MediSecure is voluntarily managed
The MediSecure e-prescription service came into effect three weeks after notification of voluntary administration “large-scale” ransomware attack.
Vaughan Strawbridge and Paul Harlond of FTI Consulting have been appointed as administrators and liquidators of the embattled company, which previously provided a national service providing e-scripts to pharmacies.
Strawbridge and Harlond will investigate how the company works fell into the cyber attack and is exploring options to recover assets. They will meet with MediSecure’s creditors sometime next week.
Days before MediSecure went into voluntary administration, it announced it was seeking government funding to help respond to the incident. However, his request was rejected.
At the end of May, reports emerged stating that the stolen MediSecure dataset had been stolen appeared on the dark web. It most likely contained data related to prescriptions and personal information from healthcare providers that MediSecure kept until 2023, when the national service contract expired.
In response, the company said it is working to notify affected individuals. MediSecure has contacted McGrathNicol Advisory who, together with the National Cyber Security Coordinator, will assist in quickly determining the extent of the impact of the ransomware attack and all individuals affected.
SA Ambulance Service to implement EMR
South Australia has earmarked A$23.5 million ($15.6 million) over the next two years to introduce an electronic patient care record system for SA Ambulance Service.
For the first time, paramedics can enter patient notes directly from electronic devices, eliminating the need for patient record cards and manual data entry.
According to a press release, the ePCR will also integrate with the Sunrise EMR system used in hospitals in South Africa, facilitating quick access to patients’ ambulance records.
Digital devices with the ePCR will be gradually introduced in more than 500 ambulance fleets from mid-2025.
Meanwhile, the SA government has also set aside A$10.7 million ($7 million) over the next four years for SAAS to provide 16 additional pAramean telecare physicians for the Clinical Telephone Assessment service. The service is currently staffed by 15 doctors and determines whether a call requires emergency response, consistent with a more appropriate care pathway, or whether a patient can simply contact their GP.
“Recruitment and training will begin immediately, with half of the additional doctors expected to join the team later this year and the full 16 on board by the middle of next year,” the SA government said.
Telecare carts rolled out for aged care in North Queensland
Northern Queensland Primary Health Network will roll out mobile telehealth carts, powered by Visionflex, to 36 residential care homes.
A telehealth cart includes a high-definition camera, a full-size patient-facing monitor, computer equipment and a range of USB peripherals for reading vital signs and patient monitoring. There are also accessibility options, such as live speech-to-text transcription and closed captioning, for patients with hearing and vision impairments.
The federally funded telehealth carts serve as an option for aged care residents to access primary care consultations, after-hours consultations and specialist care services from their homes to avoid avoidable and unnecessary trips to the emergency department.
Oncology IMS goes live at Fiona Stanley Hospital
Fiona Stanley Hospital, a major hospital in Murdoch, has become the first hospital under the South Metropolitan Health Service (SMHS) to implement a cancer information management system from Magentus.
Late last year, Magentus was awarded the contract to implement Charm Evolution in the SMHS and serve as the single source of patient records. The system also provides healthcare teams with immediate access to patient information in near real-time, standard protocols and decision support.
“By going live with Charm Evolution we are no longer reliant on paper records and manual prescribing. With a fully electronic prescribing system we can improve patient safety by providing a single source of truth for treatment,” Neil Doverty, Group Executive Director of Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals, shared in a statement.
Rockingham General Hospital is also expected to go live with the Magentus IMS soon.