Senate Estimates Hearing - Lots of Initial Information - Very Rough Notes and Impressions - Wednesday October 20, 2010.

Meeting got going about 8.00pm

10.20 Section - E-Health.

Senator Boyce after initial comments.

DoHA is thrilled that the legislation passed - 24 June. Regs passed 29 June.

23 million individuals now have identifiers - 2 Jurisdictions have been assigned. (Tasmania and one other).

These will be early adopters.

Funding is supporting implementation plans. These are not yet done.

Will be well advanced over the next 18 Months. (Plans done by March next year)

By March next year software providers will be able to test software.

Until installed not usable - key step - 2 levels of testing. Final specs will are not yet out - and will be ready by March 2010.

Ms Halton tells a story about patient asking for Health ID.

80 have requested developers kit to use IHI - 14 have signed formally.

Structure of NEHTA.

Questions about travel - information not provided and old data from last year.

Board composition raised - said not OK. Lots of problems.

Ms Halton claims all is fixed - but 2 years later still looking for new members.

Senator Boyce - claims issues will are only communications. Ms Halton says not so.

NEHTA unaccountability raised.

Ms Halton says she can’t force co-operation but will try to help. Admits there is Government Agency the National Government cannot control if it wants to. Struth!

Senator Furner:

Ms Halton clueless on impacts of PCEHR. Talks of benefits unrelated to the PCEHR etc.

Department tries to link professional information flows with issues in patient care. This we all know is not affected by PCEHR.

PCEHR will not address the issues the Department raises in my view.

Ms Halton says will be no savings - just be able to deliver more care - sadly in their dreams..

Senator seems to confuse the use of IHI with the PCEHR - such ignorance is just gobsmacking.

NEHTA spin program to sell IHI mentioned - a new one is new being developed as it has not actually happened.

Consumer hotline now available - not much used as usage not mentioned.

Ms Halton claims the Australia is globally competitive and ahead of the rest of the world. But we are not ahead of the Nordics etc.

Ms Halton says globally competitive but are not spending much - and so hope we will take advantage of lessons in the UK.

Comment - Must be great to know we are living in a country that is a global e-Health leader. Off planet is this lady!

Senator Siewert.

Provider uptake - will improve safety - but have not actually taken it up. Want to avoid any risk and are waiting for software - next year some time.

390,000 providers have been allocated, but only 2 organisations have actually applied.

Individuals applications tiny.

Awareness raising - there is a strategy from NEHTA over the next year or two. Consumers at point of care will be given information is the plan.

Link with PCEHR is not clear at this point.

Initiative funding:

IHI Funding via NEHTA

PCEHR funding is via DoHA - and will be direct Commonwealth issue and contracted with NEHTA.

Ms Halton: Commonwealth is taking the lead and the States will also need to invest.

---- End E-Health Discussion:

8:37 pm.

Notes are rough but give the flavour. They are getting not far as best I can tell.

David.

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