Apparently NEHTA conducted a Stakeholder Reference Forum on March 18, 2009.
Just yesterday – some six weeks later – we get a 1 and a quarter page summary of the proceedings!
Outcome statement of the Stakeholder Reference Forum March 18, 2009
Opening by the CEO
NEHTA CEO Peter Fleming opened the meeting and advised that six Reference Groups had been formed and that the first NEHTA Reference Group Co-Chair meeting took place on Tuesday 17 March 2009.
· Diagnostic Services Reference Group:
· Medications Management
· Identification and Access Reference Group
· Continuity of Care
· Terminology Services
· Architecture and Technology
In an operational update he said by the end of 2009 the IHI, HPI, HPI-O and the National Authentication Service for Health (NASH) would be technically sound. Work has also begun in conjunction with Jurisdictions regarding the National Product Catalogue.
A notable achievement within NEHTA was the offer and acceptance to join the Standards Australian IT 14 Committees. It is NEHTA’s intention that NETHA specifications will be passed through various standards bodies to become NEHTA standards over time. This is essential work and NEHTA will work with IT-14 and Standards Australia to ensure NEHTA is moving in the right direction.
NEHTA is to have an integrated work plan to look not only at NEHTA dependencies and key activities but also those which are happening in Australian healthcare nationally in both public and private sectors. Mr Fleming said NEHTA was working to ensure the work plan aligned with the National E-Health Strategy.
Unique health identification services
CEO Peter Fleming introduced Stephen Johnston, the new Head of Infrastructure Services who will lead the foundation projects of unique health identification and national authentication.
There was discussion around the use of IHI, HPI and HPI-O in collaborative projects at the end of 2009. It was agreed that a comprehensive FAQ for the UHI Service be developed to assist transparency and understanding.
New Architecture Blueprints
Members were updated on the blueprints for e-health which are in development. The Architecture team has finalised the initial suite of three ready for public launch in May.
The blueprints are: Care Continuum, Infrastructure and Community Architecture.
Australian Health Ministers’ (AHMC) communiqué
A discussion was held around the March communiqué from AHMC, in regard to the development of identifiers legislation. A period of public consultation is likely to commence in June.
Engagement framework
Capgemini gave a presentation on the development of an engagement framework for NEHTA. This will be used to ensure all stakeholder groups are informed and included in the work program.
2009 SRF meeting dates:
July 22, 2009
November 18, 2009
----- End
This document really needs close reading. Close review yields the following.
First we are now promised the IHI and Authentication Systems will be ‘Technically Sound’ by the end of 2009. Operational date seems to be slipping further into the future or I am sure it would be made clear if there was any confidence in the date of actual operational delivery!
Second we now see work is to begin with the States on the National Product Catalogue. NEHTA was meant to have delivered this years ago. Where is the explanation of the delays?
Third we learn that after 5 years of existence NEHTA has now figured out it needs to actually engage – and has hired a consultant to help. Seems to me if a CEO can’t work out who an organisation’s stakeholders are and how to engage with them the organisation has the wrong CEO.
Fourth we learn that we might see some draft legislation for the IHI in June. Before that we still need to see the Privacy Impact Statement for this whole initiative. I wonder why it is not mentioned?
Fifth – where are the presentations – given this happened six weeks ago – that provide some additional detail so those who were not present can understand what went on. They should be available on-line. As of today they are not as far as I can tell.
Overall this is hardly what could be seen as a useful communications effort at all.
Even more odd is that the report of the December 2008 Stakeholder Reference forum is not on line at all – although there is a placeholder for it.
See here:
http://www.nehta.gov.au/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=187&Itemid=
It looks like it was available and has now vanished.
How long is it going to take for NEHTA to get its act together I wonder?
David.
10 comments:
I feel somewhat confused. Is this a new approach? Or is it a reclassification of an earlier approach?
* Diagnostic Services Reference Group
* Medications Management
* Identification and Access Reference Group
* Continuity of Care
* Terminology Services
* Architecture and Technology
What is the make-up of each of these ‘Reference Groups’?
What is their Charter?
Where can we find NEHTA’s ‘definition and scope’ description for each of these? For example:
(a) where do eReferrals and eDischarges fit?
(b) what does medications management include - eScripts?
(c) where does the Summary Health Record fit?
(d) presumably SNOmed, NPC, fit under Terminology Services. What else is included in that category?
Mr Fleming said NEHTA was working to ensure the work plan aligned with the National E-Health Strategy. What does this mean? Is he referring to the Deloitte Report or some other Strategy? Where is this strategy document? All I have seen is a very generalised summary document which is not much use to anyone?
Is this Capgemini activity to develop and engagement strategy for NEHTA something that Dr Haikerwal and his team of clinical lead consultants been responsible for over the last 12 months? Do you know what they have been doing and where they sit in relation to this Capgemini activity?
Looking at NEHTA's Media release of 19 December, 2008. "WA Health has implemented the NEHTA e-Procurement solution developed for Australian governments’ health purchasing." it seems some progress has been made.
My interpretation of what Peter Fleming said is that other jurisdictions are now lining up to embrace the National Product Catalogue. Do you know if that includes the NEHTA e-Procurement solution as referenced above?
I think you may be wrong.The "Outcome statement of the Stakeholder Reference Forum December 18 2008" is available for download.
Hi
Please post the URL - I can see a link but it doesn't work..
David
Hi - I can't get a URL but here is the post.
Outcome statement of the Stakeholder Reference Forum
December 18 2008
NEHTA four-year work plan
Chief Executive Peter Fleming advised members that at the COAG meeting on Saturday November 29, Australian Governments had provided a further $218 million funding for NEHTA to continue with the existing work program. This would deliver foundation projects as well as key initiatives in medications, pathology, discharge and referral. The work program would be aligned with the National E-Health Strategy.
Peter Fleming said the business would deliver on a collaborative approach to implementation with the aim of improving clinical outcomes and removing duplication across the system.
Creation of reference groups
NEHTA proposes to create advisory reference groups for each of the funded work program areas.
Proposed groups are:
• Continuity of care (includes discharge summaries and e-referral)
• Medication management
• Diagnostic Services
• Provider and consumer identification, authentication and access control
• Clinical Terminology
• Technical
Membership of the groups would represent:
• Jurisdictional
• Clinical
• Consumer
• Industry
• Private health
• Technical
• NEHTA
Desired expertise within the reference groups would include public and private clinical; policy and privacy; technical and solution; program management and implementation.
NEHTA suggested that terms of reference of the groups would include advising on business requirements, a concept of operations, policy issues, dependencies and risks, opportunities for implementation.
.
nhta
Nominations from SRF members for either co-chair or membership of reference groups were called by January 7, 2009.
2009 SRF meeting dates:
March 18 2009
July 22 2009
November 18 2009
Where do the software developers/vendors fit in this?
I don't think they do. They never have before. Software developers are not considered key to determining users needs or engaging with users. Software developers develop software according to specifications developed by consultants who have assessed, then documented users needs. The software developers job is to develop, deliver and implement the software according to such specifications as the user has defined with the help of consultants.
Have you ever head of software developers telling bureaucrats what is required? I haven't. The reason is because the bureaucrats don't believe they need to be told much at all, certainly not by software developers. Anyway, the bureaucrats have the money and they are the ones who do the telling of what is required.
When you [Thursday, April 30, 2009 1:40:00 PM] put it that way, I have to say that I don't like what you say but you are so right. That is exactly the way it is. And that is really really very scary. Who can think of one good reason why anyone would want to be a software developer having to deal with that?
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