eHealthnewsContents

Chief Executive’s message . . . . . . .2

Engaging with clinicians . . . . . . . . . .3

Connect with eHealth NSW on LinkedIn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

GOING LIVE from Bourke to Ballina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-5

Touring the Strategic Plan . . . . . . .6

HealtheNet Clinical Portal enhanced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

eRIC poised for a global first . . .7

eMeds on a roll at record six sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Power to the people . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

New app for VMOs on the go .9

Clinical engagement the key, says visiting US expert . . . . . . . . . . 10

NSW chosen for My Health Record full-participation trial . 11

New Aboriginal IT Cadet program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Highlights and celebrations . . . 12

Check out our website atwww.ehealth.nsw.gov.au

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 2015

In its continued bid to foster innovation through collaboration, eHealth NSW hosted a Clinical Engagement Forum in Newcastle in late

November, capping off a dynamic quarter which has

seen its clinical and corporate systems deployed at hundreds of sites across the state.

More than 30 local clinicians attended the engagement forum hosted by

Chief Clinical Information Officer Dr John Lambert, with dozens more

remotely participating in the event via live-streaming .

Both the online and live audience seized the opportunity to ask questions via a web-based system, answered in real time by the presenters, including Ian Schumacher, Manager of the

Clinical Systems team at Hunter New England Local Health District.

Dr Lambert said: “Collaborating with our clinicians to build better, patient-focused tools is what these forums are all about .”

The approach has been applauded by international expert Dr Robert Murphy, who on a visit to eHealth NSW noted that clinician involvement “is a critical aspect of success . I sense that (NSW) clinicians are starting to see that they need to be involved in the early planning and design, and prepare for the ongoing aspects of monitoring and continuous optimisation .”

To better align with how clinicians engage with these projects, the three core clinical change programs – Community Health and Outpatient Care (CHOC), the second phase of

Fostering innovation through collaboration

eHealth NSW Chief Clinical Information Officer Dr John Lambert at the Clinical Engagement Forum in Newcastle on 25 November

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continued page 2

Thank you!Not everyone gets to have a

break at Christmas.

A big thank you to all our

eHealth NSW staff who are

working over the Christmas period

to keep things running smoothly.

We thank you for your hard work

and dedication.

CONTINUED

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eHealth News Oct/Nov/Dec 2015

eHealth News Oct/Nov/Dec 2015

2

Chief Executive’s message

With these words Health Minister Jillian Skinner wrapped up her recent visit to eHealth NSW headquarters in Chatswood.

I believe the Minister enjoyed an engaging and informative time with us and felt the high level of enthusiasm and energy within our organisation .

We provided her with a broad overview of our diverse activities and, most importantly, the highly collaborative way in which we go about the business of eHealth, involving our Local Health Districts, Specialty Health Networks, Pillars and state-wide service organisations in everything we do .

Certainly, the Minister’s visit could not have come at a more dynamic time for our organisation and for NSW Health’s ICT landscape .

The sheer volume of eHealth-related activity underway across our health system is evidenced not only by the buzz in our offices, but also by the fact that many of our programs are in the thick of an unprecedented number of go-lives across the state .

I congratulate all of the dedicated project teams who have been hard at work to ensure the success of these go-lives at hospitals ranging from metropolitan centres to regional and rural areas .

Of course, our programs could not be successful without being ably supported by strong infrastructure and information services to underpin them . Nor would they be meaningful without partnerships we have in place with our colleagues across NSW Health . It is very much a team effort .

As the Minister heard during her visit, here at eHealth NSW we are at the vanguard of building a host of new clinical and corporate systems, which together are delivering more functionality and capturing valuable data as a by-product of the provision of clinical care . As our information systems are coming of age, their broader utility to the health system is increasing enormously . Coupled with appropriate analytical tools and methodologies, the data captured

in these systems offers clinicians, managers and planners unique insights into areas of opportunity for quality, effectiveness and efficiency advances across our health system .

I explored this topic in an opening address I delivered recently to HISA’s Big Data 2015 conference, attended by experts in healthcare analytics from all over Australia and around the world . This fascinating two-day conference focused on the great and growing expectations for truly transformational changes in our industry .

These and other future-focussed topics are also being discussed as part of the development of new eHealth Strategy for NSW Health . Consultations with NSW Health organisations are well underway and are generating a clear set of directions and priorities for the next wave of investment, development and implementation of advanced ICT capabilities across our health system .

eHealth NSW has had an incredibly busy, eventful and successful year . As the year draws to an end, I would like to use the opportunity to sincerely thank all the staff of eHealth NSW, as well as our health system colleagues and our industry partners for all the hard work, enthusiasm and dedication .

Dr Zoran Bolevich

Acting Chief Executive and Chief Information Officer eHealth NSW

“I think the work you are all doing here at eHealth NSW is incredible. It seems to me that there has been a real acceleration in activity across all of your programs – it has been so good to have been here to hear about it and meet the people making it happen.”

Electronic Medical Records (eMR2) and Electronic Medication Management (eMeds) – are now united under a more cohesive structure .

With a new name being formulated, the aggregated approach is being led by Program Director Frances

Asher, who says it “will enhance our operational capacity for innova-tion, while providing consistent roll-out and future delivery of these transformative programs” .

Wendy Loomes, ICT Program Director for South Western Sydney

LHD, expressed the sentiments of many Health Agencies, telling eHealth News: “We are very supportive of this approach to bring better alignment between the core clinical programs as it will simplify change management .”

From previous pageFostering innovation through collaboration

3

eHealth News spoke with Dr Carolyn Hullick, Senior Staff Specialist, Clinical Governance and Emergency Medicine and eHealth Clinical Lead at Hunter New England LHD, about the importance of Clinical Engagement Forums.

QWhat are the benefits of these forums for the

clinicians and patients of NSW?

A It is really important that clinicians are engaged in the

development and implementation of future and ongoing eHealth programs as we are the users of them and we understand patient needs, workflow and the best evidence for clinical care . It is important that eHealth supports the delivery of better patient care . In Hunter New England, we have a large and diverse LHD from rural and remote hospitals to large tertiary referral and trauma centres . eHealth systems have the ability to bridge these distances by giving access to systems and processes that are available wherever we deliver care to our patients . The forums are a

great opportunity for the eHealth NSW team to better understand these needs .

QWhat did you think of the content and structure of the

latest forum?

A It was great to have the opportunity to showcase

the successful implementation of our Electronic Prescribing and Administration of Medicines in our rehabilitation ward at Maitland . It is amazing to me, that after three days, the nurses asked for less support from the IT team as they felt confident to use it on their own . I am looking

Engaging with cliniciansforward to the full implementation and tackling some of the bigger and more complex wards . It was also great to have the opportunity to demonstrate the HNE Clinical Applications Portal (CAP) system . It is a well-regarded system that is slowly building as a system that safely supports clinical care .

QWhat else worked well?

A John Lambert’s overview of the eHealth projects was important

for me . The most important thing I learnt was that he is the clinical lead and that there are also corporate and infrastructure leads for eHealth NSW . Some things, like scanning documents and accessing electronic ECGs, we take for granted in HNE LHD. It makes such a difference to me seeing a patient with chest pain in the ED and to be able to very rapidly see old ECGs for making better clinical decisions . The online messaging system (used during the forum) was fun . It was a great way to ask questions across the state without interrupting the presentation . Well done to John in handling them all so well! We look forward to you coming back .

Connect with eHealth NSW on

Log in to your account

Go to ‘Profile’ and click on ‘Edit Profile’

Go to your current position and click on it

Click ‘Change Company’

Type ‘eHealth NSW’ . As you type, a list of companies and logos will appear . Make sure you select the official eHealth NSW one (with our official logo)

Click ‘Save’

eHealth NSW now has an official LinkedIn page, meaning you can now link your profile with the organisation’s page.

By connecting your personal profile with eHealth NSW, you automatically become a ‘Follower’ and

can like, comment on, and share company updates .

To connect your personal profile to eHealth NSW, follow these simple steps:

Dr Carolyn Hullick

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Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season!

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eHealth News Oct/Nov/Dec 2015

Temora

Tumut

Cootamundra

Lightning Ridge

Bourke

Maitland

Hunter New England

MurwillumbahUrbenville Pottsville

Kyogle

Ballina

Byron-Mullum

Tweed

Bonalbo

Brewarrina

Evans Head

NimbinKingscliff

Bangalow

Banora Point

Collarenebri

Goodooga

Dubbo

North Wollongong, Wollongong

Warrigal, Warilla

Bulli, Woonona

Kiama

Helensburgh

Bowral

Rosemeadow

Ingleburn

Macarthur

Albion ParkDapto Berkeley, Cringila, Warrawong

MarrickvilleHoxton Park, Miller, Liverpool

Prairiewood, Fairfield

Bankstown Bankstown, Canterbury, CroydenNarellan

Fairy Meadow

Aboriginal Health at MalabarCanterbury

Croyden

St Vincent’s, War Memorial Sydney Children’s, PoW, Royal Women’s

WESTERN NSWFAR WEST

MURRUMBIDGEE

HUNTERNEW ENGLAND

NORTHERNNSW

MID NORTHCOAST

NEPEANBLUE MTNS CENTRAL COAST

SOUTHEASTERN SYDNEY

SOUTHERN NSW

NORTHERN SYDNEYSYDNEY

SOUTH WESTERN SYDNEY

WESTERN SYDNEY

Milton

Berry

ILLAWARRASHOALHAVEN Wreck Bay

Ulladulla

St George’s BasinOrient PointNowra

LeetonGoulburnKenmore

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eMeds GO-LIVES• Roll-out of eMeds at Concord Repatriation General

Hospital is now complete

• Prince of Wales’s roll-out started in October and continues (see article on page 8)

• Maitland Hospital’s first go-live in a 12-bed rehabilitation ward began in November

eMeds Program Manager Jonathan Di Michiel:“The eMeds Program is in a significant phase of delivery. Concord Repatriation General Hospital has completed its eMeds roll-out, and PoW and Maitland Hospitals’ roll-outs are now underway and progressing well . We also have projects ramping up at sites including Blacktown, Royal Prince Alfred and Royal North Shore hospitals .

“Our team has built a reputation of engaging well with the LHDs, and with flexibility, to support their projects. That makes a real difference .

“Certainly, there’s a lot going on but the true measure of success is if we realise the benefits of electronic medication management in reducing adverse drug events for patients .

“It’s also about implementing sustainable and integrated systems and processes that help create a lifetime health record of people in NSW .”

from Bourke to Ballina

5

CHOC GO-LIVES • In 2015 the CHOC Program team has deployed to more

than 100 Community Health facilities/sites across NSW

• To date the team has deployed the Community Health solutions to approximately 12,000 Community Health clinicians. There are approximately 7,000 more to go.

CHOC Program Manager Rick Turner:“Extending the electronic medical record into Community Health services provides a more complete and extensive patient record, which leads to better informed clinicians and better patient care .

“The number of sites involved in the CHOC go-lives requires careful co-ordination to ensure adequate support for clinicians at go-live. eHealth NSW is working very closely with each LHD to ensure an appropriate go-live model .

“It’s an exciting time for us as a team, and incredibly rewarding to see community health solutions make a real difference to the care of more and more patients in non-hospital settings every day .”

eHealth NSW’s Clinical Portfolio has wrapped up one of its busiest quarters on record, with the staff of its Community Health and Outpatient Care (CHOC), Electronic Medical Records (eMR) and Electronic Medication Management (eMeds) programs behind hundreds of go-lives across the state in their efforts to enable better health through technology.

GOING LIVE

KEYRecent eMR Go-Lives

Recent eMeds Go-Lives

Recent CHOC Go-Lives

eMR GO-LIVES• The eMR2 roll-out is gathering

momentum with 44 hospitals across five LHDs and one Specialty Network planned to be live by the end of 2015.

• The eMR2 build has been developed in collaboration with the Clinical Excellence Commission’s Safety and Quality Programs including Fall Prevention and Pressure Injury Assessments

• Through collaboration with the Agency for Clinical Innovation and Specialty Networks, clinical pathways have been developed for cardiology, renal, stroke, respiratory and hip fracture. These are now ready for piloting in the clinical setting.

eMR Program Manager Olivia De Sousa:“The eMR Program has released A, B and majority of B+ for implementation at the LHDs. There has been significant work during the past 12 months, engaging with clinicians from the Pillars and LHDs to complete the prototypes for clinical pathways . Early in 2016, Release C, which consists primarily of clinical pathways, will be ready to commence pilot in clinical areas .

“eMR functionality is now live in 44 sites across the state and feedback has been extremely positive .

“The design has focused on removing duplication in the information collected, deriving scores and data where ever possible and specifically working on reducing the number of forms for the clinicians at the coalface .

“It’s wonderful to see the eMR extending the electronic record with the collection of vital signs, assessments, progress notes, supporting clinical handover and providing a continuous view of the documentation within the electronic medical record .”

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eHealth NSW is conducting an extensive round of consultations on the NSW eHealth Strategic Plan 2015-25.

Feedback collected from the initial targeted consultations and surveys conducted at the eHealth NSW Expo have been considered and incorporated into the latest version of the plan .

Since early November, eHealth NSW’s Acting Chief Executive and Chief Information Officer, Dr Zoran Bolevich, and Director of Innovation, Strategy

Touring the Strategic Plan

As part of ongoing improvements, the HealtheNet Clinical Portal has been enhanced to offer clinicians a broader range of information about their patients.

HealtheNet Project Manager Kelvin Hourquebie said: “The enhancements have improved the usability and performance of the system, based on feedback we received from clinical stakeholders during our user acceptance testing.”

Following the successful implementation of these enhancements, the team is now planning an upgrade to the HealtheNet Clinical Portal that will support, among other things, the future inclusion of pathology test results.

HealtheNet Clinical Portal enhanced

Western Sydney Local Health District (WS LHD) has been working closely with eHealth NSW, with the organisations jointly undertaking a considered process in preparation for a pilot at Blacktown .

“We recently formalised the engagement model and we are working closely with our implementation Project Manager to ensure we set ourselves up for a smooth implementation,” said Sal Austin, WS LHD’s Project Manager for Information Technology Services .

The eRIC team has worked alongside WS LHD to establish a strong change management model which will optimise adoption of the system and maximise the benefits for patients and clinicians .

Associate Professor Graham Reece, Director of Intensive Care at Blacktown Hospital, said plans for a mid-year roll-out at Blacktown are progressing well following usability testing with end-user clinicians at Blacktown, Royal North Shore and Port Macquarie Hospitals .

Moreover, engagement with eHealth NSW had been excellent. “The eRIC team has been here for six months and there is a joint working party and it’s progressing extremely well,” he said .

Cherie Kennedy, eRIC Program Director for eHealth NSW, said

eRIC poised for a global first

completion of the technical and functional build had been a huge mile- stone, with strong clinical engagement a cornerstone of the program .

Hundreds of ICU clinicians, IT experts as well as the eRIC Program team have provided input from development of the business case, selection of the technology supplier and design and build of the solution under the auspices of the Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI) .

ACI Chief Executive Dr Nigel Lyons said there had been extensive clinical involvement from the outset, with more than 150 intensive-care clinicians having input into the design and build of the eRIC solution every step of the way .

“This enabled real-time clinical reviews of the build progress through weekly WebEx meetings and ongoing user reviews of the solution in a test environment as it was being developed,” Dr Lyons said.

The eRIC solution represents a ‘best of breed’ state-build ICU clinical information system, and the 60-strong eRIC Program team is working closely with the other clinical programs such as

The eRIC Program team and clinicians briefed Jillian Skinner on the new ICU clinical information system during the Health Minister’s recent visit to eHealth NSW headquarters

& Architecture, Dr Michael Costello, have been travelling across the state to meet with each Local Health District, Pillar and Agency .

To date, more than 17 consultations have taken place, with the remaining Pillars and LHDs to be visited early next year .

“This process is a great opportunity for NSW Health to reflect on the eHealth NSW journey to date and to develop a vision for the technology-enabled transformation of our health system over the next decade,” said Dr Bolevich.

“Extensive input from LHDs, Specialty Health Networks and the Pillars is integral to this process and will ensure that the plan reflects the priorities of the NSW health system as a whole .”

Indeed, the engagement has been successful in harvesting local feedback from these Health Agencies, which will ensure the NSW eHealth Strategic Plan and investment priorities are aligned across the state .

The final NSW eHealth Strategic Plan 2015-25 will be released following the conclusion of consultations in early 2016 .

Dr Michael Costello presenting to the senior executives and clinicians of Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD

Built for the unique needs of an ICU, the eRIC solution will give clinicians in adult, paediatric and neonatal ICUs access to a comprehensive array of digital information and medications management at the point of care, while supporting improved information sharing across the continuum of care .

This will help to better inform the management of critically ill patients – those in an ICU, the most pressured and data-intensive part of any hospital .

Associate Professor Graham Reece, Director of Intensive Care at Blacktown Hospital, told eHealth News the intuitiveness of its software meant the eRIC solution was the best he had seen in 30 years as a clinician .

MEET eRIC

Electronic Medical Record (eMR) and Electronic Medication Management (eMeds) within eHealth NSW and the LHDs to support continuum of care across clinical systems .

Blacktown Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is likely to be the first to go live with eHealth NSW’s electronic Record for Intensive Care (eRIC) solution in mid-2016, activating implementation of the largest system-wide ICU clinical information system in the world.

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The app enables VMOs to record claim lines in real time at the patient bedside, on their rounds or in theatre. They can scan patient MRN or AUID barcodes using the smartphone’s camera, and upload the claim lines into VMoney Web for review and submission at a time convenient for them .

Other features include the ability to work offline, allowing entry of claims lines without internet connectivity . VMOs can also select and save favourite MBS or rural item numbers that are frequently used .

“The mobile app is designed to make it easier for VMOs to keep track of their patient interactions as they go about their work,” said Corporate Programs Director Farhoud Salimi.

“We know some VMOs were keeping paper records and later keying into VMoney Web . This app provides the convenience of recording patient services on your mobile device on the go and synchronising to VMoney Web at the VMO’s convenience .”

The app is the first Corporate Programs has designed and built, “and we certainly will be considering the use of similar apps in the future as a means of making it easier for staff to interact with all of our corporate systems,” Farhoud added.

The mobile app is being piloted by a select number of VMOs in Western Sydney and is expected to be available for download from the Google Play and Apple App stores in the near future .

eHealth NSW’s Rural eHealth team is facilitating an innovative program on the Mid North Coast designed to help people remain in their homes.

The Remote Tele-Monitoring in Home program monitors a patient’s vital signs, such as heart

rate, oxygen saturation, blood pressure and blood sugar levels – without the person having to leave their home .

The program is designed for people 15 to 65 years of age, living with a chronic illness, and for Aboriginal people under the age of 50. It also benefits those who may

Power to the people

New app for VMOs on the go

find it difficult arranging transport for regular medical appointments .

Mid North Coast Local Health District (MNC LHD) Acting Chief Executive Bronwyn Chalker said: “This is an excellent service that helps to improve a person’s quality of life at home and enables them to be more involved in their own healthcare . It enhances the care provided by a doctor in a timely way and indicates if follow-up is required .”

Funded by the Ministry of Health, the program has been launched in the Hastings-Macleay district as a 12-month pilot to be managed by MNCLHD and delivered locally by IntegratedLiving .

Rural eHealth Program Manager Craig Burke said the Remote Tele-Monitoring in Home program utilises technology to support health staff to monitor and manage clients remotely .

It is an exciting pilot program that will assist us in the future to design new or leverage existing technology to improve the way we provide care within rural and regional areas,” he said

Right(L-R): Rosemary Cameron and Sandra Haynes (MNCLHD), Tricia Gutteridge and Glenys Francis (IntegratedLiving), Craig Burke (Rural eHealth Program Manager) and Brett Johnson (IntegratedLiving Area Manager) with some of the equipment to be used as part of the Remote Tele-Monitoring in Home program

eMeds Program on a roll at a record six sites

W ith roll-out of eMeds to Concord Repatriation General Hospital now

complete (see breakout box below right), the team charged with implementing electronic medication management across NSW has turned its attention to another six sites .

The 700-bed Prince of Wales Hospital (PoW) is among them, beginning with two of its aged-care wards before moving into cardiac . Roll-out to the rest of PoW, one of NSW’s major teaching hospitals, is continuing .

Clinicians have greeted the roll-out enthusiastically, with Dr Andrew Hugman, Emergency Physician at PoW and the clinical lead for the hospital’s eMEDS project, saying he was excited about electronic medication management as “it will make it much faster and safer to do our job” .

“This is a stepping stone to more and more integration of technology in medicine,” he said. “Drug interaction alerts, clinical decision rules, duplicate dosing warnings – all these sorts of things are exciting as they help to make things safer for patients .”

Go-lives commenced at Maitland Hospital in November and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead is preparing for its implementation of eMeds in 2016 .

eMeds projects are also underway at Royal Prince Alfred and Blacktown Hospitals, and will soon commence at sites in the Northern Sydney and Central Coast LHDs.

At the 17th annual NSW Health Awards, Minister Jillian Skinner presented the state’s top health award for innovation to Sydney LHD for the electronic medication management system eHealth NSW has helped it to implement at Concord Repatriation General Hospital.

Minister Skinner personally selected Concord’s roll-out of eMeds as the “standout” winner from 48 finalists represented in 11 categories at a gala ceremony in Homebush on 2 November.

“The win is a fantastic acknowledgement of our eMeds Program team’s collaboration with Sydney LHD,” said eHealth NSW Acting Chief Executive and Chief Information Officer Dr Zoran Bolevich.

“This project offers a perfect example of how, in partnership with our LHDs, we are delivering innovative solutions that enable excellent healthcare through delivery of quality information where and when it is needed.”

eHealth NSW’s eMeds Program Manager Jonathan Di Michiel said the successful implementations were the result of a lot of hard work over the past two years .

“Building an electronic medication management system is incredibly complex,” he said. “Reaching such a

significant phase of delivery has taken a lot of time, patience and attention to detail, and I salute our team for the incredible job they’re doing .”

Jonathan said the eMeds Program was “all about implementing sustainable and integrated systems and processes that enhance patient safety and health outcomes in hospitals in NSW” .

“That’s the thing about eMeds – it has never been a hard sell,” he said . “Everyone has welcomed it because they understand the benefits it will bring.”

Left to right: Sydney LHD’s Michael Turner, Rosemary Burke, Alexandra Wagstaff, Daniel McCluskie, A/Professor Kathy Gibson, Tim Morcombe and Minister Skinner

eMeds SCOOPS TOP HEALTH AWARD

eHealth NSW’s eMeds Program is deep into delivery stage at one of the state’s largest hospitals, Prince of Wales at Randwick, with the first stages of its highly anticipated ‘go-live’ proving to be successful and smooth.

Corporate Programs is piloting a new smartphone app designed to streamline the payment process for Visiting Medical Officers (VMOs).

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NBM PHN Chief Executive Lizz Reay also welcomed the opportunity, saying “a digital health system in a vast and diverse region like Nepean Blue Mountains is essential to achieving positive health outcomes” .

“NBM PHN is excited that our region has been chosen to be one of only two sites nationally for the My Health Record trial and the potential this will have to create a ‘joined-up’ healthcare system that puts the patient at the centre,” Mrs Reay said .

eHealth NSW Acting Chief Executive and Chief Information Officer Dr Zoran Bolevich said the selection of Nepean Blue Mountains as one of the two national trial sites reflects the many advances the NSW health system has achieved in recent years in relation to electronic health records and its integrated care strategy .

“The trial will offer us an opportunity to learn how the broader availability of My Health Record can enhance integration of patient care, working in concert with our state-wide health record sharing platform, HealtheNet,” said Dr Bolevich.

The trials will run from July until October 2016, when they will be evaluated .

NSW chosen for My Health Record full-participation trial

Dr Robert Murphy, Associate Professor at the University of Texas’s Health Science Center, addressed members of eHealth NSW’s Clinical Portfolio team on how to bring about change and deliver value through a digital hospital.

Dr Murphy is an international expert on the subject, given his high-level experience as Chief Medical Informatics Officer at two major US health systems including the Memorial Hermann Health System in Texas and Norton Healthcare .

eHealth NSW Chief Clinical Information Officer Dr John Lambert caught up with Dr Murphy to get his unique take on the critical importance of clinical engagement and how eHealth is “transformative and disruptive – and here to stay” .

JL: It’s been great to have you here, Bob. In your opinion, what is eHealth NSW doing right?

RM: One of the main differences I observed since my previous

visit in 2012 was the increased amount of clinician involvement, and that is a critical aspect of success . I sensed that the clinicians are starting to see that they need to be involved in the early planning and design, and prepare for the ongoing aspects of monitoring and continuous optimisation .

JL: What areas do we need to focus on?

RM: Another insight I sensed from the many meetings

was the need to continue to invest in the underlying architecture to ensure

fast and reliable technical performance . Many of these technologies are advancing quickly and this will need sustained investment to keep current with clinician’s needs and expectations .

JL: What’s the best way to engage clinicians, in your opinion?

RM: Clinicians need two primary things

to get and stay engaged: First, simply the time to be involved, to be educated and to be prepared to be constructive members of the leadership structures . Second, with the time to get educated and aware and make constructive contributions, they need to be empowered with decision-making authority and the responsibility that comes with that . This is very different than just having meetings, showing up and offering criticisms and complaints . To paraphrase a former US President, Lyndon B. Johnson: “Any old mule can kick down a barn door . But I have never seen one pick up a hammer!” We need the clinicians to pick up some hammers, not just kick down the barn doors .

JL: What’s the best way to ensure clinicians stay engaged?

RM: If you get clinicians engaged from the start and

their leadership and contributions and welcomed, I think they will stay engaged . Once my Board delegated the authority to govern EHR content, I was able to recruit and retain leading physicians for this effort . Health IT is not a one-time implementation and you are done . It is the new way of doing clinical care .

It is transformative, and disruptive . And the frontline clinicians need to be available to be deeply involved at all phases and all levels .

JL: How did you convince clinicians with their hearts set on Best of Breed solutions to use the Integrated eMR?

RM: These decisions should not be an “us vs. them”

scenario . The conversation starts with what is best for the patient . But one must acknowledge that best-of-breed solutions are typically developed as more customised solutions for that specific segment. There is often the feeling that these clinicians must give up better functionality, and that is difficult to accept. Each decision has consequences for the individual users but also for the patient . Regardless of the final decisions, workflows must always ensure safe patient care during times of transitions . It is often in these open, honest conversations between clinicians on both sides of these applications in which a shared approach can be achieved .

Clinical engagement the key, says visiting US expert

Dr Robert Murphy visiting Dr Amith Shetty, Emergency Department Staff Specialist at Westmead Hospital

eHealth NSW will work closely with the Local Health District and Primary Health Network of Nepean Blue Mountains (NBM) following the region’s selection as one of two sites nationally to participate in a full-participation trial of the My Health Record.

In the Nepean Blue Mountains trial, about 355,000 local residents will have a My Health Record, formerly known as a Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR), created for them unless they wish to opt out . Northern Queensland PHN was chosen as the other trial site .

New Aboriginal IT Cadet program As part of eHealth NSW’s bid to close the gap by boosting the Aboriginal component of its workforce, an Aboriginal student from the University of Newcastle will begin an eight-week work placement in January.

During those eight weeks, the IT cadet will work at the Gladesville and Chatswood sites and in 2016 the program will be expanded to support more Aboriginal students undertaking studies in IT.

Successful completion of the IT cadet’s work placement at eHealth NSW will lead to the opportunity for full-time employment.

For further information, contact Ben Eggmolesse, who is overseeing coordination of the pilot program. Ben is based within the Aboriginal Workforce Unit and can be contacted on 8644 2072.

Kay Hyman, Chief Executive of NBM LHD, said: “We are pleased the district has been chosen as a site and look forward to working with NBM PHN on this important trial . The trial gets us one step closer to the full implemen-tation of a comprehensive electronic health record for residents that enables important health information to be immediately accessible by General Practitioners and our hospital staff and health workers .”

Kay Hyman, Chief Executive NBM LHD

Lizz Reay, Chief Executive NBM PHN

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Jo Rappolt, Evaluation and Benefits Manager, eMeds The highlight of your year? My standouts are the momentum the eMeds Program has achieved; being part of the teams supporting three eMeds ‘go lives’ so far and the level of maturity we have reached in monitoring and evaluation for eMeds .

How will you celebrate Christmas? Enjoying relaxed time at home with family and friends .

What’s on your Christmas wish list? A safe, restful and happy holiday season for all .

Your festival-season survival tip? Keep calm and love Christmas!

What are you looking forward to in 2016? Professionally: building on the momentum with more eMeds projects underway . Personally: my elder daughter starting school.

Danielle Johnson, EA to Chief Technology Officer Simon GeraghtyThe highlight of your year? Travelling around Japan and Europe for the first time.

How will you celebrate Christmas? At Freshwater beach with family, indulging in pavlova and restraining our mini dachshund Lulu from traumatising strangers .

What’s on your Christmas wish list? The new Microsoft Surface Pro 4 tablet .

Your festival-season survival tip? Save as much Christmas gift shopping as possible until the Boxing Day sales.

What are you looking forward to in 2016? Working on my personal and professional development – through training or postgraduate studies, and visiting the motherland (the Philippines) .

Fiona Pugh, Resource and Marketing Officer, CIAPThe highlight of your year? Welcoming my baby niece to the world in February.

How will you celebrate Christmas? With my family up the coast at the beach . We keep it low-key and casual .

What’s on your Christmas wish list? Mostly books – crime novels, mindfulness guides, a couple of biographies and a few cookbooks .

Your festival-season survival tip? Take a couple of minutes out each day

for some quiet . Being still and centred helps you get through the hustle and bustle of the season .

What are you looking forward to in 2016? Travel – hopefully both interstate and international .

Kelvin Hourquebie, HealtheNet Project ManagerThe highlight of your year? The arrival of more chubby little nieces, nephews and babies of friends .

How will you celebrate Christmas? Sweating in Perth with family, including meeting some of the newbies for the first time.

What’s on your Christmas wish list? A yacht with a mooring in the harbour .

Your festival-season survival tip? Spreadsheets!

What are you looking forward to in 2016? From a professional standpoint, getting involved in more Clinical Engagement Forums.

If you’ve got a story or feedback for eHealth News, please contact Karen Fontaine on 8644 2246 or email karen.fontaine@health.nsw.gov.au

Highlights and Celebrations

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