Talk About a Non Document from NEHTA. The Introduction to National e-Health Services Document is Really a Joke.

Regular readers will know that I have been complaining that I could not seem to find a document which was referenced in the HI Services Documentation.

I was kindly given a link earlier today. I also had an e-mail from NEHTA letting me know of the link six days after I asked by e-mail (20/11/2009 3pm). I hope the support for the HI Service is going to be a trifle better than this!

The document was published on the 24th November. The link is here:

http://www.nehta.gov.au/component/docman/doc_download/886-introduction-to-national-e-health-services

Despite the grand title:

NEHTA, Introduction to National e-Health Services, version 1.0, November 1 2009

The document turns out the be a riveting 13 page read explaining how someone with an apparently clinically fractured wrist can be passed between GP, Radiologist, Surgeon, (not Hospital but having surgery anyway – where who knows?) and back to GP followed and guided by securely sent and signed documentation all laden with patient and provider IDs courtesy of NEHTA.

The whole scenario is really clinically quite odd – and I leave it as an exercise for the reader to point out where. Oddities include

1. The unreality of the details provided (tip do GPs really decide on surgery and does all the surgery happen absent a hospital and a discharge summary etc?)

2. The number of IHI look ups and encrypted messages – does not look like we are actually adding a great deal efficiency here – who do you imagine made the decision not to have a way of having the verified IHI consumer who wants to have a personalised something with their IHI on it so look ups can be avoided? Most regular health system users I am sure would be keen on that!

There are other little issues – like the assumption of all this non NEHTA software all using the HI Service. That might take a while.

NEHTA really should provide an implementation plan of how we are going to reach this nirvana and maybe refine their plans and scenarios a little for reality.

David.

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