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GPs, specialists and hospital staff are said to be facing challenges in accessing patient records from other practitioners, resulting in unnecessary medical tests, treatments or procedures performed. In a study by Choosing Wisely Australia,  it was found that 54 per cent of GPs, 61 per cent of specialists and 36 per cent of health service providers said difficulties accessing information from doctors in other settings, including results, was a key reason for requesting unnecessary healthcare. The 2018 Choosing Wisely Australia Report: Conversations for change study also identified that health professionals said patient expectations, potential for medical litigation and uncertainty of diagnosis are common factors for low-value healthcare. NPS MedicineWise CEO Steve Morris said moving forward, there is a need to reduce unnecessary tests, treatments and procedures, especially in primary and specialist care and in hospitals. “Ultimately, the goal is ensuring less people are undergoing healthcare they don’t need and improving the quality and safety of our healthcare system. Improving communication across different care settings and empowering consumers to be active partners in their healthcare can help overcome barriers to optimal care.” Interoperability, a common repository for electronic health records and seamless communication between care settings have been some of the more common solutions to the challenge. A recent report by CSIRO supported these findings. “Ensuring new health software adheres to standards around language, terminology, openness, and data security and privacy will help facilitate the effective and safe sharing of individual health data across Australian service providers as well as with international organisations,” CSIRO said, in the report. The CSIRO study also explored the value that can be unlocked from digital data, most pertinently through the facilitation of electronic health record engagement. “The digitisation of the Australian healthcare system will go a long way towards improving integration and efficiency, but the shift needs to be more than just data sharing,” it stated. “It requires multidisciplinary and co-located teams and networks for improved decision making, treatment, and health management services.” [Read more: We need to get the digital basics right and quickly: Tim Kelsey | What’s needed to drive innovation and improve affordability in healthcare?] As for electronic health records, a report tabled by the Queensland Audit Office (QAO) highlighted the benefits of the digital hospital program in Queensland. It found that medical staff can access clinical information faster and that patient records are more legible. “We can see digital hospitals are reducing the average length of stay and unplanned readmissions,” Queensland Chief Clinical Information Officer Dr Keith McNeil said. “Doctors are telling us the new system means they can spend more time on patient care and less time on paperwork. “Nurses are saying that the system means they have a huge amount of readily available information and they are not having to waste time searching for notes. This means the system is working.”

IBM executives say it's time for healthcare to change its strategy and create a more adaptable and responsive security culture.

SANS offers advice about how to stop DNSespionage, domain fronting, targeted cloud individualized attacks and CPU flaws.

It's time to reevaluate your information security unit's status and stability.

Three experts offer comprehensive advice and tips for healthcare CIOs starting a clinical decision support journey.

A participant cohort assessment add-on allows staff to harness the power of data within the EHR, homing in on a more focused count of potential participants who could meet study criteria.

More than a year after it was first announced, the joint venture between Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase finally has a new moniker. The company will be called Haven. The brainchild of heavy-hitting CEOs Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffett and Jamie Diamon, the Boston-based company aims to "bring together the resources and capabilities of the three companies to create better outcomes, greater satisfaction, and lower costs for their U.S. employees and families," according to a statement on its new website. It will start this large undertaking by reimagining the way healthcare is delivered to the 1.2 million employees of those three companies. But it clearly has bigger goals, as evidenced by its hiring of renowned surgeon, author and health policy expert Atul Gawande as CEO this past June. "I feel incredibly lucky in this role," Gawande said. "I will get a million new patients." In a statement on Wednesday, he explained that the new company wants to "change the way people experience health care so that it is simpler, better, and lower cost. We'll start small, learn from the experience of patients, and continue to expand to meet their needs." On its website, the company says its name was chosen because it "reflects our goal to be a partner to individuals and families and help them get the care they need, while also working with clinicians and others to make the overall system better for all." Information and technology are going to be key in driving that vision. In November, for instance, Haven hired Dana Gelb Safran from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts to oversee its analytics and quality improvement efforts, with the innovative title "Head of Measurement." Haven's aim, officials said, is to "deliver simplified, high-quality, and transparent health care at a reasonable cost. We are focused on leveraging the power of data and technology to drive better incentives, a better patient experience, and a better system. Our work may take many forms, and solutions may take time to develop, but Haven is invested in making health care much better for all of us." While it's initially focused on Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase employees, "in time, we intend to share our innovations and solutions to help others," said Haven officials. I’m not a branding pro, but in thinking about it more, Haven seems like the perfect choice if you want to send a message to the industry that you’re not intending to disrupt anything. It invokes calm, tranquility, friendliness. I’m sure a very thought out and delibeate choice. — Christina Farr (@chrissyfarr) March 6, 2019 From a branding perspective, I agree. And in an industry that feels chaotic and under attack it works on many levels. — Daniel Fell (@danfell) March 6, 2019 Also a destination - a place you want to get to - clever — Chris Steel (@chrissteel1) March 7, 2019 Haven for whom though? Consumer? Payer? Hospital system? Not sure it can or will be Haven for all constituents — John Moore (@john_chilmark) March 7, 2019 Twitter: @MikeMiliardHITN Email the writer: mike.miliard@himssmedia.com Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication. 

Carestream Health announced this morning that it had signed an agreement to sell its healthcare information systems business to Philips. Carestream general manager for healthcare information solutions Ludovic D’Aprea said they “have had global success in providing radiology and enterprise imaging IT systems”, but added: “By becoming part of Philips, the HCIS business will have a greater opportunity to thrive and grow. Both organizations share a commitment to meaningful innovation which is deeply embedded in each company’s culture. "Customers will have access to a broader portfolio of healthcare IT solutions to simplify medical image management, enable effective collaboration and enhance patient care.” Carestream said it would retain its medical imaging, dental and industrial films, non-destructive testing, and precision coating businesses. “Our focus will be on delivering innovation that is life changing—for patients, customers, channel partners, communities and other stakeholders—and we will grow the company for long-term success,” said David Westgate, chairman, president and CEO of Carestream. The companies will continue to operate independently until the close of the sale, which is expected to take place in the second half of the year. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The initiative is one of ten "Sprint Exemplar Projects" to be funded by UK Research and Innovation. 

Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH) and Siemens Healthineers have partnered in a venture to expand oncology services available in the Northern Territory, providing the hospital with an advanced PET CT scanner that offers patients the capability to scan faster using lower doses of radiation and personalises scans to a patient’s specific medical condition. RDH is the largest hospital in the Northern Territory region of Australia. Siemens Healthineers A/NZ Molecular Imaging Business Manager Tim Lagana said that the Biograph mCT Flow Edge scanner features advanced capabilities such as improved lesion detectability and reduces unnecessary exposure to radiation with two features.  The first is FlowMotion, which eliminates the need for bed-based imaging used by traditional PET scanning forms.  “As a result, examination parameters such as speed, image resolution and motion management can be easily adjusted to the precise dimensions of organs and routinely incorporated into a single scan for every patient,” Lagana said. The second feature he identified is the Definition Edge CT scanner. “Due to the full electronic integration of Siemens’ Stellar detector, electronic components like microchips, conductors, etc. are integrated directly at the photodiode. This reduces electronic noise coming from the detector elements and thus, improves the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for optimised image quality.” According to the RDH, the new service will be the “first of its kind” available in the territory and is one of only four in Australia. NT Health Senior PET Technologist Jack Anderson said that following installation, patients who had to previously travel up to 3400km interstate for access to diagnosis and treatment monitoring equipment can access these services much closer to home. “Previously, Northern Territory patients would have to travel interstate to have a PET scan in order to diagnose or help manage their medical condition,” he added. “The new RDH PET service can make a huge impact for these patients by reducing delays to diagnosis and treatment due to the need for interstate travel; better access to specialist diagnostic services for patients with geographic, physical mobility, language or income barriers; and reducing the costs to patients, carers, families and friends incurred during interstate travel for diagnostic services and treatment.” Anderson said this installation also puts the Northern Territory on the map with one of Australia’s most advanced medical imaging systems on the market, providing treatment options and pathways for the region’s most complex diagnostic and disease requirements. “RDH now has equivalent medical imaging services to the major hospitals in other capital cities, with enhancement to its provided services,” he said. “The new equipment has the potential to position the territory as a hub for PET research in Northern Australia and the Asia Pacific region, and furthers medical specialty in the territory, increasing the capability and integration of the local cancer services.” Although currently geared towards oncologic applications, Anderson said the system also has the capability to image neurological disorders such as alzheimer's, dementia and epilepsy, and assist in the diagnosis and provision of care for patients with other medical conditions like infections and inflammatory disorders. This article first appeared on Healthcare IT News Australia.