Sep

28

ADHA Seeks to Overhaul Health Services Infrastructure

The Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) has turned to the market for help with shaping the future of its underlying national infrastructure for all of the services under its care.

According to the ADHA, the future could include the likes of “bots” and robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, big data and analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, and mobile applications to “facilitate access, data collection, management, and utilisation of data”.

Where big data and analytics are concerned, the operator of My Health Record system said it is keen to explore the use of high performance analytic systems that are capable of collecting, organising, and analysing large sets of data, in both structured and unstructured form from multiple sources with the aim of discovering patterns and trends to improve social health.

For IoT, the agency wants to exploit the network of intelligent physical devices that enable the exchange of data.

Cloud is also on its radar, through use of open architecture technology models and computing to support system interoperability, scalability, analytics, and innovation.

The ADHA highlights, however, that it has no defined structures or requirements for the future and that it does not have a clear view on what infrastructure may look like yet. As a result, it said it is seeking to understand what is seen as: 

  • how to cater for future expansion, scalability, and emerging technology areas; 
  • technology focus areas; 
  • capabilities that might be required in the future; 
  • and considerations that may influence further development of products such as its My Health Record.

The Department of Health, meanwhile, is responsible for the policy direction and legislation that supports the operation of the My Health Record system, including decisions on the use of the system; while the Department of Human Services (DHS) delivers My Health Record system functions, including IT infrastructure and provider registration and registration enquiry services.

Separately, the ADHA has a contract with Accenture Australia for the delivery of certain services that support the operation of components of the National Infrastructure.

Accenture is responsible for the My Health Record National Consumer Portal, National Provider Portal, and Admin portals. The sub-components include the children in care and portals as a product, ADHA said.

Other vendors currently contracted by the agency are: Adobe Systems, Converging Data, Oracle Australia, NTT COM ICT Solutions Australia, Datacom Systems, Chamonix IT Management Consulting, PWC, and Thinkplace Australia.

 

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