Foundation for E-health Services and Their Social Benefits in Australia - Essay Example

Abstract This paper aims to discuss the various benefits brought about by proving healthcare online, the health challenges in Australia and proposed solutions to those challenges. The national Broadcast network, a high speed broadband network, has contributed greatly to various sectors within Australia. One of these contributions is towards the health professionals and patient care within Australia through telehealth and telemedicine. There are also obstacles that can be addressed in order to enhance the health care system in remote areas. Solutions to overcoming such obstacles will be discussed in the last section of the paper. Introduction The National Broadband Network (or NBN) is a government owned company aimed at providing high speed affordable broadband connections to all homesteads and business in Australia. This will not only mean access to the internet but other features such as high definition video calls which will benefit various industries. According to the Australian Academic Research Network(AARN), in their submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Communications , “NBN will provide sufficient capacity to increase participation and collaboration through connection of outlying small sites,and the connection of staff and students from their homes to the valuable resources both inAustralia and around the world(NBN submission, 2011).” The task of building such an infrastructure with the aim of making it accessible in all homesteads, schools and business country wide was given to The National Broadband Network in 2009. One of the services that will be available due to this high speed broadband is telehealth. This refers to delivery of healthcare in situations where there is a considerbale amount of distance between the doctor and the patient. In such cases ICT can be used. It entails using ICT technologies in healthcare where high-speed broadband will be used for high quality video consultations (Australian Medical Association, 2011 p. 1) NBN benefits society and e-health With the challenges to Australia’s health system, there is a necessity for new services and models of care that provide more efficient and effective ways of using available health resources to continue to provide Australians with high quality health services into the future. The NBN presents a major opportunity to help address this challenge. In a report examining telemedicine opportunities in the context of the NBN, NICTA stated that: “It is indubitable that health care systems will undergo fundamental transformations over the next several decades. Pervasive broadband access has the potential to be a genuinely ‘disruptive technology.”(Department of Broadband, communications and the Digital Economy, 2011, pp30) a. NBN characteristics for telehealth There are several characteristics for telehealth with the use of NBN. With NBN there will be high data capacity where one will be in a position to transfer larger amounts of data within a short time. With the high speed internet there will also be a faster rate of upload and download of services. Video consultations will be easily accessible which will not only be beneficial to people in remote areas, but will come in handy in emergency cases where a diagnosis is required. NBN provides network stability and reliability which is crucial in the health sector where downtime in network connections can have dire consequences. (Department of Broadband, communications and the Digital Economy, 2011, pp31) Since the coverage of NBN is meant to be nationwide, this will then mean people in remote areas will have access to better health services, and healthcare professionals can adopt a new telehealth-enabled model of care knowing they can rely on all of their patients, not just some of them, having access to suitable broadband services. Videos can also be used in training caregivers , give them access to resources therefore improving skills and their ability to work confidently. NBN services will lead to innovation in health services. Along with improving the existing services, the NBN will enable the health sector, together with the technology industry, to discover and deliver new and innovative health and care services for Australians. (La Trobe University Submission, 2011, p.3) b. New patient Centric Services One way of ensuring patient centric services is through using a personally controlled electronic health record system. The introduction of this system is viewed as a vital opportunity to advance not only the quality but also the safety in terms of health care. It will also contribute towards the reduction of waste and inadequacy in service and contribute towards the stability and health results for patients. For Australians who opt to have a personally controlled electronic health record, the system will enable improved sharing of information and better integration of patients’ care across multiple providers(Department of health and ageing submission, 2011, pp 4). Advantages of a personally controlled electronic health record system iclude: Customer will be in be more involved in maintainig their health care. Discharge information for inpatient treatments, results for tests and medication that may be prescribed will be available to inform clinical decisions. It is more efficient in that health care providers will not need to order unnecessary tests or spend unnecessary time recreating records, chasing information from other providers, or requiring patients to repeat their health and medical history. If one is to go to different hospitals for treatment, the information will be attached to the patient rather than the different places where one received healthcare. This will enable physician to gain an in depth look at a patient’s health and medical history. For patients with chronic disease this will be helpful in managing their conditions since they can keep track of the different medications prescibed to them by various health care givers. Patient information will be kept confidential where the patient takes control of access to the records and can track who has viewed thier records. This also increase health literacy, patient self-management and privacy. NBN addresses Australian health Challenges Australian healthcare systems are striving to cope with the increase in needs and expectations. Introduction of current technologies can be enhance the health care system but these technologies are costly which means adding another burden on constrained health budget. Most of the recent challenges facing the Australian health sector can be at least partly tackled using suitable application of technologies suitable for telehealth. The Australian telehealth society asserts that the implementation via a National Broadband Network has the potential to further enhance the deployment of many of these technologies (Australian Telehealth Society NBN Submission. 2011, Pp5). a. Health inequity in Remote Australia Remote Indigenous communities are the most communications-poor section of the Australian population, with many Indigenous households still without home telephony, or in some cases, even access to a working public phone. For many communities, access to basic telephony services is a more immediate priority than broadband (Indigenous Remote Communication association submission, 2011 pp8). Among the people with the most worrying health outcomes in the world is the indigenous population. Most of these conditions affecting the indigenous population are well-controlled and are not life-threatening. Indigenous people are the majority who live in rural Australia although they make up only 2.5 per cent of the population in Australia. The mortality rate of indigenous Australians is much higher than non-indigenous Australians. According to a publication titled closing the Gap; Prime Minister’s Report 2011 reported that the recent gap in life expectancy is estimated at 11.5 years for males and 9.7 years for females (Department of Broadband, communications and the Digital Economy, 2011, pp29). Majority of the communities in remote areas experience constant hardship in enlisting and maintaining a suitable and sufficiently trained medical workforce. Residents experience many difficulties in gaining suitable care in situations where consistency is not sufficient. It has been argued that there is no particular model that can fully cater to the health needs of the different rural and remote communities. In addition most of the small rural and remote communities require different approaches to health care and models of health service delivery that are not similar to those which have traditionally characterised rural Australia. b. Raise in Aged population and chronic health While there is already great pressure on the health system, the aged population contributes largely to this pressure. More than 25% of the Australian government budget is focused on health, pensions relating to the aged and their care. The Australian government budge on these sectors is bound to increase by almost half the current spending by 2049(Department of Broadband, communications and the Digital Economy, 2011, pp28). The elderly are highly encouraged to stay independent for as long as they can which has benefits both socially and economically more so for the providers of health and aged care. In the case of chronic health, there is an increase of such cases in most industrialised countries. Most of these long term and chronic diseases can be managed by the patients themselves for example patients with diabetes can get the insulin shot at home or take prescribed medication. In the instance of caring for the aged, the use of Technologies for vital signs monitoring and videoconferencing can help patients in better managing their illnesses. Should there be need for intervention, it can be done so in a timely manner (NICTA Submission, 2011, p. 13) c. Skill shortage With a large percentage of health care professionals being over the age of 45, there is a skill shortage in terms of easy acces to expericenced care givers. In remote areas where the health care professionals lack resources to keep up with medical advancements can put the patient at a disadvantage. More so when dealing with chronic disease patients where new therapies can be introducesd to better treat the patients. (Department of Broadband, communications and the Digital Economy, 2011, pp31) Proposed solutions to challenges With all the challenges, the Department of Broadband and the Digital Economy proposes several solutions to the challenges. The NBN will not only benefit the people who require health care services but it will also provide training services for healthcare givers in remote areas. This in turn will lead to better health care services for the people in these remote areas and for the aged who prefer to live at home for as long as possible. It will also reduce the costs that would have been encountered if patients were to travel long distances for treatment. With the high speed broadband that will enable video conferencing, doctors can have video consultations with patients who are able to travel to the hospital or those in remote areas. The solutions to the challenges are further discussed below. Service for Remote access to health-interoperability NBN’s investment in broadband infrastructure is meant to be nationwide. This will greatly improve the state of health for residents in remote areas. Access to reliable broadband coverage would enable NGO’s, physicians and care givers to take full advantage of the advancements in technology. These include higher level of accuracy and faster transfer of patient data. The data can be analyzed to note demographic health trends in remote areas. This information can he used to improve the work of service providers. In 2009, the Australian Government pledged towards the development and use of a new web-based reporting system for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health services. This will provide a secure mechanism for sending information and support improved provision of services. This will be done through high speed broadband. Access to the NBN would enable Indigenous communities to participate more broadly in both economic and social situations. Access to telecommunications facilities equivalent to mainstream urban areas would support the achievement of social inclusion and social and emotional wellbeing policy outcomes of the Government (Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, 2011, p7). Services to help Aged and Chronic Health The NBN bring the possibility to expand the use of telehealth and tele-monitoring in caring for the aged, including in residential care for the aged, community care, multi-purpose services and indigenous settings (Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, 2011). Rural and remote aged care services are particularly well placed to benefit as aged care residents tend to have higher needs for services while also facing greater access problems than other populations. In-home tele-monitoring and support can help those with chronic conditions to be better monitored on an ongoing basis. This might include daily measurement of key health indicators for example, blood glucose readings, blood pressure, automatically provided to the GP or a nurse coordinator, and complemented by video visits. Supporting older Australians to remain in their own homes for longer Delivering health services to the home can be particularly beneficial in better managing the health and wellbeing of older Australians, and supporting them to remain in their own homes for longer. High-speed broadband offers potential for a range of health services and support for older Australians such as post-operative care, in-home monitoring for a chronic condition or sensors to issue alerts in the event of a fall or prolonged inactivity. The NBN provides such services with additional reach by ensuring homes have access to a fast connection and making such connections cheaper to access. Faster sharing of health records between each of the healthcare providers who are treating a particular patient will enable better coordinated and integrated care and allow smoother shifts for chronic diseases patients as well as aiding patients to make knowledgeable choices, adapt new health behaviours and take an active role in managing their chronic conditions.(NSW Health, 2011 p.4) Services for Education and training NBN will result in a great capacity for online education not only for the student but also the trainer. This wil see the introduction into mainstream computing of gesture based computing for training and reasearch and access to visual data analysis of very large data sets(La Trobe University Submission, 2011, p.3). There would be a wide range of applications available with the use of the high speeed internet from NBN. Students who become sick and are unable to attend class will have access to various resources and through video conferencing they continue with their education. According to AARNet, NBN ope access services to ISPs will enable universities to deliver their campus resources to the home and most importantly access to the valuable information resources that are generally only available through international peering, that is the collaboration of national research and education networks around the world(AARNet Submission, 2011, p.4). Conclusion With the high speed broad band that will be availiabvle via NBN, there is bound to be an enhancement in the delivery of health care services thourgh out Australia. This is more so in the remote areas where the indegeneous population lack access to updated medical services. The aged are also bound to benefit since they can get fast treatment that is current enabling them to stay in their homes for longer. The NBN project will see a reduction in government spending on healthcare services for the aged and chronic disease patients. While there maybe challenges but these can be overcome by alternative solutions. For example in places where there is limited contact to a healthcare provider, video consultation can facilitate for the provision of health services. Works cited Deloitte. (2008). National E-Health and Information Principal Committee: National E-Health Strategy Intergenerational Report 2010, Australian Government, 2011, ISBN 978-0-642-74576-7, http://www.treasury.gov.au/igr/igr2010/Overview/html/overview 01.htm, last accessed 27-10-2011. N. H. Lovell, S. J. Redmond, J. Basilakis, T. Shany, and B. G. Celler 2010, "Telehealth technologies for managing chronic disease - experiences from Australia and the UK," Conf. Proc. IEEE Eng Med. Biol. Soc., vol.1:5267-9., pp. 5267-5269. Australian Government. Closing the Gap; Prime Minister's Report 2011, 2011, ISBN 978-1-921647-73-4, http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/indigenous/pubs/closing the gap/2011 ctg pm report/Pages/default.aspx, last accessed 27-10-2011. National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission 2009. A Healthier Future For All Australians, Final Report, http://www.health.gov.au/internet/nhhrc/publishing.nsf/Content/nhhrc-report Australia Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy 2011, ‘The Role and Potential of the National Broadband Network’ NSW Health Submission 2011, ‘Inquiry into the Role and Potential of the National Broadband Network Discussion Paper’, Pp3-4. La Trobe University Submission 2011, ‘National Broadband Network’, Pp2-5 Indigenous Remote Communications Association Submission 2011, ‘Inquiry into the role and potential of the National Broadband Network’, pp5 Department of Health and Ageing Submission 2011, ‘Inquiry into the national Broadband Network’ Read More