New Software leading the way for Ehealth to really get going.

A report in the last week states that ‘Best Practice Software’- A GP desktop software vendor has released their latest piece of software that allows GP’s to finally upload documents onto the PCEHR’s of their patients (McDonald, 2013). This is a huge step forward for the eHealth initiative, and a much needed boost for things to really get rolling. All of the other software vendors involved in the National e-Health Transition Authority’s (NEHTA) have also released their versions of this software which spells a win for the possibility of a viable e-Health system.

Further McDonald (2013) states that the government will now finally begin its advertising campaign around PCEHRs and the eHealth initiative in Australia, including television commercials. Some (including this blogger) might say this is a long overdue step in the right direction given that the level of those signed up for a PCEHR is still disparagingly low, at about 160,000 (Wong, 2013). Given that we are now a country of 23 Million, this is not comforting. The beginning of an effective advertising campaign and the implementation of this software in doctor’s officies, hospitals, allied healthcare offices and of course pharmacies can only be a good combination for furthering this cause. The sooner we get to see the real landscape of eHealth in Australia and all of its possibilities, the more effective it can become as a truly integrating and game changing practice. Something that we as training health professionals will be able to look forward to being a part of in the future.

References

McDonald, K. (2013) PCEHR- enabled Best Practive now available. Pulse+It Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.pulseitmagazine.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1400:pcehr-enabled-best-practice-now-available&catid=16:australian-ehealth&Itemid=327 on 27/04/13

Wong, M. (2013) Potential for big data through PCEHR. Pulse+It Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.pulseitmagazine.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1393:potential-for-big-data-through-the-pcehr&catid=16:australian-ehealth&Itemid=327 on 27/04/13

E-Health Australia: Security fears

In this day and age when we are exposed to identity theft, computer hacking and fraud it is no surprise that people would be concerned by the prospect of online sharing of their private health information.

While the Australian Government is telling us that PCEHRs will be secure, Graham Ingram, the general manager of infosec emergency response centre AusCERT and one of Australia’s most respected security professionals, says, “they are lying to us.”

“If I can view my electronic health record from the Qantas Club or internet cafe, we have a problem. If we can’t secure the machines, we can’t secure the records.”

Check out SC Magazine’s interview with Graham Ingram to see what he had to say: VIDEO: E-Health Australia: Security ‘disaster’

Also check out OAIC’s Factsheet: Top 10 tips for protecting the personal information in your eHealth record

For more information go to http://www.scmagazine.com.au/News/281217,australias-ehealth-record-a-security-disaster.aspx

What do you think? Are you concerned about the security of Australia’s E-Health system?  I’m interested to hear your thoughts!

PCEHR-An untapped database of patient medication history?

After choosing to blog on this particular topic of issues around eHealth for Pharmacists, I decided to do a little investigating. I wanted to know what this PERSONALLY controlled electronic health record system was all about. Signing up for the eHealth record was quite easy, all you really need is your medicare card and to have some knowledge of your own personal details…seems reasonable. Once I had registered and looked at my own yet to be populated eHealth record, I was struck by how this system could make the entire healthcare process so much more integrated and efficient, as long as it is widely adopted. The second thing that struck me was a little sidebar of information running down the left side of the record. As the eHealth record seems to be largely administered by Medicare, all of my doctors visits and PBS prescriptions that had been dispensed over the past 3 or so years were there. I believe this to be an untapped resource.

One problem that we still have in our society is a dependence and in some cases an addiction to certain medications. The people who are addicted to these medications sometimes do drastic things to ‘beat’ the system to get them. This includes seeing multiple doctors to get prescriptions for the same items, and having these dispensed at different pharmacies so as not to be detected. Further, at a Pharmacy we only have the medication history of a patient to the extent of the medication that they have had dispensed at our pharmacy. This can prove problematic at times when we do not receive the whole medicinal history of our patients. How does this tie in to electronic health records you may ask?

The information that is collected by Medicare regarding dispensed prescriptions is already providing us with an avenue to cut down the level of medication misuse and abuse, and to gain a more complete medical history of our patients to cater more efficiently to their needs. Currently this information it is not used in this manner by Medicare. All PBS prescriptions which have been dispensed show up on that particular individuals eHealth record. A record that, if widely or universally adopted in Australia would lead to a greater benefit to society as a whole, which would provide pharmacists and other health professionals with an extra tool in their ability to treat patients effectively and provide other forms of therapy if needed.

But now we come back to the main issue for pharmacists and the Ehealth initiative. If the system is purely based on personal choice to opt-in, how will better health outcomes for patients to be reached? Can a system where compliance is not mandatory in an area as pivotal to our society as healthcare truly achieve better outcomes without a complete framework and information database to work with?

Alternatively, is an integrated Electronic Prescription Database (independent of the eHealth initiative at this time), with mandatory membership of all pharmacies a more reasonable answer at this time? The ETP is somewhat attempting to create this with efficient flow of paper-less prescriptions from doctors to pharmacies planned for the future, but is this really integrating our dispensing systems enough? An all encompassing national database would contain the information already collected through medicare and all of the patient records within individual pharmacies which would work together to help strengthen the foundations of conscientious dispensing within this country. We have the technology so why not the initiative? An inter-connected database and transfer of prescription information between all pharmacies nationally is really not all that far-fetched as an idea.

E-Health Australia: An incomplete picture

Imagine an E-Health system where any GP, specialist or pharmacist could view the complete medical history of a patient. A system where they could find anything and everything from a patient’s history including current medications, medical conditions, immunisation records, allergies, past test results and doctors referrals.  A system where a medical practitioner can get a comprehensive view of someone’s health and therefore provide them with the best possible health care. Unfortunately, Australia’s E-Health system will not appear quite like this. Instead, patients will be able to pick and choose what appears on their Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR), that is, if they even decide to have one all.

I understand that healthcare can be a very personal topic for many people. And I get that people do have conditions that they wouldn’t necessarily want to share.  But how can a treating medical practitioner get the full picture of somebody’s health when things can so easily be omitted? What may be considered insignificant or embarrassing to a patient may just be the piece of the puzzle a doctor needs to get answers.

The worrying thing to me is that if people are able to select which things they wish to exclude, treating doctors could easily miss vital clues for diagnosis, or worse still prescribe medications that interfere seriously with previously diagnosed conditions. Pharmacists could unwittingly dispense medications that patients are allergic to or have had reactions to in the past. If all the information is present, things are much clearer and it is easier for medical professionals to provide better and safer treatment.

True, there probably are certain things could be excluded without implications on future healthcare, but where do we draw the line on what is needed and what is not? It’s not as if the health records are there for anyone and everyone to read, they are for treating healthcare professionals.

What is your view on Australia’s take on E-Health? Do you agree that patients should have full control of their E-Health record?

Let me know what you think!

Babies and E-Health Records

 

The Australian Goverment has made up e-health records for children, to make it easier for parents and doctor to follow up with the health history. Informations of babies health will be recorded on the system and updated with each doctor, nurse or GP visit. All health records and medical informations are secured and protected by existing and new legilisation. Moreover, parents can have a login and password to control what health records can be viewed. Having an e-health account will make the life of  parents and their children more easier for health services. It is easy to register whether online, by phone, in person or by writing.

More info. visit:

http://www.ehealth.gov.au/internet/ehealth/publishing.nsf/Content/brochure-families