Defence plans web-based e-health system

The Australian Defence Force has announced plans to develop a web-based electronic health record system to link its staff's health data from recruitment to discharge.

Defence Minister Warren Snowdon today pledged $55.7 million over four years to the so-called Joint e-health Data and Information System (JeHDI), which was expected to launch by 2014.

JeHDI was expected to improve access to patients' healthcare information, while allowing the Department of Defence to map trends and derive financial reports on healthcare costs.

Using software by UK vendor EMIS, the web-accessible system was expected to maintain confidentiality and data integrity, and allow data to be interchanged between private and public health sectors.

CSC won a five-year contract to act as Defence's Prime Systems Integrator in a multi-stage development and implementation process.

The integrator would provide application hosting and IT support services, as well as organisational change, communication, training and project management.

Defence said the project complemented the Government's National e-health Strategy, under which $466.7 million would be spent on developing a personally controlled e-health records system by 2012-13.