Aged Care Informatics Australia SIG

About the HISA Aged Care Informatics Australia SIG

Background to the SIG
In June 2004 the Board of the Health Informatics Society of Australia (HISA) approved the creation of a new Special Interest Group (SIG) to focus on how informatics can help improve the quality of life and independence of ageing Australians and care of the frail aged.

The new SIG will work within the existing HISA structure to promote the methods and technologies of the information sciences applicable to problem solving and decision-making relevant to care of the frail aged and of Australia's ageing population.

The SIG hosted its first major event, the Aged and Community Care Informatics Conference, in Brisbane, 24-25 August 2004, ACCIC'04. This highly successful event provided 100 delegates an important opportunity to contribute to current debate on a vision for how informatics can improve outcomes for consumers and providers of aged and community care and for shaping government thinking on a care information management.

Feedback from delegates was overwhelming to make this an annual aged care informatics conference. To build upon the initiative of the Tasmanian eHealth Association, which held an aged care IT workshop in May 2004, the SIG has joined forces with the Tas eHealth Association to host a joint event in 2005 and 2006.

SIG Aims and Objectives
The aim of the SIG is to provide a genuine multidisciplinary forum for clinicians, health and aged care providers, software vendors, researchers, policy makers and consumers to identify the methods and benefits of information management and technology applicable to problem solving and decision-making relevant to quality care of the frail aged and of ageing populations in any setting.

"Our immediate task is to develop our vision for how informatics can improve outcomes for consumers and then to support and initiate the debates on how to achieve this vision," says Isobel Frean, SIG Convenor. "We will do this by recruiting members who can contribute towards shaping the vision for an ageing informatics' and by supporting other initiatives in this area."

HISA President, Prof Michael Legg comments "Through the work of this special interest group, HISA is optimistic of informatics, relevant to the health and community care of older persons, will become part of the mainstream of national and international informatics agendas - something at present it is not."

To read more about the planned activities of the SIG download a copy of the SIG's one page plan.

SIG name change
When the SIG was established in 2004 it was named the HISA SIG for Aged and Community Care Informatics. In January 2005 the HISA Board approved a change of name to the HISA SIG for Aged Care and Healthy Ageing. Now known as HISA Aged Care Informatics Australia.

The need for the name change arose from feedback by members and delegates attending the inaugural conference. This feedback suggested that a new name should be adopted that better reflected the SIG's focus on older people (not all of community care) and to avoid confusion with all the many ageing research units out there.

SIG Office Bearers
At the May 2005 AGM, SIG members voted the following office bearers:
Isobel Frean as Convenor , Jeff Soar as Treasurer / Secretary

Isobel Frean
Visiting Fellow
Health Informatics Research Centre
Faculty of Informatics University of Wollongong
Wollongong, Australia
Tel: 0411 823 093
imf29@uow.edu.au

Dr Jeffrey Soar
Faculty of Business
University of Southern Queensland
Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
Tel: 0400 746 657
soar@usq.edu.au

SIG List Serv
HISA is very pleased to offer a list-serv for the specific use of the Aged Care & Healthy Ageing SIG members/community. Special thanks must go to Central Queensland University (CQU) for responding to the need and making available the e-information service.

The purpose of the list-serv is to provide members with a forum for open and frank discussions regarding issues affecting the role of information management and information technology in meeting the needs of older Australians. Listserv etiquette is requested at all times. This is a closed member's list service. Should you wish to unsubscribe please notify HISA.

To post to this list SIG members send your email to: hacci@lists.cqu.edu.au

ITAC 08 - IT in Aged Care

The second Information Technology in Aged Care National Conference ITAC 08 will take place in Melbourne on September 4, 2008.

The conference will focus on IT developments and their impact on aged care service delivery and systems improvement. We welcome managers, operators, CEOs & Directors of Nursing to this unique opportunity to participate in this exciting event.

Visit ITAC 08 website http://www.itac08.com.au/ for more details.

Health Privacy Futures 2008

The Health Informatics Society of Australia (HISA) would like to invite you to the inaugural national conference, Health Privacy Futures - HPF'08, in Brisbane on the 10th and 11th of November.

Health privacy is a key foundation of Australia's transition to a safer and more efficient health system. This conference looks to bring together healthcare providers, consumers and Australia's leading privacy experts, to bring clarity and definition to this critical issue.

To find out more go to the health privacy website at http://www.healthprivacy.org.au/

Notice of HISA 2008 Annual General Meeting

I hereby give notice that the Annual General Meeting of the members of the Health Informatics Society of Australia Ltd. will be held on Monday 1^st September 2008 at the Melbourne Convention Centre, Melbourne, commencing at 5 p.m.

Please refer to the linked documents for full details of the agenda and other associated matters.

Marcus Wise HISA Honorary Secretary 8th August 2008

National E-Health Strategy HISA Members Discussion

On Wednesday July 30, NEHIPC convened a forum to review their latest draft of the National E-Health Strategy being developed by Deloittes. Michael Legg (HISA President) represented HISA at this event. An output of the forum was the agreement to release the slide pack for comment by key stakeholders.

If you are a HISA member you can request a copy of the presentation by clicking here

You will be able to provide feedback on the presentation via a closed email list. This content will be used to develop the response that Michael Legg has been asked to provide.

Contributions that were previously placed on this site will be included in the feedback.

e-Health Issues Forum

HISA is closely associated with eHealth strategy planning in Australia with representation at the major planning and strategy development forums.

HISA members are encouraged to input their views on the important issues that need to be raised at these events. Go to www.hisa.org.au/hisaissues to have your input on what HISA needs to say.

HISA VISION FOR EHEALTH IN AUSTRALIA

HISA has released its vision for Australian eHealth.

The document is entitled "A Vision for an Australian
Healthcare System
Transformed by Health Informatics". It establishes a vision, assesses the current position and provides a start for a national eHealth plan.

The document discusses the strategic alignment of Australian healthcare in this area, together with the accelerators for moving forward and the issues that could restrict our progress. This report represents the contributions from a large and broad group of those involved in healthcare with extensive knowledge of the eHealth domain.

Click here to download a full copy of the report.

Click here to download the executive summary.

Also we would welcome further comment and discussion on this topic, just email Brendan Lovelock at brendan.lovelock@hisa.org.au

AHHA-HISA Position Paper on Information Management

HISA has worked with the Australian Healthcare and Hospital Association (AHHA) to develop a position paper on short to medium term projects in Health Information Management following a request from the Australian Minister's Office.

Michael Legg (HISA President) led the roundtable of over 20 industry and academic experts in eHealth. Michael Legg, David More and Richard Dixon-Hughes used the roundtable contributions to develop the position statement that was delivered by Michael and the team to the Minister's Office and senior Government officers in an AHHA briefing session on Monday 21st April 2008.

Click here to download your copy of this important discussion paper.

HIC'08 Aged Care Workshop

HISA's Aged Care Special Interest Group is holding an extended day long workshop at HIC08. This symposium will present the latest research initiatives in people-centred technologies for empowered ageing and aged-care in Australia and New Zealand.