Australian Defence Forces invest in multi-million dollar electronic health record system
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Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, the Hon. Warren Snowdon MP, today launched plans for a new multi-million dollar electronic health record system for the Australian Defence Force.
Mr Snowdon said the new Defence Joint eHealth Data and Information System, known as JeHDI, will link health data from recruitment to discharge and allow for treating health practitioners to access a patients complete health record.
He said JeHDI is designed to improve the quality of healthcare to all Australian Defence Force (ADF) members.
"This is a very exciting time for the ADF as they are taking a key national leadership role in the introduction of electronic health records throughout Australia and delivering a single electronic health system across the ADF," Mr Snowdon said.
"JeHDI is a web based system which can be accessed wherever internet is available, while still maintaining confidentiality and data integrity, JeHDI will simplify record management and provide immediate access to patients' medical records and other healthcare information. This will provide great benefits to those who regularly move, such as Defence families," he said.
"Defence Healthcare presents some unique challenges. Our mission is to provide the highest quality healthcare to support our operational capability and ADF members within Australia."
"Leading edge technology, like JeHDI is helping Defence meet these objectives with greater speed and efficiency," Vice Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant General David Hurley said.
The ADF has consulted extensively with other agencies including the Department of Health and Ageing, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the National eHealth Transition Authority. JeHDI compliments the Australian Government’s National eHealth Strategy, which has committed $466.7 million to develop a personally controlled ehealth records (PCEHR) system that will be available from 2012-13.
Defence will have the opportunity to interchange data and information between JeHDI and the public and private health sectors.
