Are We Just Kidding About Or Serious About E-Health? Who Knows. It Seems We Are Building a Playpen!

The following appeared in today’s Age On-Line. The paragraph in bold says it all!

Electronic health records planned

Kate Hagan

March 30, 2011

UP TO half a million patients, including the chronically ill, will be the first to receive electronic health records under Labor's radical plan to overhaul the way medical data is kept.

Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon yesterday announced $55 million for nine projects, to be run by various groups including pharmacists, general practitioners and hospitals.

.....

The federal government's clinical adviser on e-health, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, described the projects as "a playpen to see how these things could work".

Full article here:

http://www.theage.com.au/national/electronic-health-records-planned-20110329-1cexj.html

I am just awed that half a billion dollars can be spent on a “playpen”.

There are plenty of examples overseas about what works - a playpen is not needed. Some competence, leadership and governance are!

David.