eHealth

eHealth Strategy for NSW Health: 2016-2026

World-class, patient-centred and digitally enabled healthcare is the aim of the eHealth Strategy for NSW Health, implementation of which will be driven by eHealth NSW in partnership with Health Agencies over the next decade.

Launched in May 2016 by NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner, the Strategy is a 10-year program of innovation, investment and implementation identifying key eHealth goals for NSW.

eHealth Strategy for NSW Health outlines a direction incorporating the latest advances in health technology, policy directions and ongoing enhancements to performance, quality and safety in the State’s health system.

The foundational document, released in December 2013, is A Blueprint for eHealth in NSW.

eHealth NSW

eHealth NSW was established in July 2014 as the dedicated organisation within NSW Health to guide eHealth strategy and planning, set policy and standards, and lead implementation and operations.

Since then, eHealth NSW has worked to refine and strengthen these capabilities, develop architecture standards, mature change management processes and redefine the operating model to deliver programs with a stronger customer focus.

As the key vehicle for delivery of the Strategy, eHealth NSW is working in partnership with local health districts (LHDs), specialty health networks, pillars and agencies to implement statewide programs and support local innovation.

eHealth NSW is led by Chief Executive and Chief Information Officer Dr Zoran Bolevich.

Harnessing eHealth to improve patient care

NSW is moving towards an environment where digitally enabled and integrated systems help clinicians to deliver patient-centred health experiences and quality health outcomes.

• eHealth NSW is building a secure, high-speed broadband network which connects 150 hospitals and health facilities, including those in rural and remote locations, enabling clinical and corporate systems to be used in hospitals across the state, and in ambulatory care.
• One of those clinical systems is the electronic Medical Record (eMR), which shares patient records, x-rays and medical images across the state, regardless of where a patient has previously been treated.
• eHealth NSW will continue to systematically introduce new components to the eMR such as electronic medications management (eMeds), community health and outpatient care (CHOC) modules and an electronic Record for Intensive Care (eRIC), to enable seamless clinical access.
• As the maturity and capability of these systems expand, NSW will further invest in integration systems, such as HealtheNet, which provides a holistic view of a patients’ available health information across NSW.

eHealth systems have the power to make electronic patient and other information available, when and where it is needed, to achieve the very best health outcomes for patients.