Health Minister Peter Dutton and his Human Services counterpart Marise Payne are effectively shooting Canberra’s IT strategy in the foot before it has even begun walking.
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This is now a possibility for Port Stephens residents thanks to Telehealth technology.
Residents travelling to Newcastle to meet with doctors and specialists will now be able to attend appointments from the comfort of their home, aged care service or doctor's office.
Read more: AU: New South Wales: Medical appointments go online
According to the Department, myGov linked people directly to a range of Government services using a single username and password.
This made it even easier for people to lodge their income tax returns online.
The four-year trial funded by the Department of Social Services involves eight Medicare locals and aged care provider Feros Care.
The pilot will evaluate the possible inclusion of new telehealth items on the MBS as well assess the clinical appropriateness and impact of videoconferencing to deliver GP services in aged care.
Donna Barton, a registered nurse working as a health informatics manager with a Sydney-based aged care provider, has recently attained the Certified Health Informatician Australasia (CHIA), which was co-developed by Australia’s health informatics bodies HISA, ACHI and HIMAA.