ANZ News

The Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) has publicly stated on 17 February that it has completed its final stages of integration between South Australia Health’s Sunrise Electrical Medical Records (EMR) and patient administration system (PAS) to the country’s My Health Record (MHR). This will grant healthcare providers the access and ability to upload information directly onto the MHR platform. An embedded tab within the Sunrise EMR provides clinicians with access to MHR which creates a unified view of a patient’s interactions across the health care system. This contains shared health summaries from general practitioners, pathology and imaging reports as well as prescription information from a patient’s visit both within South Australia and interstate. WHY IT MATTERS By providing a more holistic view of the patient’s past medical records as well as information on any medical care that was previously administered, clinicians will be able to provide more personalised medical care which would potentially translate into better patient outcomes. As a result of this integration, hospital staffs are also more willing to use MHR due to the easy availability of information. Previous research conducted in Australia showed that there was one omitted medicine from the medication history among every two patients who were admitted. These could ultimately result in disastrous outcomes for the patient if a new caregiver were to take over and provide medical attention to the patient without being fully cognizant of the patient’s medical history. Being able to fully access the patient’s medical records would allow for them to provide more appropriate medical care and prevent such situations from occurring. THE LARGER TREND The demands and pressure put on healthcare organisations have been rising steadily over the years as we progress in this digital era. There has been a shift towards providing more patient-centred care as well as empowering patients. Patients are expecting more personalised medical care and want to be more involved in their own treatments and be kept in the loop about issues pertaining to their health. Through the integration of EMR and MHR, both medical experts, as well as patients, can have easier access to their medical history, allowing them to be more informed. ON THE RECORD “South Australian patients will now benefit from the improved handover of care as a result of access to information spanning their health journey and a reduction in user errors by having a solution that enforces patient context,” explained Cattermole, the CEO of Australian Digital Health Agency. “The transient nature of these patients, past history in human services guardianship, and limited trust in the system mean the records we have access to within the hospital and local health network only represent a fraction of their medical history. The MHR tab has created a single view of the patient’s encounters with different parts of the health care systems and networks in SA and Interstate” Tracie Nikolai, Associate Nurse Unit Manager and Clinical Documentation Specialist at Port Augusta Hospital elaborated.

The Commonwealth booking platform will be used by the Department of Health as part of the COVID-19 vaccination info and booking service

Clinicians can have ready access to an online platform that facilitates the upload of COVID-19 vaccination records to the Australian Immunisation Register

In this trial run, Air New Zealand airlines will require passengers to utilise the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Travel Pass application to prove that they have been vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus before they are allowed to board the plane and continue with their journey. This will aid in the facilitation of clearance for travellers at border health checkpoints in both New Zealand and Australia.    HOW IT WORKS The Travel Pass smartphone app will provide passengers with updated information about the tests and vaccines which they need to receive before being granted entry to their destination. This streamlines the health verification process by informing customers of the steps needed to take their next international trip safely. When an individual is inoculated, the medical centre securely sends the information to the smartphone application which can then be cross-checked against the vaccination requirements for the country which the individual is trying to enter. Subsequently, based on the passenger’s travel itinerary, the application sends an “Ok to travel” notification to inform both the airlines and immigration authorities that they meet the country’s COVID-19 health requirements. This health information is kept confidential and secure as the customer would have to grant permission prior to the sharing of this information with the airlines company or border control. THE LARGER TREND Similar health passport systems have already been developed in several other countries around the globe. For instance, Immunitee, a health passport system has also received approval in Singapore and will allow Malaysian tourists entry into Singapore once they have been verified and cleared via the digital platform.  With this, it is likely that other nations around the world would also gradually introduce plans to develop similar digital vaccine passport systems to ensure that they maintain a tight rein on the health checks at their borders whilst being able to welcome travellers into their country. Such systems would likely proliferate globally as governments would also be eager to welcome visitors into their respective countries in order to revitalise their damaged tourism industry.   ON THE RECORD Australia’s Department of Health released a statement announcing that “The Australian government is supportive of ways to ensure the safety of the Australian community through the efficient collection and verification of traveller data whilst adhering to strict privacy provisions.” “Reassuring customers that travel is, in fact, safe is one of our priorities. By using the app, customers can have confidence that everyone onboard meets the same government health requirements they do” Air New Zealand’s chief digital officer, Jennifer Sepull explained.  

Ascom is a global technological solutions provider which specialises in healthcare information communication technology and mobile workflow systems. Ascom Telligence is a Patient Response System that is a modular, scalable patient response system that elevates the call of nurses, allowing them to provide unprecedented patient-centric care. With this system in place, healthcare professionals can now be equipped with the patient’s medical information throughout the entire care process. Built on the Ascom Healthcare Platform that collects information from multiple sources, it integrates seamlessly with the healthcare facility’s current devices and applications. This provides clinicians with a more comprehensive view of the patient’s existing status as compared to that of a traditional nurse call. As such, caregivers are better informed when responding to patient requests, leading to better patient outcomes. Ascom Telligence also possesses other unique features such as an In-Room Presence Automatic Capture and Nurse Rounding Recognition that would help streamline workflow and increase operational efficiency within the organisation.  THE LARGER TREND The global nurse call system is projected to rise from USD1.7 billion in 2020 to USD 2.7 billion by 2025, driven primarily by factors such as the growing ease of communication around the world, the increasingly diverse applications available in nurse call systems as well as their technological advancements. The COVID-19 pandemic has also caused a huge disruption in the healthcare systems globally with hospitals being overwhelmed with patients as well as an increasing need for a better communication system between healthcare facilities both locally and internationally. This has served as an impetus for the creation of an all-encompassing infrastructure that also facilitates communication between nurses and patients.  ON THE RECORD “We're introducing Ascom Telligence, which has a history as a market-leading brand in North America, Asia, and the Middle East. The Ascom Telligence Nurse Call system will define workflows in a new way by providing easy access to relevant information at the point of care, so patient needs are handled promptly”, said David Williams, Country Manager, Ascom Australia.   

Leading healthcare provider Fullerton Health has further strengthened its position in Australia with its recent acquisition of Western Australia (WA) based Capstone Health. Capstone Health provides specialist medical and emergency services to the energy, mining, and infrastructure industries, and has been acquired by Fullerton Health Australia's remote services division Baseline Group.  The acquisition of Capstone Health sees Fullerton Health Australia continue to build on its national growth plans. The business significantly extends its onsite medical services capabilities, and the addition of the Wembley clinic expands its WA network to 6 dedicated occupational health clinics, 8 primary care clinics, and 4 skin cancer clinics. ON THE RECORD Steven Harvey, Managing Director of Fullerton Health Australia, says the management team has been working closely with Capstone Health leading up to the acquisition to ensure a smooth transition. "Our WA team has developed a strong working relationship with Capstone Health's management team, employees and practitioners," Mr Harvey said. "This merger is the natural culmination of Baseline Group's long-standing and successful partnership with Capstone Health. It will enable us to provide more seamless and enhanced suite of healthcare services to our major onsite clients. We are delighted that all Capstone Health employees have accepted employment with us, and Capstone Health's founder Dr Matthew Atkins will continue in his Medical Director role within Baseline Group. It will be business as usual for our experienced and qualified staff and practitioners, who will continue to provide a range of workplace health services."

The findings are based on a survey conducted from October to December 2020 from 17 countries.

The company is also developing cerebrovascular imaging solutions through participation in clinical trials with 8 leading Australian hospitals and institutions.

Under the extended agreement, Motorola Solutions will work with Ambulance Victoria to integrate a number of its technologies within a single platform.

The RPH-based service will start with 50 beds being monitored and run 24/7.