Digital health Archives | Page 5 of 9 | South Western Sydney PHN

19 September 2023

World Heart Day, marked each year on 29 September, aims to raise awareness about cardiovascular health and promote heart-healthy habits.

In recent years, digital health initiatives have made significant strides in the field of cardiology, especially in the identification and care of heart disease.

Two groundbreaking advancements in this area are the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in heart disease identification and the use of wearable devices for remote monitoring.

These innovations have the potential to transform the way we care for heart patients, offering more accurate diagnoses and personalised treatments while enhancing patients’ quality of life.

AI in heart disease identification

Artificial Intelligence, particularly machine learning algorithms, has emerged as a game-changer in the early detection and diagnosis of heart diseases.

Here’s how AI is making a difference:

Risk assessment: AI can analyse a patient’s medical history, lifestyle factors, and genetic predispositions to assess their risk of developing heart diseases. By identifying high-risk individuals, healthcare providers can implement preventive measures and lifestyle changes early on.
Faster and accurate diagnosis: AI can analyse medical images such as echocardiograms, CT scans and MRIs more quickly and accurately than human experts. This speed and precision are critical in cases of acute conditions like heart attacks.
Predictive analytics: Machine learning models can predict heart disease progression based on real-time patient data. This information allows healthcare professionals to customise treatment plans and interventions, thereby improving patient outcomes.

Wearable devices for remote monitoring

Wearable devices, such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, have become increasingly sophisticated and are now in use for the remote monitoring of heart patients.

Here’s how they are aiding in cardiac care:

Continuous monitoring: Wearables can track a range of vital signs, including heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen levels, in real-time. This constant monitoring ensures any anomalies are detected promptly.
EKG and rhythm analysis: Some advanced wearables offer EKG (electrocardiogram) capabilities, enabling users to record their heart’s electrical activity. This data can be shared with healthcare providers for a more accurate diagnosis of arrhythmias and other heart rhythm disorders.
Activity and lifestyle tracking: Wearables provide insights into a patient’s daily activities, sleep patterns and exercise routines. Healthcare providers can use this information to recommend lifestyle changes tailored to the individual patient’s needs.
Medication reminders: Many wearable apps include medication reminder features, helping patients adhere to their prescribed treatment plans.
Emergency alerts: In the event of a sudden cardiac event, some wearables can automatically send alerts to designated emergency contacts or healthcare providers, potentially saving lives.

Challenges and future prospects

While AI in heart disease identification and wearable devices for remote monitoring offer immense potential, they also come with challenges.

Ensuring data privacy and security, addressing healthcare disparities in access to these technologies, and maintaining the accuracy of AI models are among the key concerns.

On World Heart Day, we celebrate the remarkable progress made in cardiac care through digital health initiatives.

AI’s role in heart disease identification and the use of wearable devices for remote monitoring have revolutionised the field, offering earlier detection, personalised care and improved patient outcomes.

As technology continues to advance, the future of cardiac care holds great promise for millions of heart patients worldwide, promoting healthier hearts and longer lives.

Create your poster for World Heart Day.

12 September 2023

Are you a GP, practice nurse or healthcare professional eager to integrate telehealth into your workflow and engage with residential aged care homes (RACHs) more effectively?

SWSPHN is providing an opportunity for you to learn alongside your RACH partners via a webinar.

Webinar highlights:

Empower your practice: Discover how telehealth can enhance your practice’s outreach and impact, especially in the context of RACHs
Healthdirect unveiled: Gain insights into the user-friendly healthdirect platform, your gateway to efficient telehealth consultations
Interactive Q&A: Get answers to your specific questions and concerns during our interactive Q&A session

Dates:

Thursday, 21 September at 1pm. Register here

Friday, 22 September at 12.30pm. Register here

Information about My Medicare

The MyMedicare General Practice in Aged Care Incentive is a catalyst for a more robust and accessible aged care system, where telehealth plays a pivotal role in ensuring the wellbeing of our elderly population.

My Medicare practices will have access to longer telehealth items (Levels C, D and E) linked to MyMedicare for children under 16, pensioners and concession card holders.

Find out more about My Medicare

Register for next RACGP MyMedicare session

Register for the next in a series of three webinars about MyMedicare, delivered by the RACGP in partnership with the NSW/ACT PHNs.

The webinar will be held on Monday, 18 September, from 7pm to 8.30pm.

In the next webinar, you can expect a ‘deeper dive’ into the initiative, together with responses to some of the many questions asked at the first session.

Speakers will include:

Mr Simon Cotterell, First Assistant Secretary, Department of Health and Aged Care
Dr Walid Jammal, General Practitioner, and member of the former Strengthening Medicare Taskforce

28 August 2023

SWSPHN encourages GPs to use the secure Video Call solution of healthdirect Australia, the national virtual public health information service, for their regular telehealth conferences.

The COVID-19 pandemic shone a spotlight on telehealth as a practical and accessible way to deliver healthcare services when distance, mobility and other reasons prevented face-to-face consultations.

The Medical Board of Australia recently issued revised telehealth guidelines, which will take effect on Friday, 1 September. It emphasised: “telehealth consultations will continue as an important feature of healthcare in Australia”.

Telehealth has now been integrated into the services of many general practices across South Western Sydney and SWSPHN has rolled out telehealth equipment, including a laptop, webcam and speaker, to residential aged care homes (RACHs) across the region.

More than 90 per cent of eligible RACHs have taken up the offer of telehealth equipment, ensuring virtual healthcare will be available to residents. Healthdirect telehealth training has been provided to RACHs as the kits are rolled out. Read last week’s story

Healthdirect’s Video Call Resource Centre is purpose-built for health consultations, the video call itself is free for eligible health services and their staff and, most importantly, it is encrypted for security.

More information about Healthdirect video calls and training tutorials are available at: Healthdirect Australia Support

17 August 2023

More than 90 per cent of eligible residential aged care homes (RACHs) in South Western Sydney have accepted an offer of telehealth equipment from SWSPHN.

Our RACH Digital Health Project has been designed to upskill the aged care sector in South Western Sydney in digital health technology and access.

RACHs in the local area have been offered telehealth equipment valued at $9,000. This includes two telehealth kits comprising a medical cart, laptop, webcam/speaker and keyboard and mouse.

The RACH Project was a response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (2020), which highlighted a lack of access to technology, skills and overall low digital maturity of the aged care sector.

Our goal is to improve residents’ access to virtual healthcare services, enhance their experiences, improve support for staff and set new standards of excellence in aged care services.

Most RACHs have taken delivery of the equipment already and more than half have attended the first round of training. The training will ensure the meaningful use of virtual care can be built into their workflow.

We are also helping RACHs register and use the My Health Record to exchange information between themselves, the hospital and GPs.

With expanded reach, GPs can touch the lives of countless elderly individuals, fostering better health outcomes for our aging population.

One facility manager said: “It’s appreciated that we are being supported in this way. This technology is so important to have available for the best possible care for our residents’’.

Another added: “We believe the package will help improve future telehealth quality and enhance the nursing care experience for our residents’’.

With expanded reach through telehealth, GPs can touch the lives of countless elderly individuals, fostering better health outcomes for our ageing population.

The collaborative nature of telehealth consultations empowers GPs to:

Connect with allied health professionals and specialists, ensuring comprehensive assessments and holistic treatment plans for aged care patients
Extend their expertise and support to seniors, including those living in high-risk environments like RACHs, providing them with necessary medical attention and guidance remotely

Telehealth also provides a private platform for the aged to seek therapy and counselling without travel or exposure to public spaces, promoting emotional well-being and early intervention.

Above: SWSPHN Digital Health team Catherine Worsley and David Hoang with the equipment at Uniting Bernard Austin Lodge Liverpool. Top: Margaret Rose (in red) and Lin Yan from Uniting Bernard Austin Lodge Liverpool.

15 August 2023

For users of Consultmed, a new integration app has been released for your practice management software (Best Practice or MedicalDirector) allowing you to import patient details and clinical information into the Consultmed referral system with the click of a button.

This secure connection is enabled by a SMART-on-FHIR app which is installed on your computer.

You can download the app by:

1) Login to your Consultmed account

2) Select the ‘Settings’ icon at the top right of the dashboard

3) Select ‘Integrations’

4) Read the information and download the app

After downloading the app, you will find it in your ‘Downloads’ folder.

Double click on the Setup file and allow installation of the app. Once installed, find the Consultmed app and double click on it to start the process of authentication and consent to import data from your practice management software (PMS) only when sending a referral.

The Consultmed app will launch every time you open your PMS.

When you have a patient encounter open, simply click on the Consultmed widget, and it will securely open your Consultmed account and referral form. Key demographic and clinical details will be automatically imported into the referral form, saving you a lot of time writing the referral letter.

If you require any assistance email support@consultmed.co

15 August 2023

General practices are leading the way in healthcare by embracing digital health solutions.

One such solution is the creation of Shared Health Summaries for patients in My Health Record.

By incorporating this practice into your workflow, you can contribute to a patient-centric health system, encourage shared care teams, and provide a more positive experience for your patients.

The following article will guide you through practical steps on how to identify patients who would benefit from a Shared Health Summary and seamlessly integrate this process into your everyday practice.

Step 1: Identifying patients with chronic diseases:

Chronic diseases such as the following which require ongoing management and coordinated care are recommended to have a Shared Health Summary uploaded to their My Health Record.

Alcohol and other Drugs (AoD)
Cancer
Cardiovascular disease
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
Dementia/Alzheimer’s
Diabetes
Disability
Mental health
Musculoskeletal conditions
Oral Diseases
Respiratory conditions

Focus on your current patient database to identify individuals with these conditions who would benefit from a Shared Health Summary. This can be done during routine consultations, care plan reviews, or chronic disease management assessments.

Step 2: Assessing the benefits:

For each identified patient, evaluate the potential benefits of creating a Shared Health Summary.

Consider factors such as the complexity of their condition(s), involvement of multiple healthcare providers and the potential impact on continuity of care.

Engage in discussions with the patient to explain the benefits of securely sharing updated information with other members of their care team through creating a Shared Health Summary.

Step 3: Collecting and organising information:

Leverage your practice management software to streamline the process by utilising the functionalities of the My Health Record tab to document the Shared Health Summary.

When creating a Shared Health Summary, gather relevant clinical information such as medical history, current diagnoses, medications, allergies, and recent test results.

Step 4: Documenting the Shared Health Summary:

Ensure the summary is easily understandable by utilising plain language and standardised medical terminologies. Remember to update and maintain the Shared Health Summary as necessary to reflect changes in the patient’s health status.

Step 5: Integrating the workflow:

To seamlessly incorporate Shared Health Summaries into your workflow, consider the following suggestions:

Make time in your appointments specifically for creating and updating Shared Health Summaries.
Explore integration options between your electronic health record system and My Health Record for streamlined data transfer.
Develop checklists to identify patients who have conditions which would benefit from creating a Shared Health Summary.
Inform shared care teams and other healthcare providers you have created a Shared Health Summary in My Health Record for them to facilitate the exchange of information and collaboration.

Conclusion:

By following these practical steps, you can successfully implement the creation of Shared Health Summaries for your patients in My Health Record.

Identifying patients with chronic diseases, assessing their needs, collecting relevant information, documenting comprehensive summaries, and integrating this process into your workflow will enable you to provide a patient-centric care approach, foster collaboration among shared care teams, and improve the overall healthcare experience for your patients.

Resources:

How to upload a Shared Health Summary to My Health Record using Best Practice.
Watch on YouTube
How to upload a Shared Health Summary to My Health Record using MedicalDirector.
Watch on YouTube
How patients can access their medical records in the MyHealth app.
Watch on YouTube

Reach out to the Digital Health team via email at DigitalHealth@swsphn.com.au for assistance in getting started.

Together, let’s create a more connected and efficient healthcare system.

14 August 2023

SafeScript NSW, the state’s real time prescription monitoring (RPTM) system, has undergone a range of enhancements aimed at improving the overall user experience.

The enhancements include:

Interstate practitioner access to SafeScript NSW

Interstate practitioners, or practitioners whose primary place of practice is recorded in Ahpra as outside of NSW, are now eligible to access SafeScript NSW if treating a patient who lives in NSW or who receives treatment from NSW practitioners.

To find out more about this and learn how you can register, explore the following resources:

Note: Access to information that relates to prescribing or dispensing in another state or territory should continue to occur via the state’s RTPM system. For state-specific information, please review the following sites:

For further information regarding the Commonwealth Privacy requirements, see the RTPM NDE – Privacy Impact Assessment Public Summary. 

Logging in and access

Health practitioners can now retrieve forgotten login details without having to contact the technical support team.
The Terms of Use and Access document has been updated to support interstate access.

A reminder that NSW Health staff can link their StaffLink ID to their SafeScript NSW account to streamline the log in process.

Other enhancements

Patient search functionality is more intuitive, including clearer messaging about the minimum criteria required to search for a patient and the ability to open a patient record in a new tab.
Labels and formats of fields have been updated for clarity and ease of use, such as the date of birth field.
A banner has been added to the front page of the SafeScript NSW portal to provide timely updates to health practitioners about the system.
Links to further guidance on requirements to hold an authority have been added.
Links to further information and guidance on what to do in response to a specific alert have been added to the alert message in the system.

If you have any feedback or suggestions on how to improve the SafeScript NSW system, please email safescript@health.nsw.gov.au. 

07 August 2023

An innovative program is helping GPs in South Western Sydney deliver enhanced care to patients and subsequently better health outcomes.

Lumos is a partnership between the NSW Ministry of Health (MoH) and SWSPHN to assist practices to gain a stronger understanding – through data – of a patient’s journey across the health system.

The Federal Government funds the Lumos program through the Health Innovation Fund.

Lumos securely links data, which has undergone an independent privacy impact assessment, in line with best practice, across primary, ambulatory and acute care.

Once consent has been received from practices to allow de-identified clinical data to be extracted about their patients, Lumos links that data with other health service data to provide a more comprehensive view of patient pathways.

This can help GPs identify opportunities for a more targeted response to their patients’ health needs.

Lumos can:

Generate insights into patient journeys across the healthcare system
Identify current and emerging population health issues
Improve patient experience and quality of care
Inform data-driven quality improvement and system redesign responses

Some practices using Lumos data have been able to deliver specific targeted services to meet patient needs, including matching their opening hours with types of care, improving triage processes, and increased testing for chronic diseases relevant to their patients.

There are two ways of using Lumos: through practice-specific reports and through the Secure Analytics Primary Health Environment (SAPHE).

SAPHE allows access to the de-identified data asset for approved PHN, local health district and Ministry of Health employees.

Lumos data is available for approved users for the planning, monitoring, funding and evaluation of health services. It is not currently available for research purposes.

For SWSPHN general practices, Lumos reports are generated by linking the data from various sources in partnership with the Centre for Health Record Linkage (CheReL). Detailed reports are issued every six months and distributed to the participating general practices for tracking and improving care.

Lumos reports can answer:

How often do my patients go to hospital?
For patients of your practice, over an average 24-hour period, when do potentially avoidable Emergency Department (ED) visits occur?
How many of your patients had any combination of ED presentations, admissions to hospital or even death?

These will enable general practices to:

Better understand your patient and practice profile compared to your region
Demonstrate and improve the quality of patient care your practice provides
Support data-driven quality improvement activities and participation in related programs
Create an evidence base to support areas of future investment in primary care
Provide a better understanding of the patient experience with health services
Improve provider experience through greater collaboration

As of September 2022, 607 general practices were participating in the Lumos program, which represents 23.2 per cent of 2,619 practices in NSW (National Health Services Directory September 2022).

The level of participation exceeded the 2023 target of 20 per cent set for the program. Of these practices, 470 contributed data in time for the April 2022 linkage. (Lumos Evaluation Report, 2 October 2022).

Currently, 144 SWSPHN general practices are participating in the Lumos program, the highest across NSW.

SWSPHN Chief Executive Officer, Dr Keith McDonald PhD, said an informed GP was better placed to provide more appropriate health care to their patients. He encouraged GPs to consider participating in the program.

“All that is needed is to sign the data consent form and the Polar data extraction tool installed (most practices will already have this),” he said

“(Lumos) results in a more positive experience, better health outcomes, and reduced cost to the health system.”

Contact our Digital Health team at digitalhealth@swsphn.com.au if you would like more information or would like to participate in Lumos. Alternatively, Practice Support and Health Services Improvement Officers can assist with your Lumos queries or get you registered with the project.

18 July 2023

SafeScript NSW is a real-time prescription monitoring system which provides prescribers and pharmacists with access to a patient’s prescription and dispensing history for high-risk medicines, known as monitored medicines, such as opioids and benzodiazepines.

It aims to support clinical decision making and improve patient safety.

SafeScript NSW assists prescribers and pharmacists to:

review patients’ prescribing and dispensing history for monitored medicines
identify patients who are receiving prescriptions for monitored medicines from multiple prescribers, placing them at increased risk of harm
consider patients’ total daily dose of opioids when making decisions about their care
identify patients who may be taking harmful combinations of monitored medicines

Who can access the system?

All prescribers (medical practitioners and nurse practitioners) and pharmacists who are registered with Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) are able to access SafeScript NSW, once invited to register.

Prescribers and pharmacists can only use information held in SafeScript NSW for the purpose of:

providing treatment to an individual patient by reviewing the monitored medicines prescribed or supplied to the patient
providing advice to a prescriber or a pharmacist on the treatment of an individual patient

Use for other purposes is not permitted.

To get started, prescribers and pharmacists will need to:

register for SafeScript NSW (registration is simple and takes less than 10 minutes to complete)
enable SafeScript NSW in your prescribing or dispensing software (if using integrated clinical software)

Already registered?

To support the rollout of SafeScript NSW, prescribers and pharmacists are invited to:

complete the accredited eLearning modules (NPS MedicineWise sign-in required)
learn about the support available, including a dedicated 24/7 clinical advice line (1800 434 155), technical support
Access local HealthPathways, including:

SafeScript NSW has created new resources to support health practitioners, including a clinician guide and consumer factsheet.

If you have questions, or need assistance registering for SafeScript NSW, please contact SWSPHN’s Digital Health team at DigitalHealth@swsphn.com.au

26 June 2023

GP practices using Best Practice software can now upload advance care planning documents to My Health Record for their patients.

Patients and their carers have been able to upload advance care directives to their own records since 2016, but the new functionality allows their GPs to do the uploading.

Both internally created documents and external PDFs can be uploaded.

This increased functionality will enable more people to have their documented preferences accessible by clinical teams, and their preferences respected, for example, people in an emergency situation or members of a multidisciplinary team needing access to a patient’s end-of-life planning.

The new capability will be available in Best Practice’s next release, Bp Premier Orchid SP1.

PDFs created within Best Practice can be directly uploaded from Bp’s main menu, while externally created PDFs can be uploaded from Bp’s correspondence menu.

Word documents or Rich Text Format (RTF) documents are not able to be uploaded and will have to be converted into a PDF before exporting.