eHealth Information Systems Study

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eHealth Information Systems Study

For the purpose of our report we have chose the Department of Health and Ageing’s eHealth system. This choice differs slightly from the instructions of the assignment as eHealth is not a current information system - i.e. it is still being designed and implemented. The key motivation behind decision was we assumed management would much rather a report on a new and upcoming system than one they would most probably already know about. If we have to write a report to management, they don’t need analysis of their current systems, they should know them – so we have decided to why to provide some analysis on a system currently being implemented.

Choosing eHealth gave us greater scope for the inclusion of our own considerations and analysis, which is most evident in the rich picture and transaction process diagrams that we have created. Conversely, one drawback of this choice was the need for assumption was heightened. We have detailed our assumptions in this report also.

eHealth Background

“e-Health is the electronic management of health information to deliver safer, more efficient, better quality healthcare. The Australian Government is fully committed to e-Health and has allocated $188+ million to help facilitate the transition of paper-based clinical record keeping to electronic means for better information exchange” .

E-health falls within a nation wide movement for change in the health sector. The key drivers for this movement seek to improve the safety, reliability, accessibility and quality of patient information. eHealth is a proposition which seeks to create a standardised electronic health information service for all in the health sector. It will provide a variety of information that is currently stored entirely in folders and paper. E-Health main task is to reduce costs while increasing the speed and accessibility of this information while furthering the security surrounding this sensitive information.

eHealth in the News

eHealth has been an issue firmly fixed in the public eye for a long period of time. Much like Centerlink’s Smart Card project, eHealth has political drivers constantly pushing its implementation. Calls for its implementation span as far back as the early 2000s as evidenced by Health Minister Tony Abbott’s description for its need:

“..an electronic health record, communicated electronically among health care providers, would mean safer, better, more convenient and more efficient health care. For doctors and other professionals, it means less repetitive taking of

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