e-Health: something's rotten in the State of Kevin

"The End User Security Reviews clearly found that there are instances in which particular users may share user credentials (whether they be passwords or tokens) to facilitate their obligation to patient care.

In situations such as a hectic Emergency Department or a large onsite trauma situation, the adherence to business processes which promote unique identification and authentication of users of the HI Service may not be practically possible.
The security controls and awareness levels found in these assessments have been varied." {NEHTA - HI Service Security and Access Framework 13/11/09 PUBLIC}

The Medicare smart card and national health information database rolls on.
According to the National e-Health Transition Authority this is its board which is facilitating the progress of this giant collection of the nation's most personal information:

David Gonski AC - NEHTA Chair
Australian public figure and businessman.

Dr David Ashbridge
Chief Executive of the Northern Territory Department of Health and Families.
Mark Cormack
ACT Health Chief Executive.
Dr Peter Flett
Director-General of the Department of Health of WA.
Jane Halton
Secretary of the Australian Department of Health and Ageing.
Prof Debora Picone AM
Director-General of NSW Health.
Mick Reid
Former chief of staff for Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon, now the Director-General of Queensland Health.

David Roberts
Secretary with the Department of Health & Human Services in Tasmania.
Dr Tony Sherbon
Dr Tony Sherbon is the Chief Executive of the South Australian Department of Health.
Fran Thorn
Secretary of the Victorian Department of Human Services.

Notice the complete absence of anyone from a consumer health lobby group in the key positions of importance?
No, the board is full of former bankers, accountants, bureaucrats, and gawd help us, a couple of individuals who helped drive the North Coast Area Health Service into the dismal state it's in today.
It is only in a list of organisations invited to attend the NEHTA Stakeholder Reference Forum that one consumer health group is invited inside the tent.
I imagine it's no coincidence that this single consumer organisation in that 33 strong group is an organisation which is firmly guided by government, receives funding from the Dept. of Health & Aging, was actively engaged in creating a so-called consumer demand for e-health and remains committed to the database scheme regardless of emerging concerns.
Even this feeble form of consumer protection is not participating in each internal working group.

NEHTA's Stakeholder Reference list:

Jurisdictions

ACT Health Department

Department of Health and Ageing

Northern Territory Department of Health and Community Services

NSW Health

Queensland Department of Health

South Australia Department of Health

Tasmanian Department of Health and Community Services

Victorian Department of Human Services

Western Australia Health Department

Industry Associations and Peak Bodies

Aged Care IT Council

Allied Health Professions Organisation (AHPA)

Australian Association of Pathology Practices (AAPP)

Australian Association of Practice Managers (AAPM)

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in HealthCare (ACSQH)

Australian General Practice Network (AGPN)

Australian Health Insurance Association (AHIA)

Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA)

Australian Medical Association

Australian Medical Association (AMA)

Coalition of National Nursing Organisations (CONNO)

College of Nursing (CON)

Consumers Health Forum (CHF)

HCF Australia

Health Informatics Society of Australia (HISA) and Coalition for e-health

Medical Software Industry Association (MSIA)

National Coalition of Public Pathology (NCOPP)

Pharmacy Guild of Australia

Private Hospital CIO Forum

Private Hospital CIO Group

Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP)

Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS)

Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR)

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)