A NEW $9.5 million national initiative is set to harmonise hospital electronic medical records (EMRs) across the country, bringing hospital data into line with international standards so it can be securely used for large-scale research.
The Australian Health Data Evidence Network (AHDEN) will help generate insights into best practice healthcare while keeping patient information private and secure at their original source.
“Hospital records contain information on diagnoses, treatments, outcomes and patient demographics,” explained project lead Professor Nicole Pratt from the University of South Australia.
“By harmonising this information, we can uncover patterns in disease, measure the effectiveness of treatments and procedures, and produce the evidence that is needed to improve clinical guidelines, leading to better patient care.”
At present, the states operate very different systems, making generating insights into best practice healthcare difficult.
This was driven home during the COVID pandemic, where international comparisons highlighted the shortcomings of the fragmented Australian systems, Professor Pratt said.
“This made it difficult to get an accurate picture of how the virus was spreading across the country and the effectiveness of treatments and vaccines, especially in vulnerable people.”
“Once the AHDEN initiative is implemented, we will be able to identify and respond to future pandemics and major health threats much faster.”
The three-year initiative will use an international gold standard that will also help Australian researchers collaborate on global studies, benchmark health outcomes against other countries, and generate trustworthy evidence to guide healthcare policy.
Professor Pratt hailed the initiative as a turning point for Australian healthcare research.
“This is a major step forward in unlocking the value of electronic health records,” she said.
“With secure and reliable analytics, we can generate evidence that leads to safer care, better outcomes and smarter decision making for all Australians.” KB
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