twrama 1990_final oc.. - AMA WA

OPINION
PCEHR: POLITICALLY Controlled
Electronic Health Record
by Dr Steve Wilson
Chair, AMA (WA) Council of General Practice
Detailed: At the recent AMA (WA) GP breakfast, Dr Nathan Pinskier informed the audience on the National E-Health
Transition Authority’s activities.
My article this month very much complements Medicus’
article on the AMA (WA)’s GP Breakfast focusing on the
PCEHR. However, I shall paint a card-carrying, practice-owning
GP’s view of the imminent e-changes in General Practice – and I
am not going to pull my punches. Nonetheless, let me say from the
outset, that in principle, the AMA, I as CoGP WA Chair and all
clinicians on the various AMA councils support the PCEHR in
what it is supposed to achieve.
Firstly and positively, I congratulate the AMA (WA) for
hosting the GP Breakfast and distributing the AMA Guide on
using the PCEHR. As one of the 80-plus guests, I found the
NEHTA road show slick and the information valuable if you were
intending to willingly, safely and unconditionally participate. GP
presenter Dr Nathan Pinskier presented all the details well but
amid the three-quarters of an hour of ‘white noise’ of the ‘how’,
‘what’ and ‘when’, what I really heard were the well-placed ‘why’
comments. Furthermore there were questions from the floor,
unambiguous pronouncements from those within the process of
the fait accompli nature of all of this and statements, which just
plain angered or frightened many of us there.
For example, Dr Pinskier stated NEHTA actually had no idea
of what the software vendors were building for the large sums
the government was paying them. Medicare Locals are to receive
$50 million for their role in PCEHR practice implementation and
training, and I am sure the nationwide Roadshow budget would
please a small African nation in foreign aid.
I heard no fewer than six times “we will make it better over the
years to come” – i.e. those on the PCEHR Clinical development
18 MEDICUS October