Victoria announces $14 million EMR expansion
The Victorian Government is investing an additional $21.4 million ($14 million) to replace paper-based patient medical record systems in various public health settings.
In a statement, Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said four healthcare services will be supported in the transition to electronic records: the Royal Eye and Ear Hospital, Eastern Health (Victoria’s second largest healthcare service with 65 facilities), the 15- service Hume Rural Health Alliance and Grampians Rural Health Service with eight health services.
The implementation of a ‘connected and standardized’ EMR system in these healthcare settings will be supported by Hospitals Victoria and the Department of Health.
Two years ago the Gippsland Health Alliance, made up of 11 hospitals and 6 bush nursing centres, completed the implementation of an EMR system supplied by Altera Digital Health.
NALHN and Peninsula Health will adopt a digital patient flow management platform
Local Health Network in North Adelaide in South Australia will implement a digital platform to manage end-to-end patient flow.
The “interoperable, multi-facility digital healthcare platform” will be delivered by ASX-listed Alcidion over five years under a A$4.5 million ($2.9 million) contract.
Based on Alcidion’s corporate publications, the platform – which is to be integrated with SA Health’s electronic health record and other applications – will provide a near real-time and streamlined view of each patient’s journey through NALHN institutions including Lyell McEwin and Modbury Hospitals.
Initially, a demand management and capacity planning solution will be deployed.
NALHN is also digitalizing its patient pathways as part of a statewide project with another technology provider, Personify Care.
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Peninsula Health in Melbourne, Victoria has also contracted Alcidion to implement the same patient flow management platform.
The digital platform, which displays demand, capacity and forecast availability and tracks both inpatients and emergency patients, will be delivered across 13 locations over the next five years, as per the A$3.7 million ($2.4 million) contract ).
Clinical ultrasound training at Edith Cowan University
Edith Cowan University Australia will offer short courses for healthcare professionals on clinical ultrasound training.
It recently signed a partnership with global health technology company Philips to develop a comprehensive ultrasound curriculum. A series of short theoretical and practical courses will be developed covering Philips ultrasound equipment.
Based on a press release, these include courses on improving vascular access and fistula cannulation during dialysis; Advanced 3D quantification and image quality optimization; echocardiography in structural heart disease; and courses in advanced liver and pelvic imaging, musculoskeletal imaging, and pediatric scanning.
Once developed, they plan to expand these courses throughout the Asia-Pacific, starting in Australia.
Workshops and training are also expected to be held at Philips’ Medical Sonography Simulation Lab at the university’s Joondalup Campus.