EXPO 07
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NeHTA to roll out eHealth records by 2012 0.4
Australia’s National eHealth Transformation Authority (NeHTA) aims to provide a shared electronic health record for all Australians who choose to have one by 2012. Dr Tony Sherbon, a Board member of NeHTA and its former chairman, told Impetus 2008 delegates that while the standards for electronic health records and eMessaging were still being developed by NeHTA, the authority was working towards this goal with GS1 Australia. “Australian health is behind in this area but eHealth is extremely complex. Getting right issues such as privacy, accuracy and security is crucial. If a bank makes a mistake in a financial eTransaction it can be rectified. When you are talking about eHealth, someone’s life may be jeopardised if a mistake is made. We have to get it right,” he said. He said the benefits of eHealth included early identification of patients at risk of developing a chronic condition like diabetes, increased efficiency in the delivery of healthcare, a reduction in adverse events and increased access to relevant and current information for healthcare providers.
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NeHTA was working on health identifiers to be given to patients, healthcare providers and healthcare organisations so there will be no misunderstandings. Providers will also have secure and simple authentication processes to allow them to access the systems that contain the electronic healthcare information, he said. Work was also being done on standardising clinical terminologies, message security, privacy and choice to achieve the 2012 target, he said.
0.4 More than 35 supply chain solution providers showcased their products at the Impetus 2008 expo which ran concurently with the conference. 0.5 Business is brisk during a tea breakas conference delegates get a chance to look at supply chain solutions on show.