eHealth

eHealth is the electronic management of health information to deliver safer, more efficient, and better quality healthcare.

As part of National Health Reform, the Australian Government is investing $465.7 million over two years to develop a national eHealth record system.

eHealth records provide a new way of managing health information online that will make it more accessible to Australians who chose to sign up with the system, and their chosen healthcare professionals.

Work is under way at 12 eHealth sites across Australia. These sites will demonstrate results and benefits from their eHealth projects that will help strengthen the system before the national rollout of eHealth records in July 2012.

National health reform is also harnessing technology in meeting the Government’s objective of providing more care when and where people need it. Telehealth will give Australians living in rural, remote and outer metropolitan locations greater access to a range of subsidised consultations with GPs and specialists.

Through online consultations patients in these areas will, in many cases, have access to specialists sooner than would otherwise be the case, and without the time and expense involved in travelling to major cities.

The Australian Government has provided $620 million for the national telehealth initiative. This initiative will further be boosted by the introduction of the National Broadband Network.

Personally controlled electronic health records

A major focus of the Australian Government’s eHealth agenda is the personally controlled electronic health record (PCEHR) system. The PCEHR system gives registered users, and their healthcare providers, access to a summary of their medical information, anytime, anywhere.

Users who sign up for an eHealth record will no longer have to repeat their medical history each time they see a different GP or other healthcare professional. As users move through the health system, it will not be necessary to remember details of all their vaccinations, medical tests and prescriptions, as this type of medical information will be available through the PCEHR system.

For healthcare professionals, the PCEHR system will be a valuable addition to existing patient records. It will allow greater access to patient information and help healthcare organisations provide high quality, safe care for all Australians.

From July 2012, all Australians can choose to register for a PCEHR.

eHealth information brochure

A consumer (PDF 1289 KB) and health care professional (PDF 1063 KB) brochure are now available to download. The brochures explain eHealth records in greater detail, outlines what the key benefits will be and describes what consumers and health care professionals need to do to get ready for 1 July 2012.

PCEHR Concept of Operations

In September 2011, the Concept of Operations: Relating to the introduction of a personally controlled electronic health record system (PCEHR Concept of Operations) was released. In January 2012, the PCEHR Concept of Operations Addendum was released.

The main issues raised during the public consultation leading up to its release are discussed in the Feedback Analysis Report.

The PCEHR Concept of Operations will inform the construction of the PCEHR system towards the system launch on 1 July 2012

Draft PCEHR legislation

The Exposure Draft PCEHR Bill 2011 was released for consultation and submissions closed on 28 October 2011.

The PCEHR Draft Bill is intended to promote discussion within the community about the legislative framework required to support the implementation and operation of the system as described in the PCEHR Concept of Operations.

National eHealth Conference

The first National eHealth Conference was held in Melbourne from 30 November to 1 December 2010, bringing together some of Australia’s leading experts in eHealth.

The conference provided an opportunity to discuss and debate eHealth issues, with a focus on the Australian Government’s personally controlled electronic health record program and telehealth opportunities.

More than 450 members of stakeholder groups, representing consumers, healthcare providers, industry and government, attended. Local and international speakers gave presentations, including keynote speeches from the Hon Nicola Roxon, Minister for Health and Ageing, and the Hon Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.

The plenary sessions and other material were streamed live to the public and are still available for viewing via the conference website: www.ehealthconference.gov.au.

The National eHealth Conference Report summarises the main themes from the conference, as well as the outcomes of round-table consultations with key stakeholders that took place before the conference.