It seems the 4th Estate has been working to get Ms Roxon to have a few words to say on e-Health.
First we have:
Canberra stalls on e-health details
Karen Dearne | February 03, 2009
AUSTRALIA finally has an agreed national strategy for e-health adoption, but the Government is withholding details of the plan, which could save billions of dollars in costs resulting from medical errors.
Costings for the National E-Health Strategy have not been released, nor has a rollout schedule. The strategy was developed at a cost of $1.3 million by consultancy Deloitte after extensive consultations with health stakeholders, and was endorsed by the Australian Health Ministers' Conference in December.
The Deloitte report says up to 18 per cent of medical errors result from lack of access to patient information, with these adverse events costing about $3 billion a year "in avoidable expenditure - money that could be better spent on health demands driven by an ageing and sicker population".
.....
Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon this week declined to reveal further details of the e-health strategy, and yesterday a spokesman said the full report could not be released without the consent of all AHMC members.
"Together with my health minister colleagues, I was pleased to endorse the national strategy in early December," Ms Roxon said. "It will allow prioritisation of existing and future investment in national health IT infrastructure and activities."
But instead of the anticipated changes the minister said the National E-Health Transition Authority would continue its foundation work on interoperability and information security.
Astoundingly, more than $5 billion has been spent on e-health projects and trials by federal and state governments over the past 10 years, with only "marginal progress" resulting.
....
It is (also) unclear how NEHTA, revitalised under a new regime, will be restructured to create a new, entirely separate, e-health entity, as envisioned by Deloitte.
Full article here:
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24998724-5013040,00.html
We also have the following from Medical Observer.
Roxon gains new insights after day at the coalface
Shannon McKenzie - Friday, 6 February 2009
Ms Roxon on:
National E-Health Transition Authority:
“I do not consider it a failure, however I do not think the previous government gave it a clear direction. I think we will begin to see progress with the new CEO and chair. If we do not make the investment in e-health our reforms will not work.”
Full article here (for those with access):
Simultaneously we have the budget submission process wrapping up and we see some pressure for e-Health consideration.
Budget 2009: AMA pushes e-health agenda
02 February 2009 05:21 PM
The Australian Medical Association has named e-health infrastructure as one of the highest priorities to receive cash from the government's $10 billion Health and Hospitals fund, in a submission to the 2009-2010 Federal Budget released today.
"Further investment in e-health infrastructure, particularly in hospitals, medical practices, aged care, pharmacy and other allied health practices, is needed to fully enable the sharing of patient information electronically in Australia," the submission said.
The Health and Hospitals Fund was formed by the Rudd Government to enable investment in health and hospital facilities and equipment, medical technology and major medical research facilities. Applicant guidelines for the fund specify that capital funding can be used for information management and technology systems installation.
The AMA named e-health infrastructure as one of three "critical" investment areas alongside equipment in rural hospitals and training facilities in general practices.
Last week, the Australian General Practice Network (AGPN) also lodged a submission to the Budget, calling for its e-health funding, which ends this June, to be extended. It recommended $13 million per year be allocated.
More here:
The AMA Press Release is also available on line:
Mr Rudd – what happened to health?
4 February 2009 - 1:00pm
The AMA has called on the Federal Government to urgently explain why health was excluded from yesterday’s mini budget.
AMA President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, said health should be a high priority on any list of nation building infrastructure development.
“But we didn’t even make the list. Forty two billion dollars - that’s forty two thousand, million dollars of taxpayers’ money - and not a cent will go to the nation’s crumbling health infrastructure,” Dr Capolingua said.
Full release is here:
We also have a HISA submission to the Budget process:
HISA has delivered its prebudget submission to the Federal government.
Recognising the progress made in establishing the Deliottes National E-Health Strategy and the work of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission, HISA urges that we continue to move forward. We have requested the delivery of a set of foundation activities that will allow the realisation of the objectives articulate though these strategy and discussion documents.
Click here to download the complete submission.
(Note: I am not personally in agreement with the priorities outlined in the HISA submission. They really only become relevant once implementation of the Deliottes National E-Health Strategy has been properly funded and implementation commenced. This is yet to happen! Once this has what HISA is saying is also important!)
All in all Ms Roxon must be well and truly aware that more than she has already done to explain what she is actually planning is required. There had better be some good announcements regarding the use of the Health Infrastructure Fund or plans for the 2009 Budget pretty soon now or the discontent will only build.
David.
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