05-Sep-16 Australian health services are now able to obtain real time data from disparate primary and secondary healthcare software systems. The Improvement Foundation has joined forces with Telstra Health to release Elicio. Elicio can directly aggregate data from GPs, hospitals, pharmacies, radiology and aged care software, giving clinicians a view of their patients’ health journey beyond their own health service. [image: Improvement Foundation]

05-Sep-16 The Philippines Department of Health Secretary Paulyn Rosell-Ubial has said it is focused on fast-tracking the development of health infrastructure. Ubial said the government envisioned one doctor per five barangays (districts) and one health station per barangay within the six-year term of President Duterte in line with the government’s pronouncement of implementing a human approach in improving the people’s welfare. [image: Alamy]

01-Sep-16 The Philippines Department of Health (DOH) has expressed interest in emulating the ratio of doctor/healthworkers to population in Cuba. DOH Secretary Dr Ubial said it would be a big help if the Philippines could achieve the ratio of 1:1,075, or even 1:12,000. At present the ratio is 1:33,000. [image: Kaya Responsible Travel]

30-Aug-16 Australia’s first large-scale trial of telehealth has shown it could save up to AUD3 bn (USD2.3 bn) a year. The research involved trialling telehealth systems with 287 patients over 12 months. It showed savings of 24% to the healthcare system made through falls in the number and cost of GP visits, specialist visits and procedures. [image: CSIRO]

27-Aug-16 Chongqing in Southwest China began piloting the family doctor program in 2012, under which community doctors sign contracts with residents and provide with them medical services, including health management, disease prevention and regular physical examinations at home. 200 Chinese cities will introduce such services in 2016. By 2020, China is planning to extend family doctor services to the entire population. [image: Shanghai Daily / CFP]