Australia shouldn’t hold its breath for a national eHealth strategy

Melbourne, 2 February 2010. According to a new report from Ovum, the global analyst and consulting company, Australia’s national level eHealth strategy is making slow progress. The report titled “National eHealth strategy progress in Australia” provides a summary of the ‘state of the nation’ with regard to national eHealth strategies and initiatives.

“After many reviews, reports and an estimated A$5 billion expended on various eHealth initiatives the country is no closer to realization of a national approach to eHealth,” stated Ovum’s public sector Research Director, Dr Steve Hodgkinson.

Healthcare reform discussion at the national level is centred around creating a more integrated healthcare system – supported by processes and applications that link together the many healthcare providers to better serve and protect patients and improve the efficiency of provider interactions. There are many leading edge clinical care and administration innovations practiced by individual healthcare organisations and within regional, state and territory jurisdictions. The key challenge is how to take the next step forward at a national level to create a healthcare system that makes the whole more than the sum of its parts.

“The health sector shouldn’t hold its breath waiting for something that is well lodged in the ‘too hard’ basket. Instead it should focus on stimulating and coordinating local innovation in eHealth”, said Dr. Hodgkinson, based in Melbourne.

“The problem is that as a nation we don’t seem to have the wit necessary to agree a national approach – despite many years of discussions. Of course it is complex, and progress is being made, but the national eHealth strategy remains very much on a slow burning fuse”, said Steve. “It appears unlikely that the governments will be able to significantly accelerate the pace of reform to the point where a national eHealth strategy would overwhelm eHealth strategies at the local and regional level”.

Dr. Hodgkinson suggests, “Health innovators should focus on meeting the needs of their local stakeholders within each state and territory, while ensuring that solutions support emerging standards for the healthcare identifier and the interoperability protocols being developed by NEHTA. Expectations for a national eHealth strategy need to be realistic, and not used as a reason to wait for instructions from above and meanwhile postpone much needed investment”.