The project, revealed as part of the O’Farrell Government’s first Budget which was handed down today, represents 1 per cent of the Government’s overall $17.3 billion budget for healthcare. However at this stage there are no further details available regarding what the project will involve or how it might be rolled out.
Medication management remains a vexed issue both for the aged care and hospital sectors where staff are often challenged to properly manage dosage control and understand the contra indications that might arise for patients prescribed multiple medications.
IT supplier CSC welcomed the initiative. Lisa Pettigrew, national director for health services, said that: “The $170 million e-health project to improve medication safety will not only save lives, it can save the time of busy clinicians and potentially reduce expenditure in future budgets by providing modern, efficient and safe healthcare management programs".
Ms Pettigrew also said that she hoped the Government’s $4.7 billion capital works programme which will fund hospital upgrades over the next four years would also incorporate telehealth and e-health technologies.
In a budget that is heavy on adding front line staff – nurses, teachers and policemen – technology has taken something of a back seat. But in education $23 million has been allocated to fund the installation of 4,300 interactive whiteboards in government schools.
The budget has also earmarked $184 million to redevelop the state’s Spatial Information Exchange which will digitise records held by the Government and provide a comprehensive property addressing system.
A further $35 million has been allocated for police IT, including $12.3 million to upgrade the Computerised Operating Police System (COPS) and $9.2 million for a technology refresh.
Emergency services have also secured some technology funding, including $16.6 million to upgrade the Rural Fire Service’s private mobile radio network; $8.9 million for enhanced technology applications and equipment for the State Emergency Service; and $4.5 million for an upgrade of Fire and Rescue NSW’s electronic management platforms.
---
Autor(en)/Author(s): Beverley Head
Quelle/Source: iTWire, 06.09.2011
Bitte besuchen Sie/Please visit:
