Local software firm Pointwest Technologies recently participated in the Healthcare Information and Management System Society (HIMSS) Australia Conference 2014 held in Sydney, Australia in conjunction with the mHealth Summit AsiaPac.
The conference opened with a keynote address by Peter Dutton, health minister for Australia. The Australian government had just released its new and rather controversial budget which calls for major cuts to domestic spending, including healthcare cuts.
Dutton announced his support for a major policy change wherein an “opt-out” approach will be used for the nation’s Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR), rather than the current “opt-in” approach that relies on Australians to sign up online for an account before their health records can be shared among health practitioners.
To date, the opt-in approach has resulted in only 1 out of 15 Australian’s signing up. Widespread use of the PCEHR is expected to lead to better healthcare efficiencies, which could help mitigate the impact of budget cuts.
As a BPM (business process management) provider in the healthcare sector, Pointwest is leading the pace of adoption of healthcare technology such as the PCEHR. Pointwest was represented in the HIMSS Australia Conference 2014 by Rhea Latoga, Mark Zavalla, and Colin Christie.
Meanwhile, Pointwest has also partnered with Crown Agents, an international development consultancy firm, for a strategic alliance that would see Pointwest handling Crown Agents? key software migration program.
Crown Agents, headquartered in the United Kingdom, also has offices in Asia and Africa, as well as the US and Japan. The company works alongside governments, aid agencies, non-government organizations and companies in over a hundred countries. They provide consultancy, supply chain management, and financial services.
Among Crown Agent?s projects was the establishment of a National Single Window for international trade. The system automated the process for license and permit applications, streamlining the processes involved, reducing transaction costs, and saving time for both the public and private sectors. The National Single Window helped facilitate trade in the Philippines and empowered the trade community
