 January 2009

Two Australian hospitals have implemented Global Health’s patient administration system (e-PAS), the company has announced. The hospitals, based in Victoria and NSW, are upgrading from their current legacy Bourke Johnson System. Global Health said the upgrade will streamline the flow of information through the hospitals, both of which have been long-time clients of the company. […]

CMPMedica to supply iSOFT with drug data products

31 January 2009

Health information company CMPMedica has signed a contract to supply iSOFT with evidence-based drug information, in a move iSOFT says will make patient safety a priority. The global contract, which was signed in December, means CMPMedica will supply the information iSOFT needs to operate its decision support tools. iSOFT chief medical officer Michael Dahlweid said […]

Insignia announces additional functionality for O’Neil printers

22 January 2009

Label printing company Insignia has announced a series of new technical solutions for health sector organisations using O’Neil printers. The company has announced 802.11-equipped mobile O’Neil portable printers will be supported within Motorola’s mobility service platform for remote management. The platform can be coupled with remote management software, allowing the printers to be configured, updated […]

Advantech expands online services

22 January 2009

Technology supplier Advantech has launched an online discussion forum for its clients. The ADAM forum brings together information and tips on the company’s products and services, which includes point-of-care hardware for the medical sector. The worldwide forum has both discussion and live demonstration capabilities and includes training papers, white papers and installation tips and hints. […]

Health Informatician Robyn Cook departs for Qatar

16 January 2009

A leader in the Australian health informatics industry will take up a new position in the Middle East at the end of the month. Robyn Cook will step down as Chair of the NSW Branch of Health Informatics Society of Australia (HISA) and Chair of Nursing Informatics Australia (NIA) to commence in the role of […]

Continuing medical education website launched

16 January 2009

A website providing Australian medical practitioners with free virtual access to educational conferences and meetings has launched. Medical Update Pty Ltd director Gary Smith said video and power point slides from events from around the country are uploaded on to the site – www.medicalupdate.com.au – where they are easily accessible by subscribers. “We work by […]

Facebook-style website launched for Australian doctors

16 January 2009

An Australian medical practitioner has launched the country’s first social networking website for doctors. Dr Stephen Barnett, a GP practising in Bowral, NSW, is the man behind the brand-new Multimedix site – www.multimedix.com.au – which operates in a similar fashion to online social networks such as Facebook. Dr Barnett’s aim is to have doctors from […]

Queensland Health selects ProVation for electronic Endoscopy Reporting solution

16 January 2009

Queensland Health is set to install new electronic Endoscopy Reporting software at its facilities that perform endoscopy services. Global Health IT company, Wolters Kluwer Health, the parent company of Ovid Technologies, announced on January 7 that Queensland Health had licensed ProVation MD for Gastroenterology and ProVation MultiCaregiver. Both products will play a key role in […]

GP Access to support the rollout of hospital messaging

11 January 2009

A group of NSW hospitals will begin using a secure electronic messaging system from March. Newcastle-based GP Access (formerly the Hunter Urban Division of GPs) and the Hunter Rural Division of Rural Practice are working to connect the 17 hospitals in the Hunter/New England area to the electronic messaging system. GP Access chief information officier […]

Communicare appoints new General Manager

11 January 2009

Community Health IT software provider Communicare Systems has appointed a new General Manager. Sam Dean joins the team at Communicare after 14 years with UK information technology supplier EMIS. Former general manager Brian Dunstan has transitioned into the position of Product Development Director. The Perth-based company, which has 10 employees on site, specialises in flexible […]

World Internet Project quantifies online health seekers

11 January 2009

About a quarter of all Australians seek health information from the Internet, new research has revealed. The World Internet Project – the first ever global survey of Internet usage – found 23.7 per cent of Australians went online seeking health information at least once a month, with 13.4 per cent using the Internet to search […]

An Introduction To Online Trading

4 January 2009

With the collapse in financial markets more people are choosing to be actively involved in managing their investments to grow their wealth and plan for retirement. This article provides a very brief introduction to some features you might look for when considering online share trading platforms. Fees Fees for online trading vary with some providers […]

$$ – The Requirements Phase: From RFP to demonstration

4 January 2009

Great news! You have identified a need for a new information system, gone through all the right channels and now have the job to “get it done”. Taking on the task with great gusto, you’ve already identified your Executive Sponsor [refer to Pulse+IT, Edition #9, page 42] and like a tightly coiled spring, are anxious […]

$$ – Review: FS-1300D

4 January 2009

Introduction The FS-1300D is the successor to the Kyocera FS-1030D (note the different positioning of the “3” in the model number), a monochrome laser printer that was reviewed in the November 2007 edition of Pulse+IT against other printers deemed possibly suitable for deployment in a GP or Specialist consultation room environment. While the FS-1030D performed […]

Financial Reporting and The Medical Practice

4 January 2009

Introduction Businesses keep books to ascertain whether or not they are making a profit or a loss. To physically view this information, reports need to be produced in either soft copy or hard copy so that they can be analysed and shared. The advantage of computer accounting applications is that reports can be produced quickly […]

$$ – An Introduction To Server Virtualisation

4 January 2009

Virtually speaking The word ‘virtualisation’ is thrown around as much in the IT media as the term ‘recession’ is dominating the mainstream news. Virtualisation is now becoming even more relevant, particularly to the medical industry, where any advantage in increased efficiency and reduced overheads is vital during this time of economic uncertainty. As with any […]

$$ – An Introduction To The iPhone For Clinicians

4 January 2009

Introduction In the last 12 months there have been significant developments in the portable electronic device (PED) space. Whereas this sector was previously limited to laptops, there is now a variety of devices to suit a particular context, as seen by the increasing popularity of netbooks and ultra portable devices. Coupled with convergence, we are […]

NEHTA Introduces The National Product Catalogue

4 January 2009

The National Product Catalogue is a long-overdue reform for the public health system that will radically improve efficiency, increase quality and safety for patients, and save $200 million. Australia’s health system relies on having enough of the right medical supplies, equipment and medicines on hand to treat the patients who need them, when they need […]

Interview: Practice Management Software Company

4 January 2009

Pulse+IT: What products does the Practice Management Software Company (PMSC) develop for the health care sector? We’ve developed GPComplete as a fully integrated medical and allied health software. The solution encompasses Electronic Health Record (EHR), Practice Management and Medicare Online (HIC Online) in the one system, using the one database. Pulse+IT: What makes GPComplete different […]

Pulse+IT: 2008.4

4 January 2009

Welcome to the tenth edition of Pulse+IT, Australia’s first and only Health IT magazine. The magazine you are now reading will be the last copy of Pulse+IT to be released as a quarterly printed publication. However fear not — unlike many print publications getting battered by the deteriorating economic conditions, Pulse+IT will move forward with […]

$$ – Virtualisation for the desktop

16 August 2008

Introduction This article introduces the reader to virtualisation technology as it is applicable for use on a laptop or desktop computer. A discussion about the use of virtualisation technology in a server environment will be deferred to the November edition of Pulse+IT, which will contain an article dealing exclusively with the topic. Throughout this article, […]

$$ – Executive buy in – Meet your new best friend

16 August 2008

About to go shopping for a new information system? Health care agencies, particularly large hospitals, already have a myriad of information systems, yet there is still the need for more to support extra functionality, data collection, or research projects. Sometimes it’s possible to expand an existing system to cover the need, but if it’s a […]

$$ – An introduciton to Free Open Source Software

16 August 2008

Introduction This article introduces the reader to Free Open Source Software (FOSS) by discussing the philosophies, benefits, business models and licensing arrangements that the FOSS movement has either been built upon, or given rise to. In addition — and in what I anticipate will be of most interest and practical use to the majority of […]

$$ – MYOB for the medical practice

16 August 2008

Introduction MYOB is an international provider of specialised software solutions which streamlines many day to day administrative activities in business operations. This in turn allows management to focus on the overall goals of the business. MYOB is a cost effective tool for Australian medical practices, provided it is setup and used correctly. The software is […]

$$ – Mobile Clinical Software

16 August 2008

Introduction This article contains an overview of a selection of clinical applications designed specifically for mobile use. It concludes a two-part series on mobile computing for clinicians, which commenced in the May 2008 edition of Pulse+IT with an outline of the various categories of mobile hardware available on the market. As many of the devices […]

$$ – VoIP for the home

16 August 2008

Introduction This article outlines two different types of Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology that may assist the reader to reduce their home telecommunication costs. A subsequent article scheduled for the November edition of Pulse+IT will discuss VoIP services suitable for small businesses such as medical centres and similar sized healthcare organisations. VoIP refers to […]

$$ – An introduction to personal health records

16 August 2008

Introduction Having first been discussed in academic papers in the late nineteen seventies, the concept of patient managed health records has enjoyed somewhat of a resurgence in recent times. In the space of a year, the National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) has commenced engagement on their proposed “Individual Electronic Health Record” system, Microsoft and Google […]

Interview: Houston Medical

16 August 2008

Pulse+IT: What products does Houston Medical develop for the healthcare sector? Houston supplies software to every sector and while we do have a considerable exposure to general practice, our strength is certainly in the higher priced end of the market where we try to provide a lot more bang for a few more bucks! Houston […]

CAT: King of the jungle

16 August 2008

The development of the Clinical Audit Tool (CAT) by Pen Computer Systems has put GPs, practice managers and practice nurses back in the drivers seat by giving them easy access to their own data. Groups such as pharmaceutical companies and Government have a long history in harnessing the power of data and taking advantage of […]

IEHR Privacy Blueprint released

16 August 2008

The Australian public has been given its first glimpse of how an individual electronic health record (IEHR) may work with the release of a document detailing the proposed privacy considerations for a national IEHR system. The Privacy Blueprint for the Individual Electronic Health Record (Privacy Blueprint) has been put together by the National E-Health Transition […]

Connecting general practice to broadband

16 August 2008

Many readers will be aware that the Broadband For Health (BFH) incentives for using “qualified” broadband Internet services in GP clinics ceased in December 2007. As a result, the majority of practices in Australia that accessed the program will need to review their contracts with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) when existing contracts expire. Therefore, the […]

Why is it taking so long?

16 August 2008

I have been working in Health Informatics my entire career as a doctor and I plan to see interoperable health records somewhere in the world before I retire (don’t worry I have more than 10 years to go). Where to concentrate my time? Australia? It may well take some time to recover from the past […]

Pulse+IT:2008.3

16 August 2008

Welcome to the ninth edition of Pulse+IT, Australia’s first and only Health IT magazine. This edition is being launched at a busy time for e-Health in Australia, with many developments emerging that are likely to prove pivotal in the months and years to come. Details of the “work in progress” National e-Health Plan have started […]

Pulse+IT eNews Subscription Received

11 June 2008

Thank you for subscribing to the free Pulse+IT eNewsletter service. To ensure that Pulse+IT eNewsletters don’t find their way into your junk mail folder on an ongoing basis, it is recommended that you add enews@pulseit.news to your address book. If you find Pulse+IT eNewsletters to be useful, please consider forwarding an edition on to your […]

Pulse+IT website access payment received

11 June 2008

Thank you for subscribing to the Pulse+IT website. Your payment has been received and your user account and temporary password will be sent to you via email from webmaster@pulseit.news to the email address you supplied to PayPal. If you require the subscription to be established with different details than those supplied to PayPal, or you […]

$$ – An introduction to Microsoft Windows Vista

9 May 2008

Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system was released in January 2007, the fruits of a development cycle whose commencement predated the release of Windows XP. With such a long time in development, readers may be led to assume that Vista must be a significant and impressive piece of software. But is it? Advantages To help you […]

Remote access using VPN

9 May 2008

There are a range of approaches to remote access that are used by government departments, large business, and smaller businesses like general practices. One approach that is cost-effective and fits the remote access needs of practices is hardware-based Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology for security, with free or proprietary remote control software, such as VNC […]

$$ – Scanning workflows

9 May 2008

While the scanning functionality implemented in the various clinical software packages vary somewhat, nearly all software options on the market allow documents to be scanned directly into a patient file one at a time, or scanned using third-party scanning software and later linked to the appropriate patient records in a batch. This article outlines these […]

$$ – Email etiquette tips

9 May 2008

It is amazing to consider the extent to which computers have entered all facets of our lives, and the fact that our adoption of technology has happened in such a short space of time. But one man’s boom is another man’s burden and more than most technologies, this reliance dichotomy comes to the fore with […]

$$ – An introduction to mobile computing for clinicians

9 May 2008

Introduction This article is the first in a two-part series designed to outline some of the mobile computing options available to clinicians. According to Wikipedia, “mobile computing is a generic term describing one’s ability to use technology ‘untethered’, facilitated by devices which provide mobile computer functionality”. In this instalment, the author will outline some of […]

$$ – Mobile broadband for clinicians

9 May 2008

Introduction While 10 years ago, using a laptop outside of your home or typical workplace could be classified as “mobile computing”, truly mobile computing these days infers mobile Internet connectivity. Unlike the wireless (Wi-Fi) networks found in many homes and small businesses, which sport coverage areas of up to only a couple of dozen metres, […]

Interview: Totalcare

9 May 2008

Pulse+IT: What products does Totalcare develop for the health care sector? Our primary product suite Totalcare is an integrated Administrative and Clinical system for GPs, Specialists, Day Hospitals and Hospitals. At its most basic, that means everything from registering a patient, booking appointments, all the billing, payments, claims, practice and statutory reporting and financial stuff, […]

Standards Australia: Health Informatics IT-014

9 May 2008

Standards Australia Standards Australia is recognised by the Government as Australia’s peak Standards body. It coordinates standardisation activities, develops internationally aligned Australian Standards of public benefit and national interest, and facilitates the accreditation of other Standards Development Organisations. Standards Australia is a not for profit organization Over the past few decades, as trade liberalisation has […]

eRedbook v1.0

9 May 2008

The Australian Government focus on preventive health care is welcome news. The RACGP’s Red Book is undergoing an e-makeover that will ensure that GPs remain at the centre of any preventive care strategy. Initial development In 2005, as part of its Phase Two Work Program, the General Practice Computing Group (GPCG) contracted Pen Computer Systems […]

Australia joining the world to develop open source e-health tools

9 May 2008

Imagine a health system where patient information is shared between a doctor’s office, hospital, lab and even equipment like a heart monitor. That’s the goal of interoperable electronic health (e-health), and Australia, through NEHTA, is working with international organisations on the building blocks that can make this happen. “The goal is that health information will […]

The Health Provider Registry

9 May 2008

In 2001 SA Divisions of General Practice Inc (SADI) identified a need for more timely and accurate discharge summaries. SADI recognised that a statewide central and authoritative address book of provider and practice details would help to address this need. In 2002, the SA Health’s careconnect.sa program, provided funding for the address book to assist […]

E-Health: turning plans into action

9 May 2008

“The method of the enterprising is to plan with audacity and execute with vigour” Christian Nevell Bovee (1820-1904) Electronic communications and data management systems are widely adopted in almost all sectors of business and society — except healthcare. While most baby boomers are happy to relate to friends and live in the “real world” with […]

Pulse+IT:2008.2

9 May 2008

Welcome to the eighth edition of Pulse+IT, Australia’s first and only Health IT magazine. The last few months have heralded what are likely to be pivotal developments in Australia’s eHealth landscape. Electronic prescribing (e-prescribing), having languished in the collective thought bubble of the Health IT industry for many years, is now very much on the […]

$$ – Implementing effective clinical decision support

1 March 2008

Overview The goal of decision support is often touted as one of the key drivers for Health IT, in that it will result in improvements in patient outcomes, cost savings and other benefits. According to AMIA’s Clinical Decision Roadmap, “decision support has the capability to reduce adverse effects, improve health maintenance and chronic disease management, […]

$$ – EMR and Clincal Trials

1 March 2008

Electronic Medical Records (EMR), software that allows the creation, storage, editing and retrieval of a patient’s data on a computer, and to a lesser extent Electronic/Personal Health Records (EHR/PHR) have been making strides around the world. Many hospitals or hospital clusters have to some extent either implemented EMRs or are in the process of doing […]

Leaning towards sustainability

1 March 2008

Introduction It’s now clear that in an effort to appear green, many organisations are trying to paint over poor business processes – a practice known as “green-washing”. This is a shame because it’s increasingly clear that true sustainability-oriented practices provide tangible long-term benefits for organisations as well as being good for the environment. To help […]

$$ – Health IT recruiting

1 March 2008

The shortage of qualified staff is endemic through all industry groups in Australia – we are not alone in Health IT. With the national unemployment rate registering at a 30 year low of just 4.3% in January 2008, it should come as no surprise that there is a high demand for workers in the business, […]

The Collaborative Centre for eHealth and the Australian Healthcare Messaging Laboratory

1 March 2008

Introduction Opened in 2000 by the Vice Chancellor of Ballarat University, the Collaborative Centre for eHealth (CCeH) was established to advance the quality of healthcare information systems integration in both Australia and around the globe. The CCeH is located in the University of Ballarat’s Technology Park, a modern university campus hosting offices for several IT […]

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