I Wonder Why The National Digital Health Strategy Is So Secret. Might It Be It Is Not Very Good?

To me the most important part of the exceptionally partial Board Minutes that the ADHA released covering their June 14 Meeting was the last paragraph of the CEO’s report.

It read:

“National Digital Health Strategy

The Board approved submission of the Strategy in its extraordinary meeting in May. The Strategy – and the supporting Agency work plan – were submitted to the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council for consideration at its meeting on 2 June. The outcome of that decision will be tabled for the Board’s information.

I would like to thank members of the Board who participated in the Strategy Review group for their help in its development.”

So what we learn from this is:

1. There was a Board Meeting in May which has not been disclosed to date.

2. There exists a very advanced National Digital Health Strategy which has been submitted for approval to COAG Health Ministers Advisors.

3. We have not been told (to date) what Health Minsters Advisors thought of the Strategy – suggesting they were less than happy. I assume happiness would have resulted in glad cries and a press release or maybe they have to wait for Ministerial views??

I assume to process would be a draft going to this committee below which reports to and advises the Health Ministers Council (http://www.coaghealthcouncil.gov.au/)

National Health Information and Performance Principal Committee (NHIPPC)
Role: To advise AHMAC on eHealth, information management and performance reporting development, governance and strategies, and to facilitate collaboration between the Commonwealth, states and territories and other key national stakeholders in relation to these areas.
Secretariat: NHIPPC.secretariat@dhhs.vic.gov.au
Contact Number: 03 9096 7301

See here:

http://www.coaghealthcouncil.gov.au/AHMAC/Principal-Committees

The full Council only seems to meet twice a year (next due October - November, 2017 at a guess).

All in all the whole process is 1. Too secret and 2. Too slow.

I wonder just how confident we can be we will get a plan that is actually implementable, suits all the stakeholders, has real evidence based benefits, is not just about the myHR and does not bankrupt us? It would also have been nice for the stakeholders to have seen  late draft - as many of us were promised.

David.