Australasian College of Health Informatics

  Australasia's Health Informatics Professional Body

Australasian College of Health Informatics

Upcoming Events & Calls for Papers

--- tba ---: ACHI Members' Tele-Conference RSVP

30 Jan. - 2 Feb. 2012: Australasian Workshop on Health Informatics and Knowledge Management  RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia

6 - 10 Feb. 2012: Australian Health Informatics Summer School  University of Western Sydney, Australia

Ongoing: electronic Journal for Health Informatics Call for Papers  

Recently Published College Documents

The College regularly provides constructive input and comment on relevant government or NGO proposals and drafts.  ACHI Fellows and Members have authored the following response documents:

ACHI Response to DoHA "PCEHR Legislative Issues"  (August 2011)

ACHI Response to NEHTA Draft Continuity of Care Specifications  (July 2011 - to be published)

ACHI Response to Draft PCEHR Concept of Operations  (May 2011, updated June 2011)

ACHI Submission to Senate Enquiry into the Health Identifier Legislation  (Transcripts)  (Report)  (March 2010)

ACHI Response to Draft Health Identifier Legislation  (Jan. 2010)

Report on HealthCom 2009 Conference  (ACHI Imm. Past President Dr Terry Hannan - Sydney, Dec. 2009)

Report on "Realising Our Broadband Future" Workshop  (Sydney, Dec. 2009)

ACHI Response to NEHTA Draft "Electronic Transfer of Prescription"  (Dec. 2009)

Letter to Prime Minister Rudd re e-Health Implementation  (via Coalition for eHealth - Dec. 2009)

ACHI Response to AHMAC Discussion Paper on "Health Identifiers & Privacy"  (Aug. 2009)

Australian Health Informatics Education Council 'Work Plan 2009-10 and Beyond'  (June 2009)

ACHI Submission to the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission  (Aug. 2008)

Membership

The College has 4 levels of membership reflecting the expertise and contributions to Health Informatics:

More details and membership application forms here: Benefits of College Membership

ACHI Membership of IMIA

The College is an Academic Institutional Member of the International Medical Informatics Association.  This provides the College and its members with the following privileges:

• The facility to network with peer organisations on a global level for the interchange of ideas, collaborative efforts, student/faculty exchange etc.
• The opportunity to participate in IMIA’s Working and Special Interest Groups
• Participation in the IMIA General Assembly, IMIA’s governing body
• Free access to post news on the IMIA website’s online News and Announcements
• Free access to post meetings and seminars, etc. on IMIA’s "Meetings & Conferences" section of the website
• ACHI is included in IMIA's web site and annual Yearbook of Medical Informatics as an IMIA Academic Member
• Free access to the full electronic version of the IMIA Yearbook for ACHI Members

ACHI Membership of Professions Australia

The College is a full member of "Professions Australia" (Australian Council of Professions Ltd), the national organisation of professional associations advancing and promoting professionalism for the benefit of the community.  Professions Australia has ~30 member associations representing ~350,000 professionals across Australia and pursues initiatives to enhance professional standards and increase the professions' contributions to the broader community by:

• maintaining and developing the ethical standards of professionals
• working in partnership with the higher education sector to ensure excellence in professional education
• encouraging continual professional development and the updating of professional knowledge
• contributing to the recognition of professional practice by governments and the community
• supporting volunteering and community service by individual professionals

More information here: www.Professions.com.au

ACHI Representation on the Standards Australia IT-014 "e-Health" Committee

The College is a formal Member of the peak Australian committee for the development and ratification of standards for health information systems interoperability and e-health, Standards Australia IT-014 "Health Informatics".  IT-014 publishes national standards that respond to the health sector’s information needs and ensure a consolidated approach in areas such as electronic health records, messaging, terminology, representation of health concepts, client/provider identification and health supply chain.  Its standards will allow the exchange and longitudinal management of health information to support integrated clinical care.  The membership in IT-014 provides the College and its members with:

• Input into the Australian strategy and implementation of health information systems interoperability and e-health standards
• Participation in the creation and localisation of information systems interoperability and e-health standards for Australia
• Participation in the Australian commenting and voting on ISO health informatics standards

More information and free standards downloads here: www.e-Health.Standards.org.au

ACHI Representation on the NEHTA Stakeholder Reference Forum

The College participates in National eHealth Transition Authority's Stakeholder Reference Forum (SRF), which allows major national stakeholders to provide their input to NEHTA’s work program and provides information back to our members.  The SRF has five Reference Groups:

• Clinical Terminology and Information Reference Group (CTIRG)
• Continuity of Care Reference Group (CCRG)
• (SRF)Diagnostic Services Reference Group (DSRG)
• Identification, Authentication and Access Reference Group (IAARG)
• Medication Management Reference Group (MMRG)

The NEHTA SRF Reference Groups meet 3-4 times each year to review the activities of the NEHTA work programs and to provide their input.  Each Reference Group publishes regular reports ("Outcome Statements") on its work.

More information here: www.NEHTA.gov.au/about-us/stakeholders  (Note: Updates are often delayed.)

Affiliated Organisations

The College is affiliated and collaborates with the following organisations:

Health Informatics New Zealand (HINZ)

Australian Health Informatics Education Council (AHIEC)

electronic Journal of Health Informatics (eJHI)

HISA

Health Informatics & Health Sciences Positions

IMIA News