AGPN eHealth Program

Background

While Australia’s healthcare system delivers some of the world’s best health outcomes, growing pressures on the system means that change is required in the way health care is delivered in order to sustain these outcomes. This change requires a fundamental shift in the way information is accessed and shared across the health system; a shift towards an environment where health care consumers, carers and providers can safely and reliably access and share health information. This can only be achieved through the implementation of world class eHealth capability1 .

The successful implementation of this world class eHelath capability will require a considerable 'change and adoption' program, particularly across general practice and the broader primary health care sector. The General Practice Network has a strong history of implementing eHealth solutions and driving eHealth uptake within primary care.

The eHealth Support Officers Program builds on this experience in order to facilitate the successful implementaion of national eHealth solutions such as the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record.


eHealth Support Officers Program

The Australian General Practice Network (AGPN) has been contracted by the Department of Health and Ageing to deliver the eHealth Support Officers Program. The aim of the eHealth Support Officers Program is to support the national eHealth agenda and the adoption by the primary care sector of eHealth solutions through ‘change and adoption’ activities.

The program funds a number of eHealth Support Officer (eHSO) positions across AGPN and the State Based Organisations. A listing of the officers is included under eHealth Program Contacts.

Objectives

The objectives of the AGPN eHealth Support officer Program (eHSOP) are to:

  • Support the eHealth agenda nationally by undertaking activities to promote the ‘Change and Adoption’ workstream described in the National E-Health Strategy (2008).
  • Provide support and education to General Practice Networks to allow them to support the Primary Healthcare sector to adopt and continue to use eHealth systems and services as they become available.
  • Promote national change and adoption by providing appropriate resources and increasing knowledge and understanding of the eHealth environment among general practice, allied healthcare providers and providers of specialist care.

 Outcomes

The contract outlines the following anticipated outcomes for the program:

  • Improve capacity in the primary care sector to use and adopt available eHealth systems and services in accordance with the National E-Health Strategy.
  • Improve communication between healthcare providers and service delivery facilities.
  • Increase eHealth literacy and IM capacity across the Network through the provision of education to GPN staff.
  • Increase the integration of IM, eHealth and data governance principles into the delivery of core GPN services and programs.
  • Promote the benefits of eHealth through the continual identification and dissemination of information, resources, and lessons learned.
  • Provide reliable and nationally consistent data on the capacity and use of eHealth systems and services via engagement with General Practice Networks.
  • National-level advocacy and facilitation of communication between key stakeholders.
  • Improve the consistency of eHealth messages delivered through the Network nationally.
  • Improve the quality and management of data nation-wide by developing and maintaining a national methodology and framework.

 

1 http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/summary_e-health_strategy_toc~summary_e-health_strategy,_chapter 1

 

Updated: 25 February 2011