Information Management
General Practice Computing Group Resources
The GPCG has developed these Security Guidelines for use in General Practice, including a simple Computer Security Check-list for implementation. The guidelines will assist practices in maintaining the security and privacy of electronic patient and practice records which is critical for both health record systems and the operation of a general practice. Free and dowmloadable resources on www.gpcg.org.au include:
IM Resources North East Valley Division of General Practice - Template Downloads - Cheatsheets
North East Valley Division of General Practice - http://www.nevdgp.org.au/?content=8 website offers a variety of useful resources, including Medical Director and Best Practice templates, cheatsheets, MD Training books for sale and links to IM-related sites.
Practice Incentive Program - PIP - IT & IM
The Program comprises the following elements, and practices may qualify for any or all of these:
- Information Management/Information Technology (including using prescribing software to generate prescriptions, and electronically sending and/or receiving clinical information)
- after hours (payments for ensuring patients have access to out of hours visits, 24-hour care, and greater payments for greater participation in that care)
- teaching of medical students
- participation in National Prescribing Service (NPS) quality use of medicines program
- care for patients with diabetes, moderate to severe asthma, cervical screening or mental health
- support for practice nurses
- procedural GPs (payments for GPs providing procedural, surgical and/or anaesthetic and/or obstetric services)
- rurality (location outside of metropolitan areas, with higher loadings for areas of greater remoteness).
For further details about the Practice Incentive Program click here to go Medicare Australia's website.
Practice Incentive Payments - IT & IM
Changes to the PIP IM/IT Incentive in November 2006.
http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/providers/incentives_allowances/pip/new_incentives/im_it.htm
The new arrangements apply from November 2006 and aim to encourage practices to implement more secure IT practice systems and electronic patient health records to facilitate efficient and widespread information transfer and storage. Accurate and complete medical documentation is essential for supporting good clinical care and ensuring good communication between health providers, allowing them to respond quickly to patient needs to benefit both consumers and providers.
The PIP is designed to encourage change that supports quality care, and reward general practices which are implementing such strategies. The revised PIP IM/IT arrangements, developed and agreed in close consultation with the general practice profession, aim to encourage and reward general practices to take the next step towards enhanced use of electronic patient records.
To enable practices to organise their systems to meet the new requirements, the changes will not be implemented until November 2006. In the meantime, eligible practices will continue to receive IM/IT incentive payments under the existing arrangements.
From November 2006, there will be two levels of activity recognised under the PIP IM/IT Incentive, Basic and Enhanced.
- Tier 1 - Basic
The practice maintains electronic patient records, which include clinical data on allergies/sensitivities for the majority of active patients. In addition, the practice implements appropriate information security measures (e.g. virus protection, firewall, backup and recovery, access control and practice procedures/processes to support/maintain appropriate information security). The practice also uses appropriate security (e.g. encryption systems) when patient information and/or clinical data are transferred electronically.
- Tier 2 - Enhanced
The practice qualifies for Tier 1 and uses electronic patient records to record and store clinical information on patients, including current and past major diagnoses and current medications for the majority of active patients.
- Payments
Payments will be made to PIP practices on a quarterly basis with other PIP practice payments. Practices which do not meet either of these tiers will not receive PIP IM/IT payments from November 2006. Payments for the new IM/IT tiers will be:
- Tier 1: $4 per SWPE per annum
- Tier 2: $3 per SWPE per annum
- Further information and resources go to The Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing website on http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/providers/incentives_allowances/pip/new_incentives/im_it.htm
Broadband for Health Initiative
Broadband can support activities such as: clinical messaging; Online claiming; online banking; clinical decision support; e-ordering/requests; secure email; HealthConnect electronic health records; online knowledge bases and secure online government transactions.
Funded by the Australian Government Depratment of Health and Ageing the Broadband for Health Programme including information on current providers, incentive levels and services:
Contact:
Postal Address:
Health Insurance Commission
Broadband for Health Programme
PO Box 1001
Tuggeranong DC ACT 2901
For further support or assistance contact:
NSW - Alberto Tinazzi:
email : albertotinazzi@answd.com.au
Phone: 02 92392900
Free Resource for Practices - Information Security Management-Implementation Guide for the Health Sector
Free to download from the Standard Australia's website. This guideline provides health service providers with specific best-practice strategies to secure health related information. To download the guideline visit http://www.standards.com.au/catalogue/script/search.asp and type HB 174-2003 in the search box. In order to download the guideline you will have to register and go through an online purchasing process but you will not be asked to pay anything or to provide any credit card information. The guideline is a very comprehensive document including information on:
- risk analysis and business continuity
- worked examples of security situations
- example of a confidentiality agreement
- checklist for outsourcing contracts, secure disposal methods,need for PKI etc.
PKI or Public Key Infrastructure
PKI is a secure method of transmitting business information over the Internet and is an enabler for an increasing number of health-related applications. Health eSignature Authority (HeSA) acts as a Registration Authority for the provision of digital keys and certificates within the Australian healthcare sector.
PKI Website Links:
PKI Contact Numbers:
- PKI Customer Service Centre: 1300 660 035
- TTY: 1800 552 152 (hearing impaired)
- Translating and Interpretation Service: 131 450
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