What’s happening in health?
 
 
 

July 9, 2024

What's happening in health?

As one of the biggest industries on the planet, there’s always something happening in healthcare. Here’s what has captured our attention recently.

Industry news

Private hospitals are facing tough times as costs of doing business keep rising while a major source of their revenue – private health insurers (PHI) – are seen to be holding tight to profits. The ill-will between PHI and private hospitals is best demonstrated by the battle between the St Vincent’s group and NIB, which is at breaking point.

Suggestions of a crisis in the private hospital sector are underlined by key players co-operating with a Federal Government review. Health Services Daily reports that, “79 facilities — including day surgeries, endoscopy centres, private hospitals, wound care centres, cosmetic surgery centres, dental centres, respiratory and sleep disorder clinics, dialysis clinics and mental health centres — have either closed or revoked their declaration as a private hospital since 2019”.

Internationally, post-pandemic use of telehealth has fallen and major retail chains who leapt into healthcare are back-pedalling. American companies Walmart and Walgreens winding back their health businesses (see What retail titans might do next on health care (axios.com)), makes us wonder how Healthylifeis going for Woolworths, locally.

The pressure to be profitable means most hospitals are searching for ways to reduce the costs of delivering care. Managing patients in their own beds may be cheaper than hospital beds and so the cash-strapped UK National Health Service has committed to scaling up virtual care.

If the NHS needs a success story to use as inspiration, the ever-innovative Cleveland Clinic is hailing its acute hospital care in the home program a success for patients and staff, while acknowledging further improvements are possible. For details, see Lessons from Cleveland Clinic’s 1st year of ‘hospital at home’ (beckershospitalreview.com).

Melbourne’s Austin Hospital has also committed to virtual wards as business as usual, particularly for cardiac and haematology patients.

And the Federal Government is funding virtual careto chip away at a barriers to accessing mental health inpatient care, (partly caused by a shortage of accessible psychiatrists).

Keeping it real on artificial intelligence

Investors seeking share-market alchemy remain bullish on Artificial Intelligence while potential end users want ethical, regulatory and security assurances to precede introduction of these potentially very useful new tools. The American Medical Association offers sensible tips on technology adoption here: In the push for AI in health care, avoid EHR rollout mistakes | American Medical Association (ama-assn.org)

As to the smorgasbord of AI news, here is an aperitif:

 

Source: Future Health Index 2024 Better care for more people

We're all healthcare consumers

We also keep a close watch on consumer health news, in the interest of all of us avoiding hospitalisation. Here are some insights aimed at keeping our engines running:

Evidence is mounting that good gut health boosts mental health and ability to handle stress. Stress: Could a healthy gut microbiome make you more resilient? (medicalnewstoday.com)

Multivitamins, however, might only contribute to expensive and colourful urine. Another Study Finds No Life-Extending Benefit From Multivitamins (healthday.com)

In other product news, the old advice (or excellent marketing) that taking aspirin reduces risk of heart attack appears to have been debunked – unless you have previously had a stroke or heart attack. American Adults Warned Over Aspirin Use Despite Risks – Newsweek

Stanford University research, published in the journal Nature Medicine, has identified six different types of depression, which has implications for better treatment and management of mental ill-health. 6 types of depression identified in Stanford study | CNN

And there are clear reasons to avoid COVID19 because the long form of the illness is particularly nasty. Report: More than 200 symptoms tied to long COVID | CIDRAP (umn.edu)

The last word

Police, prisons and hospital emergency departments are often the professionals most likely to be dealing with people experiencing acute mental ill health. Here’s a good news story of how technology and faster access to treatment can successfully divert people from EDs and custody – https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/outfitting-police-telehealth-ipads-mental-health-program-saves-government-62m?

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Feeling the heat at
Burning GP
 
 

June 17, 2024

Feeling the heat at Burning GP

MediRecords joined the sun-starved throng flocking to the Tweed for the Wild Health Burning GP conference last week.

Here are 10 takeaways from two days of robust and enlightening conversations.

1. GPs are divided on the impact of Urgent Care Centres (UCC)

Are nascent UCCs an attempt to woo voters in outer suburban marginal seats, a means to divert a few people from crowded hospital emergency departments… or an example of government spending that would be better invested in primary care? The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) past president Adj Prof Karen Price also pondered whether UCCs are turning away “non-urgent” patients and referring them back to their family GPs.

2. There’s a great divide between GPs and hospitals

Healthdirect Australia is trialling a way to send NSW hospital discharge summaries to GPs and patients and Queensland discharge summaries are uploaded to The Viewer … but the data disconnect between primary and tertiary care remains vast*.

Associate Professor Alam Yoosuff, the Rural Doctors Association NSW vice president, said GPs were often left in the dark about hospital outcomes for their patients.

“We don’t always know if person has died, been discharged, or been sent home with only six (tablets)… We know the system is not right. It may be better than other countries, but we know it should be even better, given what (governments) are spending.” 

– Associate Professor Alam Yoosuff, the Rural Doctors Association NSW vice president

Judging by the overall vibe at Burning GP, GPs feel much of the government cash spent on shiny new hospitals could be better spent on disease prevention led by community-based primary care practitioners.

3. Workforce scaling

The RACGP warned Australia has a “whole of health” workforce crisis, exacerbated by insufficient medical students coming through, so we’re going to have to import doctors, nurses and specialists from overseas. (The ever-resilient Health Department Assistant Secretary Medicare Benefits and Digital Health, Mr Daniel McCabe, said he preferred “critical juncture” to crisis, triggering a running joke for the entire conference.)

Grampians Health Chief Strategy & Regions Officer Dr Robert Grenfell said the shortage of GPs in western Victoria was so acute he was planning based on having none. He said: “If we have (GPs) I will use them” but it was now prudent to make alternative plans.

4. Medicare misery is multiplying

Several conference panels highlighted the challenges of determining the correct, optimally reimbursed Medicare item codes for complex consultations. Mr McCabe conceded all billable items are due for review, with an aspirational goal of improving access to healthcare for people who can least afford it.

5. Telehealth – supplementary or threat?

If young and tech-savvy consumers keep opting for online access to quick prescriptions, medical certificates and more, community GPs will be left with older, sicker, more complex clients, including those with mental ill health. Whitebridge Medical Centre owner Dr Max Mollenkopf said GPs needed to understand why consumers are switching to digital health companies such as Eucalyptus and adapt fast. He said, “Our old patients who love us will die off and all the young ones will be (Eucalyptus patients) unless we do something different.”

6. The numbers speak for themselves

The Australian National University Associate Professor (and GP) Louise Stone highlighted a 42% pay gap between men and women GPs. She said this was compounded by women GPs shouldering a majority of longer, underfunded consultations with complex patients, (who may have been released from hospital prematurely to reduce bed blockages).

7. But metrics may deceive

Associate Professor Stone cautioned that ‘evidence-based solutions’ in healthcare may not be what they seem. Analysis had shown the typical participant in clinical trials is a privileged white male, the researcher is likely to be a white urban male and even the average lab rat is a white furred male. This means clinical metrics may not be representative … and AI tools risk exaggerating biased data even further.

Evrima Technologies CEO and Founder Charlotte Bradshaw said that 80% of clinical trials are delayed in Australia because eligible people can’t be found and paired with researchers.

8. The My Health Record (MHR) will grow exponentially

Mr McCabe confirmed legislation is imminent to mandate sharing diagnostic imaging and pathology with the MHR. The government will also “push very hard” for every medication event – prescribing and dispensing – to be uploaded. The CSIRO-led Sparked community will need to lead the software industry to a FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) standard to achieve this. Mr McCabe said Australian healthcare was hamstrung by “a lot of technology built in the 1990s that is not fit for purpose”. The recent MediSecure data breach showed, “We need to make sure we set the bar a lot higher than it is today”.

9. Technology knowledge is variable

When you’re a time poor GP, technology is rarely top of mind. You just want it to work. GPs still need reassurance from healthcare influencers that cloud technology is as safe (or safer) than server-driven desktop tech and that switching brings cost and time savings on hardware, hosting, back-ups, security, software patches, electricity and more. As one GP said to us, “You mean I can sack my IT guy?”

As for innovations such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), there’s a sense that while there are time, safety, revenue and efficiency gains to be made, the early adopters and innovators will be waiting a while for their conservative colleagues to join them.

10. Summing up

Based on our conversations and observations at Burning GP, community general practitioners feel underfunded, overworked, undervalued, and under siege from telehealth providers and pharmacists. They’re a resilient mob though, and still passionately defending their role as number one for longitudinal patient care.

*MediRecords new Admissions module means we can provide a longitudinal record connecting primary and tertiary care in one secure, cloud-hosted software system. We can send Discharge Summaries from our Admissions module and store them against the central patient file. Please reach out to us at sales@medirecords.com if you’re trying to solve these types of connectivity problems!

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Solve Healthcare Challenges with MediRecords APIs
 
 

June 13, 2024

Solve Healthcare Challenges with MediRecords APIs

Effective management and secure sharing of clinical data are essential ingredients for providing safe, high-quality patient care.

However, healthcare providers often encounter challenges, from incompatible software systems to co-ordination issues among healthcare teams. In an effort to break down these barriers, MediRecords has developed a comprehensive suite of APIs to streamline data sharing processes and help improve patient outcomes.

FHIR APIs: Elevating data management in healthcare

MediRecords’ FHIR APIs give you better access to and control of your clients’ clinical data by facilitating the management and sharing of patient records. From encounters to prescriptions, allergies to immunisations, these APIs offer a robust way to handle diverse sets of patient information. By enabling interoperability between systems, FHIR APIs ensure that critical data is accessible whenever and wherever it’s needed.

Connect APIs: Seamless integration for enhanced patient care

Complementing our FHIR APIs, MediRecords’ Connect suite of proprietary REST APIs offers a tailored solution for managing patient administrative data and other crucial information. From appointments to practitioner sessions, these APIs facilitate seamless communication and coordination among healthcare providers, resulting in more efficient care delivery.

FHIR & MediRecords APIs

FHIR is the future standard for health data interoperability. MediRecords has enabled FHIR as a mechanism for secure data exchange, including with hospital systems.

MediRecords has various APIs, including:

Patient

Securely exchange patient data with 3rd party systems, import patient records or notes into your database, create surveys and web forms to update the patient database, and update patient files from remote hardware devices or services.

Appointments

Our platform offers medical integration & scheduling with 3rd party booking systems & the ability to sync multiple clinicians' calendars to improve patient flows. We also provide reporting software integration for recurrence & patient 'no-shows'.

Correspondence

Easily filter & arrange correspondence in MediRecords and third-party applications. Initiate reporting, create actions or follow-ups, and use webhooks to push correspondence triggers.

Configuration

Utilise 'custom fields' in patient records to introduce additional patient identifiers. You can also create, update, and delete tags to categorise patient records and improve searching and filtering.

Key challenges MediRecords can address through APIs
  1. Integrated appointment booking: You can eliminate scheduling conflicts and incomplete calendars by enabling patient booking and appointment management across systems. For example, external booking software can be used to populate your MediRecords appointments calendar.
  2. Secure communication of clinical information: Ensure effective and safe communication of clinical information through secure sharing of patient material, including referrals and medical certificates, with data clinically coded to SNOMED standards, aligning with industry best practices.
  3. Unified patient identifier: Overcome the challenge of duplicate patient records by sharing a unique patient identifier across systems, thus ensuring synchronized and accurate patient information. This identifier becomes the key to making sure systems and data are in synch.
  4. Consolidated patient record data: Provide a consolidated view of extended patient details by integrating patient demographics, allergies, conditions, and family history across systems. For example, if a patient’s details are updated in MediRecords, you can use APIs and webhooks to make sure these same details are updated in a separate client management system (CMS).
  5. Closed-loop medication ordering: Enhance medication management by monitoring orders from prescription to dispensing, thereby minimising errors and disruptions in patient treatment plans. An example is the sending of evidence of prescription from MediRecords into a hospital enterprise system, creating a single source of truth for medication history. MediRecords has done this at Northern Health in Melbourne, to support Victorian Virtual Emergency Department prescribing workflows.
  6. Integrated case management and shared care: Improve collaboration among healthcare teams by integrating episode of care details, ensuring a more coordinated approach to patient management. Updating the status of allergies and investigation requests, for example, can increase safety and reduce risk of duplicated procedures.
  7. Flexible data capture and retrieval: Offering flexibility in capturing and retrieving custom data through custom fields within MediRecords, tailored to specific practice needs. 

Learn more about the problems MediRecords APIs can solve here.  

MediRecords’ APIs represent a significant step forward in addressing the complex challenges faced by healthcare providers today. By offering robust solutions for data management, communication, and collaboration, these APIs empower healthcare teams to deliver safer patient care in an increasingly interconnected healthcare landscape. With a commitment to innovation and efficiency, MediRecords will continue to expand our means of securely sharing the data needed for the future of healthcare delivery.

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The power to prescribe:
Who should have it?
 
 

May 22, 2024

The power to prescribe:
Who should have it?

A couple of weeks ago at a media conference, a Pharmacy Guild representative was photographed wearing a stethoscope over his white smock. The image triggered an adverse reaction among GPs; some asked how a pharmacist would use the instrument, others whether the event was a costume party.

The heated response suggests the national conversation over whether pharmacists should be able to extend their limited prescribing rights is gaining heat, rather than cooling. So what’s the debate all about? Let’s look at the key parties and what they say is at stake.

Party one: Pharmacists (represented by The Pharmacy Guild of Australia and Pharmaceutical Society of Australia)

Many pharmacies already offer vaccination services and support for chronic disease management. Trials have been conducted in several states, focused on providing assistance to people with conditions such as urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Pharmacists believe they can do even more to assist Australians who need help with common conditions and will be coming to them to collect medications anyway.

Backed by the Queensland government, the Guild initiated the North Queensland Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot, pencilling it for December 2023 and kicking it off in April 2024. Under the pilot, conditions pharmacists can now treat include acne, hay fever and eczema. For the full list, see About the pilot | Queensland Health. 

The Queensland Government has since moved to make the North Queensland pilot statewide.

Party two: Governments

Governments are trying to solve a supply and demand problem. It’s hard to get a GP appointment just about anywhere — and generally harder the further you are from a state capital.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles said: “Our Government is committed to making sure Queenslanders can access good quality healthcare, no matter where they live across the state.

“We know our hardworking pharmacists are more than capable to deliver these services – for common health conditions – and divert people away from our emergency departments and GPs.

“I am really proud that Queensland is leading the nation with this initiative.”

Queensland Health states: “Pharmacists are highly qualified and trusted members of our healthcare teams. Providing pharmacists with additional clinical training and supporting them to practice to their full scope, will enable them to help and support their local communities.”

Party three: General Practitioners (represented by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACP) and Australian Medical Association)

Doctors say that medications cannot be safely prescribed without a holistic, longitudinal view of the patient’s medical history, as best understood by their usual GP. They say the pilot puts vulnerable people at risk and that a previous trial allowing pharmacists to prescribe antibiotics for UTIs led to incorrect diagnoses and serious conditions going untreated, increasing overall healthcare costs.

Party four: Healthcare consumers (represented by you and I)

While most people prefer a long term relationship with a GP who knows you and your family, getting an appointment when you need it isn’t always easy or affordable. Some people go to hospital emergency departments (or virtual versions) for free help.

Other consumers are opting for convenience, using telehealth providers that offer quick access to scripts and more, but might not have time to hear your health history, (if you can remember it). For this group of consumers, getting help from the pharmacy you’re going to anyway, may be a no-brainer. However, the services are not free. Fees of up to $55 per pharmacist consultation may limit take-up.
Those with multiple or complex conditions are likely to have to wait for the next available appointment with their GP and hope for a cancellation to get in sooner.

Sparring partners

Back in March, the Medical Software Industry Association promised a ‘ding dong battle’ between the Guild, the RACGP and government, placing three key representatives on stage together in Melbourne.

Pharmacy Guild Victorian president Anthony Tassone said the prescribing issue was not about “pharmacists being GPs. It’s about pharmacists being the best professionals they can be…. solving problems for patient benefits.”

RACGP past president Dr Karen Price said she was concerned about the ‘taskification’ of general practice, which hindered longitudinal care. Dr Price said it can take 45 minutes to explore a patient’s medication history before writing an appropriate script. She said a UTI is a “retrospective diagnosis where there may be other issues that can’t be picked up by a pharmacist”.

Representing the Federal Department of Health and Aged Care, First Assistant Secretary (Medicare Benefits and Digital Health Division) Daniel McCabe said Australia faced “acute workforce challenges” and governments were trying to unlock the full potential of professionals who could deliver, “true multidisciplinary care”.

Dr Price said multidisciplinary care was great in hospitals and, while desirable, underfunded and challenging in general practice where, “the people who most need care can least afford it”.

Mr Tassone said doctors and pharmacists were all on ‘Team Patient’ but he and his peers were not rewarded for being part of multidisciplinary teams. “Are we part of the team or are we on the bench to make up the numbers?”

He said: “Patients don’t care. They care about getting care when they need it.”
It seems this conversation is far from finished.

Skin in the game

MediRecords provides secure, cloud-hosted electronic health records and prescribing functionality to healthcare professionals across Australia delivering face-to-face and virtual care.

Further reading:

Rollout begins for Australian-first pharmacy pilot – Ministerial Media Statements

What we know about Queensland’s pharmacy prescribing pilot – Medical Republic

The Pharmacy Guild Australia QLD (pharmacyfullscope.com.au)

Unlocking pharmacist’s potential in the QLD Scope of Practice Pilot – Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (psa.org.au)

Queensland Community Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot | Health and wellbeing | Queensland Government (www.qld.gov.au)

Queensland Community Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot | Queensland Health

North Queensland Pharmacy Scope Practice Pilot will put vulnerable patients at risk, doctors say – ABC News

RACGP – Pharmacy pilot a ‘solution’ that would only cause bigger problems

RACGP – Media releases

Unleashing-the-Potential-an-open-and-equitable-health-system.pdf

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Female-Friendly Federal Healthcare Budget
 
 

May 15, 2024

Female-Friendly Federal Healthcare Budget

Australians can look forward to a price-freeze on medicines, 29 new Medicare Urgent Care Centres, 61 walk-in Medicare Mental Health centres and a raft of cancer, HIV and women’s-health measures, as part of a $2.8 billion health package in the 2024 Federal Budget. 

More virtual care and hospital outreach services are also planned to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions — and enable older patients to be discharged sooner into medically supported, safe, comfortable environments. 

 Older Australians will also benefit from an extra 24,100 Home Care Packages, which are intended to reduce wait times to an average of six months and provide greater access to in-home aged care. 

 Other big-ticket items from the Federal Budget include: 

  • More affordable medicines via a price-freeze on Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medicines to beat inflation: $318 million 
  • Life-changing and life-saving medicines added to the PBS, reducing costs to consumers: $3.4 billion 
  • Conversion and expansion of 24 existing Head to Health services into 61 walk-in Medicare Mental Health centres across Australia: $163.9 million 
  • 29 new Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, aimed to reduce waiting time at hospital emergency departments: $227 million 
  • Military veterans’ claims processing is prioritised with an additional $186 million for staffing and $8.4 million to improve case management and cyber security. The Government will also provide $222 million to overhaul legislation covering veterans’ compensation and rehabilitation. It will direct a further $48.4 million to Veterans’ Home Care and Community Nursing programs, and $10.2 million to fund medical treatment for ill and injured veterans waiting for liability claims to be processed. 
  • Free bowel cancer test kits for Australians aged 45-49, allowing them to join the over 50s ($39 million) 
  • New Medicare-benefit-scheme tests, including for suspected heart failure and rare cancers, to reduce waiting times and catch health problems sooner. A skin cancer prevention initiative is also included. ($25.3 million)  
  • Improved preventative health measures such promoting health and fitness, including $132.7 million for grassroots community and school sport to encourage participation. 
  • Spending of $44 million will further Australia’s goal of eliminating HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) transmission by 2030. Federal Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler said Australia aimed to be the first nation to wipe out HIV. 
  • A boost for alcohol treatment and prevention services, better nutrition programs and organisations supporting people with chronic conditions. 
  • $314.5 million in close-the-gap efforts include $164.3m towards First Nations health infrastructure projects, $54.3m towards training up to 500 First Nations health workers, $45m towards boosting renal services, and water infrastructure works.    

Women’s health is prioritised, including funding for breast cancer treatment subsidies, contraception training for practitioners, and development of a virtual contraception decision-making tool. Other initiatives aimed at women’s health include:   

  • Medicare: Longer consultations provided for complex gynaecological conditions like endometriosis, reducing out-of-pocket costs for women. 
  • Menopause Training: $1.2 million for health professionals’ training to manage women’s health during menopause. 
  • Breast cancer: Cutting the cost of a specific treatment from around $100,000 to $31.60. 
  • Funding for research on menopause, pregnancy loss, and fertility: $53.6 million over four years  
  • Miscarriages and sexual/reproductive health: $8 million for developing data sets 
  • Enhanced antenatal and postnatal care, including mental health screening: $56.5 million over four years 
  • Miscarriage: public awareness program, with support for affected women and families 
  • First Nations Women’s Health: Investments in prevention work for preterm births, stillbirth action plan, and free period products for First Nations communities. 

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Breaking the Silence on Heavy Periods
 
 

May 10, 2024

Breaking the Silence on Heavy Periods

For many women, dealing with excessive menstrual bleeding is an unspoken struggle, often endured because it has been misunderstood as ‘normal’.

The inaugural International Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Day on May 11 aims to change that narrative.

This movement, propelled by shared experiences and expert insights, seeks to shed light on the challenges faced by women worldwide and encourage open conversations about heavy periods.

Some research has found that the issue affects one in four women.

Heavy menstrual bleeding isn’t just a minor inconvenience; it can significantly impact quality of life.

“It’s disabling,” said one 53-year-old lived-experience contributor to the campaign.

“On some heavy bleeding days, I could not leave the house.

“I became anaemic, which carries further health risks,” she said.

“But we do not have to suffer. Do not hesitate to see your doctor – treatment is available.”

More than half of women who experience heavy periods have not discussed treatment options with a healthcare professional, found a recent survey by marketing research company Two Blind Mice for medical technology company Hologic.

The survey also found that women experiencing excessive menstrual bleeding felt embarrassment and shame, which hindered help-seeking.

Doctors warn that heavy bleeding may be a sign of a medical condition.

Obstetrician and gynaecologist and campaign spokesperson Talat Uppal emphasises the importance of assessing whether heavy periods disrupt daily activities, rather than solely focusing on the amount of blood loss.

“”If a woman’s period is resulting in a compromised quality of life, then it’s heavy menstrual bleeding,” she said.

Treatment options for heavy menstrual bleeding are available and varied.

Reluctance to address the issue can delay access to timely care.

Dr Uppal stresses the need for more awareness and open conversations to empower women to take control of their reproductive health.

International Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Day’s – online event

Join Bleed Better tomorrow, May 11th at 10 am AEST for an online event featuring guest speakers who will raise awareness, offer management insights, and advocate for a shift in attitudes towards heavy menstrual bleeding. Register here: https://www.bleedbetter.org/ihmb-online-event

Further reading:

Bleed Better

Wear White Again

Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Clinical Care Standard

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Tales from the Frontline: APHA Congress 2024
 
 

April 16, 2024

Tales from the Frontline:
APHA Congress 2024

Members of the Australian Private Hospitals Association (APHA) gathered in glorious weather on the Gold Coast for their annual congress last week but the industry forecast was for turbulence and storms ahead.

Across the two-day event, MediRecords Tim Pegler found that the recurring theme was that many private hospitals are barely breaking even — or are loss-making — and that hospital closures are imminent.

Mental health facilities are struggling to recruit and retain psychiatrists, who can find a better income and lifestyle working privately via telehealth. Private maternity hospitals are also at risk.
 
Tension with the private health insurance (PHI) industry was evident; many APHA members pointed to indexation of PHI fees failing to keep up with escalating costs for labour, IT systems, insurances, administration, cybersecurity, and building costs.
 
PHI representatives returned fire, being critical of private hospitals building new facilities that result in competition for doctors, which are already in scant supply. They said rising costs of living are driving consumers to downgrade their PHI memberships, making them eligible for fewer private hospital procedures.
 
If private hospitals close, particularly in regional areas where doctors are scarce, the impact will be felt throughout the public system with longer waitlists and more pressure on emergency departments.
 
An appetite to find common goals and work together – government, private sector, public sector and PHIs, seemed to be one positive note for the Congress.

Other Congress insights

  • 15 private hospitals have closed in the past year, including 4 mental health facilities.
  • The national shortage of GPs and radiologists is likely to worsen, with a generation of practitioners due for retirement without ready replacements.
  • Private hospital operating costs are rising rapidly while revenue is falling. 43% of hospitals have an EBITDA below 5% and 68% below 10%. A consultant warned that innovation and investment are not occurring and if this doesn’t change further closures are likely.
  • The public system has embraced virtual care more than the private hospital system.
  • Queensland Health has a Surgery Connect program outsourcing waitlisted surgical procedures to private hospitals.
  • PHI representatives say chemotherapy, hospital in the home and rehabilitation in the home programs will be vital to support Australians but more GPs need to refer to these services.
  • The ADHA reported strong growth in use of the My Health Record (MHR), which now houses 50% of pathology reports and 20% of diagnostic imaging reports. It urged more private hospitals to integrate with the MHR, cautioning that disconnected health information systems “are no longer sustainable”.
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    Australian Healthcare Week Wrap-Up!
     
     

    March 22, 2024

    Australian Healthcare Week Wrap-up!

    MediRecords thoroughly enjoyed the hustle and bustle of Australian Healthcare Week in Sydney on 20 and 21 March.

     

    Here are 5 key take-outs from AHW –

    1. Virtual care keeps growing

    Victorian Virtual Emergency Department Clinical Director Loren Sher said the free statewide service is on trajectory to see 200,000 patients this financial year. Dr Sher said: “One of our messages is that we’re not here to replace existing care, we’re here to supplement care and also to fill gaps…” The VVED works with Ambulance Victoria and residential aged care facilities to care for patients that might otherwise attend at busy hospitals, ensuring patients can, “access care… regardless of their postcode, and … access the right level of care”.

    AHW Stage 1

    2. Helping hospitals meet demand may require out-of-the-box thinking

    MediRecords proudly supports the VVED as an e-prescribing platform and we can be a tad one-eyed in thinking digital health tech is an answer to connecting care records, streamlining safe workflows, and helping reduce ambulance ramping and bed blockages. But we were mighty impressed by the modular hospital facilities from Q-bital Healthcare Solutions, who can put an operating theatre on a truck and deliver it to your site to meet escalating clinical demand.

    Q-Bital AHW_PNG

    3. A patient perspective informs patient-centric care

    Former Cleveland Clinic CEO Edward Marx has long been a voice for digital disruption but his stint in a hospital bed with a “widow-maker cancer” underlined his passion for patient-centred care. Mr Marx detailed five pillars for improving patient experience, “most of which can be solved for free”. These included plain language communication, intentionally involving patients in decision making on treatments, and creating an organisation-wide culture of empathy.

    Mr Marx said that healthcare executives should perform ward rounds and hold meetings in labs, nursing stations and other patient-facing areas, to hone their awareness of patient experience. He advocated for AI to accelerate the personalisation of care. “My bank, my airline and my hotel all know me so why doesn’t my hospital?”

    Cleveland Clinic_Edward Marx_AHW

    4.Technology vendors should team up

    A panel of influential information technology leaders delivered a wake-up call to vendors, urging collaboration to research and solve known problems with interoperable solutions. Northern Territory Government Health Chief Clinical Information Officer Dr John F. Lambert said, “If you’re not coming to me with someone in the business who wants to use (the solution), don’t waste my time. You also need an executive who cares enough about it, to take money off something else.”

    AHW

    5. The healthcare workforce is evolving

    St Vincent’s Health Australia Group CEO Chris Blake said there will be as many engineers in healthcare as doctors within a decade. Rapid developments in technology such as AI are one reason for this, but vendors may not always be aligned with buyers. Dr Lambert urged tech suppliers to focus on AI solutions for boring administrative workflows, rather than more glamorous clinical applications that could introduce risk.

    A big thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hello, including James Sneddon, Nicole Nixon, Peter Birch and Sophie Turner from Talking HealthTech, Patrick Deegan and Silvia Pfeiffer from Coviu Global, Mike Harman, Dr Avnesh (Avi) Ratnanesan, Jeremy Knibbs and Michelle O’Brien from Health Services Daily, Emily Mara from Pulse+IT, Andy Ellis, Bryan Macdonald, Jonathan Klug and many others.

    AHW Team

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      Australian Healthcare Providers to Automatically Share Data with My Health Record Within a Year
       

      March 1, 2024

      Australian healthcare providers to automatically share data with My Health Record within a year

      New rules mandating healthcare providers share information to My Health Record by default are expected next year.

       

      In a five-year strategy and roadmap released last week, the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) detailed “priority initiatives that will contribute to delivering the strategy’s vision of an inclusive, sustainable and healthier future for all Australians through a connected and digitally enabled health system”. 

      The ADHA is charged with accelerating the adoption and use of digital services and technologies across the Australian health system, and this report identifies four change enablers. Among these is regulatory and policy change.  

       Dovetailing with the federal government’s Digital Health Blueprint 2023 – 2033 , the other enablers are: 

      • Secure, fit-for-purpose and connected digital solutions 
      • Digitally ready and enabled health workforce 
      • Informed consumers and carers with strong digital health literacy 

       Consumers and clinicians can look forward to health-information exchange and real-time access to data when the National Digital Health Strategy 2023-28 is fully implemented. 

      Secure, connected, interoperable digital solutions are key to accelerate the adoption and use of digital services and technologies across the Australian health ecosystem, according to the new strategy. 

      The ADHA is a corporate Commonwealth entity supported by all Australian governments to cultivate the adoption and use of digital services and technologies in health.

      MediRecords Founder and Chief Executive Officer Matthew Galetto said, “We welcome this report and stand ready to collaborate as industry partners.”

      “In particular, we welcome the government’s regulatory efforts aimed at enabling efficient health data exchange to support accessible, person-centered care for patients.”

      “At MediRecords, we are fully prepared to embrace and support the government’s vision that mandates “real-time information exchange at the point of care”. Our cloud-based solutions are equipped with Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) by design, ensuring seamless connectivity within the broader healthcare ecosystem.”

      “We’ve already observed a growing trend among healthcare service providers who are eager to future-proof their operations by adopting the next generation of clinical solutions. This proactive approach not only aligns with our capabilities but also underscores our commitment to advancing healthcare through innovative technology.”

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        What to consider when selecting a practice management system?

        February 20, 2024

        What to consider when selecting a practice management system?

        View our Clinical Software Selection checklist here!

        Looking for a new system to manage your practice, clinical notes, and patient records? What should you be looking for in a software solution?  

        Delve into the following factors to consider when seeking a healthcare practice management system. These insights come from conversations with our customers, decades in digital health, and personal experience as healthcare consumers.

        1. System architecture

        When navigating PMS options, one of the first crucial decisions is whether to opt for a server-based or cloud-based system. Evaluate the long-term costs, encompassing initial setup, subscriptions, IT support, and maintenance. It’s important to tailor your choice to your practice’s model of care, whether it’s virtual care/telehealth, bricks-and-mortar, or a hybrid approach.

        Read our article, “Eight Reasons to Embrace Cloud Technology in Healthcare” to learn how cloud technology can help in substantial cost savings, potentially saving your practice $600k in 10 years.

        2. Feature requirements

        To maximise the efficiency of your healthcare delivery, it’s essential to define specific feature requirements tailored to your practice. From appointment booking to electronic health records and billing, identify key elements such as ePrescribing, Medicare billing & claiming, online booking, My Health Record integration, secure messaging, patient portal functionality, investigation requests, and robust reporting capabilities.

        3. Training and support

        A successful integration of a PMS into your healthcare setting relies heavily on the training and support provided by the vendor. It’s important to enquire about the level of training and ongoing support offered by the PMS vendor, and to assess the available support mechanisms for addressing any day-to-day operational issues.

        4. Evaluate other key aspects –

        Other important factors to consider include the following:

        • Ease of use: Ensure the system is user-friendly, promoting an efficient workflow within your team.
        • Mobile accessibility: Verify if the PMS allows remote access, facilitating flexibility and on-the-go management.
        • Interoperability: Confirm the system seamlessly integrates with other healthcare systems, promoting efficient information exchange.
        • Security and compliance: Ensure the PMS adheres to necessary regulations to safeguard patient data, maintaining the highest standards of security.

        The truth is every practice has slightly different needs and workflows so no practice/patient management system will be a perfect fit. Each will have strengths and weaknesses and potentially require compromise to accommodate your team’s unique requirements. Finding a flexible, robust system that can tick most of the boxes, now and tomorrow, suggests you’re on the right track.

        Contact our Sales team today to discuss how MediRecords cloud-based software can help you. 

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