5:21pm, 16 Feb 2010 slotbite

E-health is the corner stone of the Australian health care policy definition, both at the federal and state levels, to improve the public health care system. The key objective is to maximize customer (or patient) experience and minimize cost through standardization and automation.

However, the imperative around automation is embracing technology extensively and yet making sure information exchange and communication occurs in a safe and secure manner, to respect customer privacy.

From a customer point of view, “Access to a Health Professional” is a key measure and yet the core issue – inordinate waiting times to see a doctor. Customer care is being driven by doctor availability. Delayed care directly increases the overall cost of health care. Hence there is a legitimate need for customers to be more inclusive in the overall strategy around e-health, to make the current initiatives more successful.

Compared to Health Professionals, customers are ahead in embracing technology in the form of computers and mobile phones and are able to communicate ubiquitously via the Internet.

The opportunity is to enable customers “Access to Health Professionals”, electronically. This electronic engagement of a Health Professional could form the underlying basis to initiate a service delivery, information capture and exchange.

As-Is Approach:

Current methods to access a Health Professional are:

Option-1 – Call the medical receptionist at a practice to take an appointment and arrive at the relevant time;

Option-2 – Walk in to the medical practice and wait for service delivery using the first-in-first-out model.

The above two manual options have been in place for a long time, serving the needs of both Health Professionals and customers, with its own limitations.

To-Be Approach:

Our alternate is to automate “Professional Access” or “Appointments Management” using a software on the Internet. Professionals subscribe to publish their practice location(s) and calendar.

Customers then search for Professionals based on a set of predefined criteria and directly access their calendars to make an appointment. Medical receptionists can continue to take appointments over the phone using the same software.

The freedom to seamlessly search for alternate professionals anytime, anywhere will alleviate the long waiting time, a key benefit to both Government & Health Professionals.

Go to www.easydoc.com.au and register to demonstrate customers are ready to make appointments online!

10:01pm, 15 Jan 2010 studying1

With regards to new technologies and the elderly, all elderley whether in nursing homes, retirement villages, own homes, need to have alert attachments that they should wear at all times. They should be waterproof so they can be warn in showers - would have helped my grandmother when she fainted in the shower and broke her hip - she was found about two hours later.

Internet should be available for staff to access information they might need. doctors should NOT be writing scrpits without seeing their patients - writing the scripts via the internet is a disgusting decision. Doctors need to visit their patients at nursing homes, retirement villages, residents homes. there is no sensible reason to give elderly mobile phone because they won't use them/forget how to use them.

The residences whereever they are should have access to internet, mobile phone so they can call/contact services they need for their residents - emergency services, doctors, family members,

9:15am, 05 Jan 2010 rotraut123

Aged-care is problematic because of the way in which it is resourced whether these human resources or other resources. Sadly it is often seen as people wanting to be sedentiary. Activities and encouragement to participate vary greatly.

Technology therefore may provide a break to dull routines and providing appropriate safeguards are applied should be investigated fully and trialled to varying degrees to improve our knowledge on the positive impacts of such.

11:32pm, 04 Jan 2010 ruralnurse

It is very difficult for older people to stay safe and to some regard independent when they live in rather remote locations.

They have no mobile coverage, satellite internet is expensive and not always reliable, yet they are entitled to remain in their own enviroment. No easy solution.

5:22pm, 04 Jan 2010 Beth Mohle

I agree that there are great opportunities to use new technolgies to create a more patient centred health and aged care system. However, new technolgies are not a replacement for the correct number and skill mix of nurses and other health care workers in the aged care sector.

The current significant workforce shortages in aged care must be addressed as a matter of urgency. New technologies should only augment care provided and not be seen as a panacea for this current crisis in our aged care sector. A "Tweet" can never replace hands care when this is required.

2:20pm, 04 Jan 2010 HP

Aged care facilities such as hostels and nursing homes would benefit from telechnology that linked them to 'expert' medical adivce such as geriatricians.

Telemedicine (video conferencing) and transmission of medical data through personal monitoring devices(blood pressure, weight, diabetic monitoring etc) would mean better access to medical care for aged care residents and will reduce the need to transfer often frail and confused older people to medical outpatient appointments.

The need for after hours medical support through hospital emergency departments should also be explored to support aged care staff in managing residents needs after hours.

There are examples in Victoria of successful projects that reduced emergency department transfers from nursing homes by providing medical/nursing telephone and outreach support for aged care facilities.

This could be further expanded with more innovative use of telemedicine and remote monitoring