Welcome to the latest edition of eHealth NSW News. I am delighted to share with you the latest updates on our innovative programs and initiatives that are shaping the future of healthcare in NSW.
The next 12 to 24 months represent an exciting time of transformation and growth for the NSW public health system as the ground-breaking Single Digital Patient Record (SDPR) program progresses. Contract negotiations are currently being finalised, while planning and information gathering lays the foundations for its statewide roll out. We are happy to share the latest update on SDPR and how it is set to provide a holistic, integrated and real-time view of every patient in the NSW Health system.
Advancing NSW Health’s Virtual Care Strategy, a pilot will soon be underway in Western NSW and Southern NSW local health districts (LHDs) to explore the benefits of Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) for patients with diabetes. We are proud to be working closely with these LHDs and the Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI) to help to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions and empower patients to be more active in managing their health.
It’s also exciting to have a state-of-the-art cardiac monitor/defibrillator device being piloted in NSW Ambulance vehicles at Ulladulla and Wollongong stations. The Clinical Device and Notification Platform (CDNP) project is supporting effective two-way communication between paramedics and specialists in hospitals, enabling prompt and targeted interventions that save lives.
We are proud to be celebrating the one-year anniversary of SafeScript NSW – a program that has been instrumental in providing prescribers and pharmacists with a tool to monitor and dispense controlled medicines safely. eHealth NSW’s focus now turns to developing an authority management system, which is integral to good governance of controlled medicines.
MedSync is another game-changer for clinicians featured in this edition. It is allowing seamless, secure sharing of medical images which fosters collaboration, enhances diagnostic capabilities and supports better patient outcomes.
The Radiology Information Systems and Picture Archiving and Communications System (RIS-PACS) is getting fantastic feedback from clinicians around the state. In this edition you can discover how it’s leading to faster medical imaging access and diagnosis and improved patient care. It’s also pleasing to see how voice recognition software is simplifying the documentation process for clinicians across the state – enabling accurate and fast speech-to-text conversion, reducing administrative burdens and allowing more time for patient care.
Delivering an exceptional patient experience is the driving force behind our programs and solutions at eHealth NSW. It’s therefore great to see the Health Outcomes and Patient Experience (HOPE) platform is now more accessible for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients and carers, supporting the delivery of more inclusive care.
eHealth NSW was thrilled to host its own virtual event for Human Experience Week in May and reflect on how our work impacts the human experience of staff, patients, carers and families across the state. Thanks to Brigitte and Simon for sharing your incredible stories and valuable insights as consumers.
eHealth NSW is collaborating with Health Protection NSW on a new program that will improve infectious disease response and management across our state’s Public Health Units. Find out how the Signal program will enhance our pandemic preparedness.
It’s wonderful to now be able to allow NSW parents and carers to provide online consent for their child to receive routine vaccinations at school, thanks to the Consent and Records Management for Immunisation (CARMI) program.
Meanwhile, parents are also set to benefit from the digitisation of the ‘Blue Book’. We know how important the first 2000 days of life are for a child’s physical, cognitive, social and emotional health. The NSW Digital Baby Book will help give children the best start in life, as families and clinicians gain better access and control of children’s health information.
A new digital supply chain system is transforming our procurement processes across the state. Read more about SmartChain and the Traceability pilot being undertaken in partnership with HealthShare NSW to simplify and digitise the source-to-pay process.
Finally, cloud migration continues to unlock new possibilities for our NSW Health systems and applications – giving us greater speed and reliability, improved data security and paving the way for a more agile and connected healthcare system.
I invite you to explore this edition of our eHealth NSW News and delve deeper into these remarkable programs to learn how they are making a positive impact on our health system.
Well done to our eHealth NSW staff who have had a busy first half of the year accelerating these programs.
Thank you to our colleagues across the NSW Health network including LHDs, specialty health networks (SHNs), statewide services, pillars and the Ministry of Health, as well as our NSW Government and ICT industry partners for your continued support and collaboration.
Together we are transforming the delivery of care, improving patient experiences and building a stronger health system for the people of NSW.
Best wishes,
Dr Zoran Bolevich
Chief Executive, eHealth NSW
Chief Information Officer, NSW Health
The CE message above is included in our eHealth NSW July 2023 newsletter.
Download the July 2023 newsletter
