Innovations in Hospital Healthcare
 

Innovations in Hospital Healthcare

Exploring Virtual Hospitals, Hospital in the Home, and Hospitals Without Walls.

Advancements in technology have seen an explosion of new terms and concepts in healthcare.

In this article, we aim to demystify three innovative approaches: Virtual Hospitals, Hospital in the Home, and Hospitals Without Walls.

All three challenge traditional notions of hospitals and have potential to revolutionise patient care as they reshape healthcare delivery.

Virtual Hospitals: Remote Care

Virtual hospitals use telehealth and telemedicine technologies to bring medical care directly to patients’ homes. Through video conferencing, remote-monitoring devices, and electronic medical records, healthcare professionals can remotely diagnose, treat, and monitor patients.

Hospital in the Home (HITH): Care in Familiar Surroundings

HITH programs deliver acute-care services to patients within the comfort of their own residences. Healthcare professionals visit patients at home to directly assist with treatment but also use remote-monitoring devices and video conferencing.

Hospitals Without Walls: Care Beyond Traditional Boundaries

A hospital without walls provides healthcare services in non-traditional spaces such as community centres, nursing homes, or even workplaces. The goal is to bring medical care closer to where people live, work, and play, increasing accessibility and equity of healthcare. Multidisciplinary teams leverage technology and resources to provide more convenient and more cost-effective care.

All three models of care offer increased efficiency, accessibility and personalised care experiences. They use technology, patient-centred care, and interdisciplinary collaboration to bring healthcare closer to the individuals who need it — and can help reduce demand for beds in traditional bricks-and-mortar hospital wards.

MediRecords currently supports clients in hospital settings including:

  • My Emergency Doctor virtual teams providing Senior Emergency Physicians to Urgent Care Centres, hospitals and ambulance services across Australia
  • Victorian Virtual Emergency Department and Northern Health outpatient teams as an ePrescribing system
  • Queensland Health virtual emergency department team as an ePrescribing system
  • Queensland Health Hospital and Health Services as a billing and claiming system for outpatient clinics
  • Private hospital VMO (Visiting Medical Officer) consulting suites as an electronic health record (EHR) and patient management system.

As a flexible and scalable EHR platform with inpatient functionality in development, including medication charting, MediRecords is well placed to be the clinical system of record for models of care including HITH and Hospitals Without Walls. 

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    MediRecords stepping into outpatient clinics at MQ Health

    MediRecords stepping
    into outpatient clinics
    at MQ Health

    Leading Australian cloud health software company MediRecords will be the new clinical record system for MQ Health outpatient clinics.

     

    MediRecords has been selected following a competitive tender process to support 18 clinics providing a range of services including breast health, cardiology, endocrinology, haematology, neuropsychology, neurology, ophthalmology, plastic and reconstructive surgery, and urology.

    The project will also involve integration with MQ Health’s electronic medical record, an InterSystems TrakCare solution.

    MediRecords CEO Matthew Galetto welcomed the partnership with MQ Health’s leading clinicians, researchers, students, and Australia’s first university-owned teaching hospital.

    “This is an amazing opportunity to support the work of multidisciplinary outpatient clinics providing such vital services to Sydney residents,” Mr Galetto said. “We look forward to working with MQ Health teams and getting data migration and implementation under way.”

    MediRecords supports hospital and outpatient clinic clients including:

    • The Victorian Virtual Emergency Department and Northern Health mental health team, as an ePrescribing system
    • Queensland Health’s Metro North Virtual Emergency Department as an ePrescribing system
    • 13 Queensland Health Hospital and Health Services as a billing and claiming system for outpatient clinics
    • My Emergency Doctor virtual teams providing senior emergency physicians to Urgent Care Centres, hospitals and ambulance services across Australia
    • Private hospital Visiting Medical Officer consulting suites as an electronic health record (EHR) and patient management system.

    MediRecords is also the clinical EHR for another major university.

    For the full list of MQ Health clinics, see MQ Health Medical Services & Clinics.

    Media inquiries

    To arrange to speak with Mr Galetto, or for further information on the MQ Health project, please email Tim Pegler or call  0412485146.

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      MediRecords 2.0: Experience a refreshed and intuitive design

      MediRecords 2.0: Experience a refreshed and intuitive design

      MediRecords 2.0’s newly redesigned interface brings a range of exciting and intuitive design elements and features to streamline workflows, optimise patient care, and enable better communication with staff and patients.

      This major upgrade brings several significant improvements, including:

      New user interface

      Experience a refreshed design, including a new colour scheme designed to offer a user-friendly and intuitive customer experience.

      Universal Communications Bar

      Enable better communication and collaboration within the platform with the Universal Communications Bar. This will be introduced to the right-hand side of the application and house features such as Chat, Alerts and Notifications, SMS on demand and an Email on-demand function scheduled for release later this year. 

      Universal Communications Bar is available from all areas within the application to assist in improved business efficiency and access. 

      Left-hand Navigation Bar

      The new navigation bar means there’s more width to display patient records and information, increasing access to patient data and reducing the need to scroll. You can also seamlessly switch between practices using the dropdown option at the top. 

      Colour-coded icons

      These new colour-coded alert enhancements indicate severity of patient allergies and the urgency of reminders. This information is crucial for healthcare professionals to identify and prioritise critical information efficiently, enabling timely and appropriate care delivery.

      Appointments enhancements

      Say goodbye to the hassle of toggling between different practices and the risk of double booking! Our appointment enhancement allows you to view the calendars of providers working across multiple practices in a single, convenient view. With this enhancement, you can streamline your practice management processes and ensure efficient scheduling, without the need for constant switching across different practices.

      We invite you to explore MediRecords 2.0 and experience the future of healthcare by booking a demo today! 

       

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        Big-spending Federal Budget tackles bulk billing crisis 
         

        Big-spending Federal Budget tackles
        bulk billing crisis

        Doctors and healthcare consumers are the winners in the 2023-2024 federal Budget.

        The Albanese Government’s first Budget emphasised the importance of secure, safe and efficient digital sharing of health information — albeit without mandating standards for achieving this.

        A total commitment of $101 billion in health spending will include an upgrade to My Health Record, and $3.5 billion in bulk billing incentives for common GP consultations, including telehealth and videoconference, making care more affordable.

        More than 300 common PBS medicines will be made more affordable, with Australians able to buy two months’ worth of medicine for the price of a single (one month) prescription.

        MyMedicare — a new voluntary scheme in which patients enrol with a MyMedicare general practice — will support longer GP telehealth consultations, with reduced administration for practices, at a cost of nearly $6million to the government. There’s also more than $200 million allocated under this same scheme to provide new funding packages for general practices to provide comprehensive care to patients who are frequent hospital users ($98.9m); and for Australians in residential aged care ($112.0m). 

        The key budget measures for healthcare include:
        • $3.5 billion in bulk billing incentives enabling more telehealth and video conference consultations, and free appointments for children aged under 11, pensioners and Commonwealth Concession Card holders.
        • $358.5 million for 8 additional Medicare Urgent Care Clinics to reduce pressure on hospital emergency departments
        • $98.2 million for larger Medicare rebates for long healthcare appointments, aimed at enhancing care for people with chronic diseases and mental illness.
        • $445.1 million to encourage general practices to hire multidisciplinary teams to provide team-based primary care.
        • $951.2 million to overhaul the My Health Record
        • $46.8 million for Medicare rebates for care provided by nurse practitioners, including prescriptions of PBS medications
        • $1.2 billion for community pharmacies to administer free vaccinations and support treatments for opioid addictions.
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          Collaboration ignites at HL7 AU FHIR Connectathon
           

          Collaboration ignites
          at HL7 AU FHIR Connectathon

          A spirit of collaboration even among competitors was the overwhelming experience of the MediRecords Technology & Product team this month at a key event for advancing the secure and seamless exchange of electronic healthcare data. 

           

          The HL7 AU FHIR (Fast Health Interoperability Resources) Connectathon at the Sydney Microsoft headquarter revealed the broad range of organisations using FHIR. 

          “This event was a great way to see what is on the horizon and to see how many organizations are using FHIR and are willing to work together towards a common objective,” said MediRecords Technical Product Owner Sanjeed Quaiyumi.

          “At MediRecords, we have already built a huge suite of FHIR resources. Events like Connectathon allow us to validate our new ideas and in-progress work.” 

          Sanjeed added that the team gained insights into the FHIR capabilities of organisations such as Australian Digital Health Agency, CSIRO, Telstra Health, Sonic HealthCare, and software developers Epic, and for what business purposes they are using FHIR.

          “It is an amazing community which brings people from different aspects of healthcare together, sharing a common objective of interoperability, he said. 

          MediRecords Software Developer/FHIR Analyst  Niel Sayo and FHIR Team Lead Jack Li agreed the friendly event was an opportunity to view the latest products, approaches and ideas in Australia. 

          “We can look at our competitors also as partners when it comes to collaborative interoperability concerns,” Niel said. 

          MediRecords Graduate Software Engineer Joshua Vazzoler also noted the collaborative nature of the event and appreciated the opportunity for practical experience in a hackathon-style setting. 

          “My initial observations of the event highlighted the expanding presence of FHIR within the Australian market, with a significant turnout of professionals,” Josh said. 

          “As a participant, I was eager to engage with like-minded FHIR professionals who share a passion for interoperability, and learn from esteemed industry experts.” 

          “The event instilled a sense of inspiration and motivation to contribute towards the advancement of FHIR-based solutions within the healthcare industry.” 

          Check out our latest FHIR update and roadmap

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            MediRecords in the fast lane for FHIR connectivity
             

            MediRecords in the
            fast lane for FHIR connectivity

            MediRecords will be releasing new FHIR integration pathways for clients throughout 2023, as part of our commitment to a better connected Australian healthcare system. 

             

            As can be seen from our FHIR Roadmap below, we not only have established and proven options for data sharing, but we’re investing in the expansion of our Connect platform which comprises of  FHIR (Fast Health Interoperability Resources) and Connect services.

            We now have FHIR integrations with hospital systems for ePrescribing, and updating patient records. New resources in development for MediRecords 2.0 include allergies, diagnostic requests and reports, patient summaries, and inpatient charting.

            MediRecords Chief Executive Officer Matthew Galetto said the Connect platform enabled health care providers and patients to access records quickly and securely, driving better and timelier health outcomes.

            “We’re keen to see more software vendors hit the road and deliver on industry standards for interoperability, resulting in connected health care across Australia,” Mr Galetto said.

            “Some vendors seem to be waiting for a reason to modernise when the motivation should be clear — the right care at the right time, wherever you are in Australia.”

            MediRecords is part of a national consortium, led by Leidos Australia, developing a new Health Knowledge Management (HKM) system for the Australian Defence Force. This project will see MediRecords connect health records for GPs, allied health practitioners, specialists, patients, and hospitals.

            MediRecords is also supporting the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department with an integrated ePrescribing system.

            MediRecords Technical Product Lead Sanjeed Quaiyumi said 2023 would be an exciting year. “We’re working on consultation notes and can’t wait to hit other milestones on our roadmap.”

            MediRecords FHIR Roadmap

            MediRecords FHIR roadmap was last updated 01/11/23.

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              Communication the key to reducing hospital readmissions

              Communication the
              key to reducing
              hospital readmissions

              Can health tech help reduce hospital readmissions?

               

              According to a global research review, telehealth and virtual wards can certainly make a difference.

              The Deeble Institute — the research arm of the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association (AHHA) — reviewed international research on the role of primary care in reducing hospital readmissions.

              In its Evidence Brief no. 24, the Institute says telehealth can be used to boost general practice involvement in hospital discharges and subsequent multidisciplinary virtual care, resulting in fewer unplanned readmissions.

              Unplanned readmissions are associated with poorer health outcomes, dissatisfaction with healthcare, increased costs, and bed blockages.

              The report highlighted research that showed improved communication and coordination of care between GPs, hospitals and/or pharmacists is effective.

              “Effective interventions included … electronic tools to facilitate quick, clear, and structured (health) summary generation… use of electronic discharge notifications; and web-based access to discharge information for general practitioners,” reported the Netherland’s Hesselink and colleagues.

              Virtual wards are another way to reduce risk of hospital readmissions and improve outcomes during hospital-to-home transition, with research indicating these can be effective with specific disease cohorts but less so with non-specific, complex diseases.

              The Evidence Brief contrasted virtual wards with Hospital in the Home (HITH). HITH is a form of remote hospital inpatient care whereas virtual wards facilitate transition from hospital care to home care.

              “Compared to HITH, virtual wards typically have a higher degree of interdisciplinary care coordination and review, are simpler in design and implementation, and have a broader scope of activities,” The Deeble Institute reported.

              “Transitional care is similar to virtual wards, but usually implemented within existing systems. Virtual wards typically require a completely new care pathway and potentially new organisations to manage its implementation.”

              MediRecords Connect provides FHIR (Fast Health Interoperability Resources) and API options for connectivity with hospital systems, including patient administration systems (PAS). MediRecords is deployed as an ePrescribing system at two Australian virtual emergency departments and as an outpatient billing and claiming system for Queensland Health. New functionality enabling multidisciplinary case management and inpatient care will be released later this year.

              MediRecords is also integrated with the Coviu telehealth platform for streamlined virtual consultations.

              Top three Technologies that reduce hospital admissions:

              Further reading

              ‘A wonderful day’: telehealth to become permanent

              Improving Patient Handovers From Hospital to Primary Care

              Consumer adoption of digital health in 2022: Moving at the speed of trust

              PARR++ is dead: long live predictive modelling

              Impact of ‘Virtual Wards’ on hospital use: a research study using propensity matched controls and a cost analysis

              Applying the Integrated Practice Unit Concept to a Modified Virtual Ward Model of Care for Patients at Highest Risk of Readmission: A Randomized Controlled Trial

              Effect of post-discharge virtual wards on improving outcomes in heart failure and non-heart failure populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis

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                MediRecords 2.0: New ways to Care, Connect and Engage
                 

                MediRecords 2.0: New ways to Care, Connect
                and Engage

                MediRecords 2.0 is the most comprehensive overhaul of our electronic patient record and clinic management system since we launched in Australia in 2016. While there have been many product updates over the years, MediRecords 2.0 is designed to use screen space better, streamline workflows, reduce administrative burn-out and support shared care.

                 

                MediRecords Head of Product Jayne Thompson says, “Innovation is as important to us as it is to our customers”. The 2.0 product update reflects this philosophy, introducing best-in-class user experience design and other client-driven enhancements, while reinforcing the foundations for next generation digital health connectivity.  

                Having grown beyond its origins as Australia’s pioneering, cloud-based practice management system, the MediRecords platform is now underpinned by three pillars: Care, Connect and Engage. Each of these will gain major new features during 2023.

                 

                Care

                The MediRecords Care pillar contains core clinical features such as patient records, ePrescribing, appointment management, investigations, billing and claiming, correspondence, and assessments. New Care functionality will include: 

                • Case Management – Members of a designated Care Team can view and update client case notes. This is particularly valuable where care is shared between a multidisciplinary team working from separate locations or across different shifts. For example, mental health practitioners can collaborate with GPs and rehabilitation specialists as patients progress towards a safe return to work. 
                • Group appointments – Patients will be able to book and join group sessions or classes. This feature will enable group therapy, family consultations and community health programs, with providers able to message an entire group or individual group members. 
                • New mental health and readiness for work assessment templates are being added, including the Glasgow Coma Scale. 
                • Single provider view of appointments: Clinicians practising across multiple clinics won’t have to jump between them to view their appointments. Appointments across multiple sites will be consolidated in a single view. 
                • New communication capability: Real time chat with team members will be available throughout MediRecords, making it easier to message team members on the fly. Our new Comms bar will also provide shortcuts to SMS, email, alerts, and notifications. 
                • Inpatients – In a major new premium* feature, MediRecords will be able to support complex care, including inpatient admissions, detailed charting, clinical escalations, progress notes and Discharge Summaries. 
                • Our Letter writer tool is having a makeover and will be even easier to use, with highly requested new functionality, such as digital signatures. 
                • We’ve added industry-leading means of recording Consent (or denial of consent) and made it easier to add attachments to patient records. 
                • Custom fields and Tagging can be used in patient records, creating new and innovative ways to capture information, search records and report on data. 

                 

                Connect 

                Many clients are familiar with our Connect site. MediRecords was an early adopter of FHIR (Fast Health Interoperability Resources) and API technology and new options for using these to share data are on the way. We have proven integrations with patient monitoring devices, patient-reported outcome and engagement measure systems (PROMs and PREMs), dictation technology and partner products. MediRecords is built on the SNOMED-CT-AU data coding system, which makes the data we share cleaner and primed for analytics. 

                • We now have FHIR integrations with enterprise products such as hospital patient administration systems (PAS) and scanned medical record software. This means a patient record created or updated in MediRecords can be pushed up into hospital systems, ensuring consistency of records and supporting better patient safety. Current options include allergies, medication requests and dispense notifications. 
                • New FHIR resources to be added throughout 2023 include referrals, diagnostic requests, diagnostic reports, and vital signs.  

                 

                Engage 

                MediRecords has already connected over 60,000 patients to healthcare records via our patient mobile app. This enables consumers to book appointments, see medication information, receive reports and educational resources, and access and store personal health documents. We’re taking this to the next level in 2023 with an entirely new patient engagement platform. This will include new features such as:  

                • Real time surveys and forms 
                • Clinical assessment and observations data for remote monitoring 
                • In-appointment chat functionality 
                • Secure web access to personal health data. 

                Frequently asked questions

                MediRecords 2.0 is an overhaul of our current platform rather than a new product. All existing customers will transition to 2.0. Sticking with the old MediRecords format will not be an option.

                We will perform the update remotely. Users won’t have to download or do anything.

                We have done our utmost to preserve familiarity and usual behaviour within the MediRecords application, but the new layout may take some adjustment. To help with this, we have been providing Lunch and Learn sessions for clients. Please reach out to our training team if you have any further questions, training.success@medirecords.com.

                Development will finish in March. Rigorous testing will follow before pilot sites switch to 2.0 in late April. Once we have considered their feedback, we’ll finalise the date for general release and shout it from the rooftops to let you know. 

                If you are a current client, please contact your Account Manager if you would like to be a test pilot for these new features. Limited places are available.  

                MediRecords 2.0 is an upgrade of your existing system and will be covered by usual licence fees. However, some of the optional new features will be Premium products and require additional fees. Details will be published as soon as possible. 

                 

                For other questions, please email support@medirecords.com.

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                  Federal Government digital health upgrade grants on the way

                  Federal Government digital health upgrade grants on the way

                  Update: 24 April 2023

                  New details are now available on the Strengthening Medicare General Practice Grants.

                  Grants of $25,000, $35,000 or $50,000 are available depending on practice size. The grants will be administered by your local Primary Health Network (PHN) or the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO). To take advantage of this funding, complete a grant application sourced via your PHN or NACCHO.

                   

                  MediRecords welcomes the news that Federal Government grants aimed at helping to enhance digital health capability for Medicare general practices and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) will become available from April. 

                   

                  General practices and ACCHS will be eligible for one-off grants of up to $50,000 for innovation, training, equipment, and minor capital works under three categories:

                  1. Enhance digital health capability – Accelerate moves to a more connected healthcare system that meets future standards;
                  2. Upgrade infection prevention and control arrangements – Ensure infectious respiratory disease (e.g. COVID, influenza) patients can be safely seen face-to-face; and/or
                  3. Maintain and/or achieve accreditation against the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Standards for General Practice to promote quality and safety in health care.

                  The grants were an election promise from then opposition leader Anthony Albanese in May 2022. The Strengthening Medicare – GP Grants Program was subsequently allocated $220 million in the October 2022 federal budget.

                  Medicare general practice grants will be administered by local Primary Health Networks (PHNs) and ACCHS grants by the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO). Practices and health services owned or operated by a state, territory or local government agency are ineligible.

                  MediRecords Chief Executive Officer Matthew Galetto welcomed the move and said he hoped it signalled a shift to better data connectivity between GPs and the broader health care system.

                  “We would like to see incentives for general practices to switch to the cloud, given the environmental, security and interoperability benefits that flow from leaving behind legacy software and hardware systems.”

                  Mr Galetto said the grants program was an opportunity for the Federal Government and PHNs to drive industry-wide reform and boost adoption of new technology platforms.

                  “Just as PIP (Practice Incentives Program) grants helped shift GPs from paper-based systems to electronic, this grant funding should seek to do the same for next generation interoperable technology.”

                  “This is bigger than improving the My Health Record. There is an opportunity to follow the United States example and provide genuine connectivity of digital health records for patients, from primary to tertiary care.”

                  MediRecords is a true cloud electronic health record system featuring global standards-based interoperability and SNOMED-CT-AU clinical coding. MediRecords pioneered cloud practice management software in Australia and is now used by general practitioners, specialists, multidisciplinary clinics, hospitals, and government departments.

                  Practices considering using their grant to upgrade to cloud clinical software are welcome to reach out to MediRecords. We provide onboarding services including training, data migration and configuration of electronic prescribing, telehealth integration, Medicare claiming and more.

                   

                   
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                    MediRecords on FHIR at Northern Health
                     

                    MediRecords on FHIR
                    at Northern Health

                    Mental Health teams at Northern Health now have access to the MediRecords e-Prescribing platform, following successful integrations with the hospital’s patient administration system (PAS) and Clinical Patient Folder (CPF) software.

                     

                    The pioneering FHIR (Fast Health Interoperability Resources) connections mean doctors don’t have to search a second database for patient records and can generate electronic prescriptions quickly, informed by current clinical information, including allergies and medication histories. Prescription records are then sent to CPF in real time, and no longer have to be posted to patients or manually scanned and uploaded to hospital digital records.

                    The FHIR go-live signals Phase 2 of MediRecords’ implementation at Northern Health, following an initial launch as a stand-alone system for Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) doctors in July 2022. Wider use of the e-Prescribing system is being adopted, with Northern’s Outpatient clinics and mental health included in a staggered roll out from 31st January 2023. This implementation was the first FHIR implementation performed at Northern Health.

                    MediRecords Chief Executive Officer Matthew Galetto said Northern Health had demonstrated the benefits of using industry-leading FHIR technology to streamline data interoperability and support efficient patient care in a hospital setting.

                    “It is important for healthcare organisations investing in new digital health projects to future proof their investments by adopting the latest standards. Implementing FHIR will help organisations stay ahead of the curve and meet near future regulatory requirements,” Mr Galetto said.

                    Mr Galetto said MediRecords would be releasing additional FHIR integration pathways for clients throughout 2023, as part of the Connect pillar underpinning the MediRecords platform.

                    “We are fortunate to be at the forefront of FHIR development in Australia, thanks to our role in the Leidos-led consortium delivering a new Health Knowledge Management (HKM) system for the Australian Defence Force,” Mr Galetto said.

                    “Data sharing for the HKM project has applicability throughout Australian healthcare and means we will be able to connect health care records in primary care all the way up to hospital, or tertiary care. This will help provide patients and clinicians with access to the right data at the right time, with significant safety benefits.”

                    Mr Galetto thanked Northern Health for being an early adopter of the technology, the first time MediRecords has been deployed in a hospital setting supporting virtual care.

                    “The Northern Health team are pioneers in virtual care and are now leading the way in connecting patient information systems.”

                    Northern Health’s Mental Health Division provides hospital-based, community and specialist mental health services to youth, adults and aged people across northern and western Melbourne. The introduction of ePrescribing means prescriptions can be sent instantly and electronically to patients or carers, with a QR code to be scanned at pharmacies for dispensing. This provides significantly faster access to new and repeat medications for mental health clients.

                    Media inquiries

                    For further information, please email Matthew Galetto on matthew@medirecords.com or Tim Pegler at tim.pegler@medirecords.com

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