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The software integration will help streamline back-end processing and enable more Simply Helping's more than 1,000 staff members better support their clients from the field, officials say.

More than 75 percent of public hospital beds are connected and uploading, a new report shows, and 60 percent of pathology services are connected with almost all public providers uploading.

Access to Kings delivery service can be enabled through the MedAdvisor app or via SMS, and offers a driver tracking feature.

This article is the third and last in our series of articles focusing on the upcoming HIMSS Australia Digital Health Summit (ADHS) breakout tracks. (Refer to the first article on the Data track here and second article on the Innovation track here.) With the rapid advancement of healthcare technology and the options made available, the demands placed on healthcare providers have inevitably increased as well. In turn, this has stimulated numerous improvements in the capabilities of healthcare systems as well as that of the handling of patients. Empowering patients could be regarded as one of the most significant improvements as it also brings about improved patient outcomes.  Achieving empowerment through interoperability of data Interoperability simply refers to a healthcare system which is more connected. By achieving interoperability of data, healthcare information can be transferred easily between people, organisations and systems. This shared information has its meaning preserved from one context to another so that information can always be interpreted in the same way. The topic of interoperability and connected care will be covered in greater detail at the ADHS event by Hal Wolf (President and CEO of HIMSS), Tim Kelsey (CEO of Australian Digital Health Agency) and Mary Foley (Managing Director of Telstra Health) at CXO Fireside Chat- Connected Care. Achieving empowerment through improved patient data/security In light of the recent cyber-attacks that hit hospitals and health services in Victoria, much attention has been drawn to the areas of improvement in patient data and security. By being able to closely safeguard patient’s data, the integrity of such information would not be compromised and this would allow them to continue making informed decisions when participating in their own treatments, further reinforcing the empowerment given to them. In addition to that, controlled access can also be given when it comes to the sharing of patient data and patients would be able to nominate representatives who are allowed legal access to their own private medical information.   During the panel discussion, Patient Data: Access, Privacy and Ownership at the ADHS event, John Daniels, Global VP of HIMSS Analytics will be joined with several other highly esteemed leaders in the healthcare industry to discuss in detail the benefits as well as implications involved when it comes to managing patient data and security. Better managing chronic illnesses with empowerment Being afflicted with a chronic illness can undoubtedly prove to be overwhelming and takes a huge toll on one’s emotional as well as physical health. By empowering patients with the relevant knowledge and skills, this would greatly help to mitigate the pain and suffering that they have to endure. When patients are armed with the necessary and reliable healthcare information about the disease and its treatment and management, this allows them to have a greater sense of control over this illness and pushes them a step closer towards conquering it. Also, patients can gain a more profound understanding of their medication and any special instructions which it requires as well as its related side effects to better manage any ensuing pain and fatigue.  At the ADHS event, Renza Scibilia who is also a manager and diabetes advocate at Diabetes Australia, would address the issues revolving around management of a chronic illness at her session, Can the Reality of Living with a Lifelong Health Condition be Appropriate? Registration for the ADHS event has commenced and more details can be found here.

This second article in a series of three articles (check out the first article on the Data track here) focusing on the breakout tracks at the upcoming HIMSS Australia Digital Health Summit (ADHS) will touch on innovation. The term “innovation” is trendy at major health conferences and events, but what does it really mean in the context of health systems and, specifically, at hospitals and healthcare organisations?  Innovation could be seen as a method in achieving greater efficiencies and lowering costs while still delivering a high quality of care. According to an op-ed titled Digital Health Innovation: Addressing the two-canoe problem, author Paddy Padmanabhan said that technology-led innovation is no longer an option but a necessity for health systems trying to break out of the downward spiral of competing on quality and price.  Why innovate One of the biggest challenges and problems in innovation in healthcare is that of too many pilots that end up nowhere  – “innovation” projects get started but these are often done in a piecemeal manner or only focus on the short term. Eventually, these “pilots” die a slow death – either through burning out resources or simply not producing substantial outcomes.  Innovation needs to be part of sustainable long-term strategy and as Padmanabhan explains, some health systems are already developing their innovation models to encourage internal innovation and also tap into external innovation. At the ADHS event, Dr. Zoran Bolevich, chief executive of eHealth NSW, together with Dr. Manish Kohli, managing director of Beyond Horizon Health and co-founder and partner of Infinite Care Holdings, will address this exact topic at the panel session Why Innovate, sharing both Australian and international perspectives. The panel is moderated by Justin Gernot, vice president of Healthbox.  Success stories on innovation Dr. Clair Sullivan, chief digital health officer for Metro North Hospital and Health Service located in Brisbane, Australia, will be sharing examples of success stories of innovation projects at her organisation at her session Change is our new normal: navigation innovation and change in health at the ADHS event.  Registration for the ADHS event is open and more details can be found here.

The portable point of care devices, which give remote providers the capability to image, measure and record wounds and skin healing data, will be deployed across Western Australia.

With the explosion in the amount of healthcare data being collected, one of the key challenges lie in the quality of data, as well as making the right decisions to use the appropriate data to measure specific health outcomes or predictions.

A recent pilot study, whose results were published in the Medical Journal of Australia, compared the results 2D screenings with 3D mammography technology, known as tomosynthesis.

The partnership is part of the Swinburne-based Victorian Medical Device Partnering Program, an ideas incubator that supports the development of medical technologies.

Researchers will also focus on adapting existing clinical decision support methods from the acute care sector, collaborating with clinicians to understand reliable signs of patient deterioration.