Dr Simon Wallace
Since it was first introduced in 2011, the Australian government’s Telehealth initiative has been helping patients across the country engage with clinicians and access a wide range of care services remotely. But, up until 2020, both patient uptake and the number of active use cases for Telehealth remained relatively low. That was, until the COVID-19 […]
We are at a pivotal moment in the history of healthcare, where a combination of major events and trends are deeply impacting the industry. In a recent study we conducted among 1,000 Australian patients earlier this year, more than one in four respondents (27%) said they are ready to turn away from face-to-face appointments as […]
For many healthcare providers, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital transformation, forcing them to rapidly find new ways to deliver their vital services. The result for healthcare practitioners—already working in a time of widespread healthcare burnout—was often another new challenge, and even greater stress. Now, more and more providers are heeding the WHO’s timely call to […]
Nurses understand the importance of their work like no one else. So when nursing professionals make the decision to take industrial action, as many Australian nurses did this month, it’s hard to underestimate the strength of feeling involved. And those ICU nurses (one of whom had the message “On strike – Burnout” written on her […]
For years now, pressure on the world’s healthcare professionals has been mounting—with aging populations, increased documentation requirements, and then a global pandemic. In this new study, HIMSS and Nuance explored the impact on clinicians in several countries around the world. It found that—while causes and levels may differ—clinician burnout is an almost universal experience. 98% of those who participated in Nuance and HIMSS’ online survey said they had experienced feelings of burnout. When asked about the impact […]
Nuance recently hosted a webinar, which looked at the benefits of speech-enabling the Epic EMR with Dragon Medical One. If you missed it, here is what was discussed. Dr Brian Zimmerman – Nuance CMIO and a physician working at an Epic hospital in Ohio – opened up proceedings by giving audience members a live demonstration […]
According to the Australian Institute of Health & Welfare, 10.6% of the Australian population received Medicare-subscribed mental health-specific services in 2018-2019, increasing from 5.7% in 2008-2009. More recently, the demand for mental health support has been compounded by the prevalence of COVID-19 as Australians deal with the impacts of the pandemic. With calls to Beyond […]
Burnout among healthcare staff continues to be a challenge. “Emotional exhaustion, elements of depersonalisation and feelings of reduced personal accomplishment … [often leading to] negative effects on patient care, increased errors, decreased self-worth and care,” said Charles Alessi, chief clinical officer at HIMSS, as he described the feeling and impact of burnout on healthcare professionals, […]
Like other countries across the world, healthcare in Australia has reams of clinical documentation. Recent estimates for 2015-16 suggest that there were 10.6 million discharge summaries, 28 million outpatient reports/letters and 2.2 million procedure notes. But is it in a digital format that is useful? The digital health EMR tools only work if their engine room […]
Australia digital health from the front line Australia has published a comprehensive national digital health strategy with seven strategic priority outcomes spearheading the drive to meet both the clinical and financial challenges of delivering and sustaining a complex 21st century healthcare system. Tim Kelsey, once of NHS fame, now Chief Executive of the Australia […]
