Transcript: Dr Hambleton, ABC radio 'AM'
Transcript: AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, ABC radio ‘AM’
Wednesday 11 March 2012
Subject: Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR)
ELEANOR HALL: Individual electronic health records are intended to transform patients' interactions with doctors, hospitals and pharmacists.
But the planned national rollout of the system in just a few months time is in jeopardy.
The Federal Government and doctors' groups are at odds over how to pay GPs for creating and managing patients' e-health records, as Barbara Miller reports.
BARBARA MILLER: Personally controlled electronic health records will allow health professionals to instantly access key information about patients.
The Australian Medical Association says their introduction could save lives.
AMA president, Steve Hambleton:
STEVE HAMBLETON: At the moment medication misadventure, where there are medication errors on patients entering hospitals, does lead to poor outcomes. If we can have an accurate, up-to-date, medication summary we'll save lives.
BARBARA MILLER: But the AMA says the scheme is in danger of never getting off the ground.
STEVE HAMBLETON: The Government has made it clear that they've not created any items for doctors' time and work with patients. They've not allocated any funding in the Medicare schedule to cover this new clinical service.
We've got to remember that it's opt-in for doctors, opt-in for practices and opt-in for patients. So there needs to be drivers to make it work.
BARBARA MILLER: The Federal Government says doctors can bill for longer consultations with patients with complex medical histories but says there's no need for them to be paid an extra fee specifically for managing electronic health records.
Health Minister Tanya Plibersek:
TANYA PLIBERSEK: The idea that they would during a longer consultation be paid extra for recording that information in a computer program that many of them are already using is probably not the best use of extra health funds.
BARBARA MILLER: You must be concerned though that a peak medical body is suggesting that GPs won't be willing to engage with this system because of concerns that they won't be sufficiently compensated.
TANYA PLIBERSEK: Look I think it's important for any union to stick up for its members.
I think what GPs on the ground will find is that many of them are using software at the moment that will simply be upgraded to include an integration with the personally controlled e-health record summary and their work will not change dramatically.
BARBARA MILLER: Cost is not the only point of contention over e-health records.
Steve Hambleton:
STEVE HAMBLETON: We've said to the Government, keep it simple. What we've found though is complexities at every stand. Even the registration proposals for practices are full of red tape and really are full of outrageous conditions.
BARBARA MILLER: The Government says it's still confident the personally controlled electronic health record system will start to roll out this July.
ELEANOR HALL: Barbara Miller.
11 April 2012
CONTACT: John Flannery 02 6270 5477 / 0419 494 761
Kirsty Waterford 02 6270 5464 / 0427 209 753
