MediSecure voluntarily enters administration

E-prescription service MediSecure entered into voluntary administration three weeks after it reported a "large-scale" ransomware attack. 

FTI Consulting's Vaughan Strawbridge and Paul Harlond have been appointed as administrators and liquidators of the embattled company, which used to provide a national service that delivers e-scripts to pharmacies. 

Strawbridge and Harlond will investigate how the company fell into the cyberattack and explore its options to recover assets. They will meet with MediSecure creditors sometime next week. 

Days before going into voluntary administration, MediSecure disclosed that it sought government funding to help with its response to the incident. However, its request was denied. 

In late May, reports came out saying that the stolen dataset from MediSecure allegedly appeared on the dark web. It most likely included data related to prescriptions and personal information of healthcare providers that MediSecure held up until 2023 when its national service contract ended. 

In response, the company said it is working to notify affected individuals. MediSecure has reached out to McGrathNicol Advisory who, in tandem with the National Cyber Security Coordinator, will assist in quickly determining the extent of the impact of the ransomware attack and all affected individuals. 

SA Ambulance Service to implement EMR

South Australia has earmarked A$23.5 million ($15.6 million) over the next two years to introduce an electronic patient care record system for SA Ambulance Service.

For the first time, ambulance crews will be able to enter patient notes directly from electronic devices, ditching the use of patient case cards and manual data entry. 

According to a media release, the ePCR will also be integrated with the Sunrise EMR system used across SA hospitals, facilitating quick access to patients’ ambulance records. 

Digital devices carrying the ePCR will be introduced gradually in over 500 ambulance fleets from the middle of 2025. 

Meanwhile, the SA government has also set aside A$10.7 million ($7 million) over the next four years for SAAS to onboard 16 additional paramedic telehealth clinicians for the Clinical Telephone Assessment service. Currently manned by 15 clinicians, the service determines if a call requires an emergency response, suited to a more fitting care pathway, or if a patient can simply check with their GP. 

"Recruitment and training will commence immediately, with half of the additional clinicians expected to join the team later this year and the full 16 on board by mid-next year," the SA government said.

Telehealth carts rolled out for North Queensland aged care

Northern Queensland Primary Health Network will be rolling out mobile telehealth carts powered by Visionflex to 36 residential aged care homes. 

A telehealth cart includes a high-definition camera, full-size patient-facing monitor, computer equipment, and a range of USB peripherals for vital sign readings and patient monitoring. There are also accessibility options, such as live speech-to-text transcription and closed captioning, for patients with hearing and vision impairment.

The federal government-funded telehealth carts serve as an option for aged care residents to access GP consultations, after-hours consultations, and specialist care services from their homes to prevent avoidable and unnecessary trips to the emergency department. 

Oncology IMS goes live at Fiona Stanley Hospital

Fiona Stanley Hospital, a major hospital in Murdoch, is the first among healthcare sites under the South Metropolitan Health Service (SMHS) to implement a cancer information management system by Magentus.

Late last year, Magentus was awarded the contract to deploy Charm Evolution across SMHS to serve as a single source of patient records. The system also provides care teams instant access to patient information in near-real time, standard protocols, and decision support. 

"Going live with Charm Evolution is helping us move away from reliance on paper records and manual prescribing. With a fully electronic prescribing system, we can improve patient safety by providing a single source of truth for treatment," Neil Doverty, group executive director of Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals, shared in a statement. 

Rockingham General Hospital is also expected to go live with the Magentus IMS soon.