Sorry – This Really Makes Me Grumpy!

Today this came across my desk.

Bush presses healthcare IT in State of the Union speech

In his final State of the Union address loaded with tough topics such as troop withdrawal from Iraq and emergency measures to boost a weakened economy, President Bush again highlighted information technology as critical to transforming healthcare.

"To build a future of quality healthcare, we must trust patients and doctors to make medical decisions and empower them with better information and better options," Bush said.

"We share a common goal of making healthcare more affordable and accessible for all Americans."

The president listed healthcare IT among several key aspects of healthcare reform, including the expansion of health savings accounts, the creation of association health plans for small businesses and the elimination of junk medical lawsuits. He also called for a change in the tax code to put coverage within reach of millions of Americans who do not get health insurance through their employers, and thus can't pay premiums with tax- free dollars.

He received rousing applause from Republicans when he said expansion of consumer choice, not government control, is the best way to achieve healthcare reform.

Consumer choice has been a cornerstone of Bush's policy to bring value to U.S. healthcare. His value-driven healthcare plan calls for electronic health records and the reporting of quality measures as a way to drive down costs and bring transparency to an ailing healthcare system.

Continue reading here:

http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=8519

Where the hell is the e-Health leadership in Australia?

All I can say is that if the most awful and incompetent leader in the Western World – and all his smarter international mates ‘get-it’- what about the current Rudd Government? Thus far not a ‘dickie bird’ – except rubbish about the Government apparently following some secret NEHTA / Medicare Plan for Australian e-Health domination. What a policy farce! Ms Roxon and her advisors need to lift their game – and promptly!

The lack of Commonwealth co-ordination, planning and care in e-Health is moving from a serious problem to a serious policy failure at an amazing pace. Ms Halton, Mr Reid and mates – get onto this and fast!

This is simply not good enough.

David.