Yesterday John Johnson of Pen Computing (a respected provider and developer of e-Health software) posted the following comment on the blog:
John Johnston said...
Pen Computer Systems IS NOT in the messaging business. We are in the business of providing ehealth solutions that are useful to providers and patients. Often we find that we have to build or collaborate to get something that is blocking the way. Our direction, of course, demands web services and our interest in WSMA is consistent with that. If WSMA is required by something we are doing we will use it. The main frustration for us is that NEHTA still has not got to a point where it can EASILY say "we need a tool to do X...who can we work with to build an X?" There are signs of this breaking down but there are sections within NEHTA who do not have the leadership to do this and it is holding us all up.
John Johnston said “there are sections within NEHTA who do not have the leadership to do this and it is holding us all up”.
Well if that isn’t stating the bleeding obvious I don’t know what is. For years the vendor community has mumbled and grumbled away about NEHTA but never been prepared to come out and state their views in the public arena for fear it might have negative consequences for their businesses. So nothing changes, NEHTA does what NEHTA wants and the doona mumbling continues unabated and nothing much changes.
This blogspot has consistently called for changes in NEHTA. Their current modus operandi is, as John says, “holding us all up” because “there are sections in NEHTA who do not have the leadership” required to fix this debilitating issue. So the whole system suffers and pays a high price in the process - government, developers, health providers, patients. Thank you John for having the courage to bring this issue into the open.
Sadly, you are but one lonely voice among the vendor community. When are your colleagues going to speak up?
Until that happens your business along with every other business will continue to be frustrated. If you want change to happen then insist on change, demand it and drive it home - because if you don’t you will just have to keep scratching your heads and asking yourselves “how can we get round these obstacles that are holding us up if we don’t do something to change the way things are being done”.
Oh, and one other thing - it is not appropriate to point the finger at “some sections within NEHTA”. Surely to goodness you understand that senior management determines the way NEHTA operates. That is the CEO’s job. He needs to know about these problems areas in NEHTA of which you speak, and he needs to seek help to fix them if he can’t fix them himself.
But until you find colleagues of like mind and courage to join you to insist on getting the leadership problems fixed then no improvements will be seen, the barriers to progress will remain and the outcomes for progress will not eventuate.
It is good to see such articulate, well informed and accurate commentary on the blog. All power to Anon for another really worthwhile effort.
Separately I am hearing that we now have NEHTA internally deciding that the “Year of Delivery” is to be taken as the financial and not calendar year - providing an extra bit of wiggle room. Additionally 2009 is to be the termed the year of “Internal Delivery”(all those .pdfs) and 2010 FY the year of “External Delivery”! What a giggle!
Additionally word is that - as we saw in the responses to the poll - there is not much confidence in the delivery of the IHI. To quote an informant (who I hope is sufficiently anonymous that they will not be hauled before the bosses as has happened to others who have now left the organisation) “None of the people in the trenches at NEHTA actually believe the IHI will get off the ground”. We will see in time I guess. Certainly if I was involved in the e-Health industry I would want to see a good deal more clarity about just what is going on before spending any money to integrate with what may be on offer!
Second lastly it was sad to hear the Karen Gibson has left NEHTA. She did some really good work over the years to get the Australian side of SNOMED off the ground. I am sure she will be missed.
Lastly have a look here:
http://www.nehta.gov.au/about-us/stakeholders
Seem stakeholders are not being talked to much in the last 5-6 months!
What a tangled web NEHTA weaves! Surely reform can’t be far off, can it?
David.
12 comments:
It’s true, 2009 was the “Year of Delivery”. NEHTA “delivered” its “Answers on Notice to the 4 June 2009 Senate Estimates Committee” in response to questions from Senator Boyce. In that response NEHTA provided a list of 11 initiatives specifying (a) the month (b) the initiative (c) the outcome expected to be completed and implemented by 31 December 2009.
NEHTA should now update the list to show “which” of these initiatives has been delivered by 31 December 2009.
Yes we are scratching our heads and it’s hurting, badly. There's no way I can run a business on such vague promises. It’s crap to be talking about “Internal Delivery” and “External Delivery”. NEHTA should be made to specify each initiative (i) current status (ii) next step (iii) scheduled completion date of next step.
How can you be so sure the IHI will not get off the ground? It’s easy to say “None of the people in the trenches at NEHTA actually believe the IHI will get off the ground.” That is meant to be NEHTA’s highest priority. If it can’t get that into place it has zilcho chance of delivering anything else. We need an independent audit urgently.
Disobey my own decisions, I deserve all your suspicion
First it's yes and then it's no, I dilly dally down to duo
But I got no secrets that I babble in my sleep,
I won't make promises to you that I can't keep
Spit Enz ‘Stuff and Nonsense’
I am not sure. I am merely reporting what I am told by people who I believe are telling what they believe to be the truth.
If you recall I have been suggesting more disclosure and an audit for ages. The lack of transparency about progress only tends to confirm what the poll on the chances of success suggested.
David.
So what actual concrete stuff has been delivered by the promised 31 Dec deadline?
There might be more going on behind the scenes with the stakeholders that you aren’t aware of but at first glance it does look as though they have exhausted their huff and puff.
Stakeholders get bored quick after the initial razamataz if there is not much substance to back up the rhetoric. Big mistake cranking up everyone’s expectations without a capacity to follow through with something meaty. Skepticism takes over real quick, credibility evaporates, and re-engaging again with another lot of ‘trust us - we’re from NEHTA and we’re here to help” becomes a nightmare. Been there before. Thanks a lot. Come back when you've got something we can see.
Dear Anon 8.38 AM please don’t be offended I love Split Enz their the best. But I think Burt Bacharach’s Turkey Lurkey Time in Promises Promises sums it up better.
Leadership is either good, bad or mediocre. The tougher the problem the more important is the need for really good leadership.
Folks, I think it is inappropriate to extrapolate my comments too far. We have all had good and bad experiences with NEHTA but we see the changing culture and WSMA is a part of that. I stick to my contention that "there are sections within NEHTA" that lack the necessary leadership to bite the bullet and get on with it. Thats typical of an organisation that is changing from a structure with many silos to one trying to have seamless continuity of message from top to bottom. I am not casting aspersions on the senior management at all but reflecting on some areas that we have run into where pride gets in the way of achievement. Now dont ask me to clarify that or name names....and lets get on and have a relaxing Xmas before we get down to solving some more problems in the New Year.
If ‘pride’ is a synonym for inflexibility, closed mindedness, inability to understand, arrogant belief that our way is the only way, reluctance to be challenged - then quite a lot of us would agree with John Johnston.
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