A Very Good Reaction to the HISA E-Health Strategy Document!

I was pleased to see that there was very quick and considered mainstream reaction to the HISA E-Health Strategy Document.

The number of downloads of the reports has been just amazing – HISA’s hosting fee’s will rise at this rate!

Labor mum on e-health plans

Karen Dearne | November 14, 2007

E-HEALTH failed to get a mention in Labor's campaign launch today, despite confirming a $2 billion commitment to hospital reform and new healthcare programs.

Instead, education was the big IT winner. But while Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd promised to deliver internet access to the nation's schools at speeds of up 100Mbps, it seems there is no such plan to link doctors, hospitals and other medical providers to the proposed fibre-to-the-node network.

Advanced broadband capabilities are needed to support new medical imaging and diagnostic tools, remote support through telemedicine, patient record-sharing and population health initiatives.

The lack of specific announcements on health IT will disappoint many observers, including the Health Informatics Society of Australia which, frustrated by the absence of a national vision for transforming healthcare, has today released its own e-health blueprint.

More than 200 of the nation's leading health information experts say an agreed vision and "appropriately resourced plan" are urgently needed to beat a looming crisis due to an unprecedented bulging in demand and simultaneous reduction in availability of staff.

Continue reading here:

http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,22757706-15306,00.html

Additionally the following arrived late in the day.

E-health overlooked in election

Politicians must get serious about eHealth if they want to prepare the health system for the future, according to the Health Informatics Society Australia. more...

The rest of the article can be read at the following URL:

http://www.6minutes.com.au/PDFRedirect.asp?date=15_11_2007

With the Australian providing links to the summary document and 6minutes.com.au on the case the good word will get out fast.

Those politicians who think they can ignore e-Health should re-consider. There are a lot of marginal seats where annoyed Health IT workers may vote in an unexpected way – I hope.

David.