OECD says Australia healthcare lags in data and technology

 17-Nov-15, Healthcare Global 

A recent report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reveals the Australian healthcare system lags behind others with a similar federal system, which includes the US and the UK.

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Although Aussie residents have an average life span of 82.2 years, with the fourth-lowest smoking rate 12.8 per cent and a heart disease rate well below the OECD average, the sharing of healthcare responsibilities between the state and federal governments has led to a broken system that is difficult for patients to handle and increases the risk of medical error.

Furthermore, the OECD report described the use of technology by the Aussie healthcare system as “slow and disappointing,” as the shortage of information technology has led to a lack of data reflecting the quality of care and patient outcomes.

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