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ehealth

The Medical Local supports healthcare providers to improve their business processes, connectivity and systems integration to facilitate sharing of patient information electronically which, ultimately, will improve patient health outcomes. 

Building e-health capacity

The Medicare Local’s eHealth Services works alongside our Provider Services team and with local health practitioners and hospitals on a range of initiatives aimed at building e-health capacity across the region. These initiatives include:

  • secure electronic messaging
  • hospital eReferral and eDischarge systems
  • telehealth
  • supporting general practice to improve data quality and electronic health records.

For more information, see also Provider Support.

Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record 

In August 2010, the former division of general practice, GPpartners Ltd, was recognised for its expertise in and dedication to change management and supporting local general practices to expand their e-health capabilities. This resulted in the division's selection as one of three eHealth lead implementation sites for the Wave 1 of the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR) project. Since 1 July, the Medicare Local as continued this work after the transfer of all programs and services from the division.

The PCEHR project focuses on implementing components of the eheath system that will support sharing of health information electronically across different parts of the Australian health sector. As one of the three chosen sites, healthcare providers in Medicare Locals catchment will be the first in Australia to align with and benefit from national eHealth advances.

Our local PCEHR

We are developing and testing standards and essential elements of the proposed National eHealth system. Our local PCEHR will help general practice and other health professionals get ready by building their capacity to share information electronically across different parts of our health system and to ensure that the right health information is available to the right person, at the right place, at the right time

Our project focuses on implementing components of the eheath system that will support sharing of health information electronically across different parts of the Australian health sector. As one of the three chosen sites, healthcare providers in the Medicare Local's catchment will be among the first in Australia to align with and benefit from national eHealth advances.

As an initial component of the project, the Medicare Local will help local general practices to implement Healthcare Identifiers, which are fundamental building blocks of a national ehealth system that will improve the flow of information between healthcare providers.

Healthcare Identifiers are simply a 16 digit number allocated healthcare consumers (patients), healthcare providers and healthcare organisations. These identifiers will ensure individual's health information can be accurately matched and shared securely.

A Healthcare Identifier is not a health record and is limited to demographic information only such as a name and date of birth. Healthcare Identifiers do not replace Medicare or DVA numbers and do not affect Medicare claims. Medicare Australia is the operator of the Healthcare Identifier Service.

There are three types of Healthcare Identifiers:

  • Healthcare Provider Identifier – Individual (HPI-I) allocated to healthcare providers involved in providing patient care.
  • Healthcare Provider Identifier – Organisation (HPI-O) allocated to organisations (such as a hospital or medical clinic) where healthcare is provided.
  • Individual Healthcare Identifier (IHI) allocated to all individuals enrolled in the Medicare program or those who are issued with a Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) treatment card and others who seek healthcare in Australia.

Our eHealth team are supporting general practices and other healthcare providers who are participating in the local project through their ehealth journey, including assisting with with obtaining Healthcare Identifiers. For more info, contact us.

PCEHR info and news

Last updated: Sept 2011