Government Proposes Some Vague e-Health Ideas, or is There a Plan? Who Knows!

This is what is in the Budget for e-Health.

National Health and Hospitals Network — eHealth — personally controlled electronic health records

Expense ($m)

2010‑11 185.6 Million

2011‑12 281.2 Million

The Government will provide $466.7 million over two years to establish the key components of the personally controlled electronic health record system for Australia. This secure online system will enable improved access to health care information, commencing in 2012‑13.

This funding will provide the capability to produce nationally consistent patient health summaries from existing and compliant information sources. Patients who choose to participate will be able to securely access, and permit their healthcare providers to access, their health information. Personally controlled health records will over time be capable of incorporating a range of health information, such as a patient's general health history, pathology and radiology summaries and prescription information. This will support more informed clinical assessments and decision making, improve continuity of care for patients and introduce efficiencies in health care service delivery.

The measure builds on the Healthcare Identifiers Service, which is being developed as a foundation service for eHealth initiatives in Australia. Healthcare identifiers will allow for accurate identification of patients and health care providers and provider organisations. Subject to the passage of legislation, $0.5 million per annum in existing funding will be provided to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for regulatory support in relation to health care identifiers in 2010‑11 and 2011‑12.

In order to fully realise the significant benefits of this Commonwealth investment, State and Territory governments will also need to continue their planned or expected investments in core health information systems. The States and Territories will also need to provide the complementary investments to build their capacity in readiness for connection to this national system.

Sounds fine – I wonder what the business case for this vagueness it. Maybe it is there is a lot more detail somewhere else, and we will see it in due course!

There is also an item for the Pharmacists:

The measure will also provide funding of $375.3 million over six years (including $91.8 million in 2014‑15) to implement new initiatives under the agreement. These include:

• a range of new patient‑focused pharmacy programs including patient medication monitoring (at a cost of $285.5 million);
• a 15 cent payment to pharmacists for every prescription processed electronically with a National E‑Health Transition Authority specifications (at a cost of $82.6 million); and
• collection of data on pharmaceuticals that are priced below the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme general co‑payment (currently $33.30) including patient, prescriber and dispenser demographic data (at a cost of $7.2 million).

Does anyone know if that specification actually exists and has been tested etc?

I guess we will have to wait for more detail, but note how there is no mention of the Private Sector, just the States and Territories!

I wonder who is going to manage all this money. Not clear right now!

Can they possibly start spending all this money in less than 2 months? That may be a real prescription (forgive the pun) for waste and mismanagement!

You can read the detailed press release here:

http://www.health.gov.au/internet/budget/publishing.nsf/Content/budget2010-hmedia09.htm

David.