Since 1990s we have been talking about an emerging new digital era which will see an integrated electronic health records system revolutionise patient care. It is already yesterday's news, the technology is available, yet we are still talking about it - so why isn't there a national e-Health database?
There has been much discussion, but the conversation is often confusing. It appears there are still gaps in the solutions, or the questions being asked are inadequate, incomplete or misdirected. We want to figure out what is the e-health debate really all about:
- If the technology already exists, why aren't we using it?
- Fears persist that the introduction of electronic health records threatens privacy, why?
- What should the healthcare sector learn from other industries which are functioning successfully online?
- Would the collection and maintenance of an e-health system place an unnecessary burden upon healthcare workers?
- Are the State and Federal governments capable of sufficient cooperation to coordinate a National e-health system?
- Who will have to lead the e-health revolution - government or business?
- Which patients could benefit the most?
- If you were in a critical medical condition and unable to speak for yourself, would you want the hospital to be able to access to your health records before treating you?
Maybe the e-health revolution has failed to happen because the issue is so big and complicated that it becomes overwhelming. So let's begin by discussing the small stuff and hearing some stories about how e-health works, or doesn't work, in practice. We want to hear about your experiences as providers and users across all aspects of the healthcare system.
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