University of Tasmania, Australia

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Electronic Health Records

UTAS Home ›  › Elite Research Scholarships › Medical & Health Sciences › Rural Health  › Electronic Health Records

Electronic Health Records & Advanced Care Plans.

Higher standards of health mean more people are living longer - the proportion of those living beyond 60 years has increased, and this proportion is predicted to increase over the next 20 years.  A body of evidence is mounting to show that older people are suffering unnecessarily because of widespread underassessment and inappropriate over - or under - treatment of their problems.

The goals of this project are to:

  • Develop an electronic health record that supports the implementation of a palliative and supportive model of care for people with advanced life-limiting disease that properly considers their wishes, taking into account the likely trajectories of the three main diagnostic groups – Advanced Cancer, Chronic Organ Failure, and the Frail Aged with/without Dementia;
  • Implement interoperable national communication infrastructure and national standards to support a local area of need, cross boundary care, and integration of primary and secondary health services;
  • Develop regional ownership of value-adding technology and ongoing strategy development;
  • Over time, to incorporate in the electronic health record best practice palliative care guidelines for clinical pathways  making best practice palliative care available to all elderly residents through their primary care team, not just those living near, and eligible for, specialist palliative care services.

Benefits include more involvement of residents and families in decision-making about their care, reduced crises and avoidable admissions to hospital, and reduced use of over-burdensome treatments.

 

More Information:
Contact:

Web site:  http://www.rcs.utas.edu.au

Professor Timothy Skinner
Email: timothy.skinner@utas.edu.au

 
Phone: +61 (0)3 6430 4564