HIM-Interchange Editor Joanne Fitzgerald, Independent Hospital Pricing Authority
Letter from the Editor Joanne Fitzgerald
Associate Editors Stella Rowlands, Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service, QLD Jennie Shepheard, Shepheard Health Management Consultants, VIC Chair Maryann Wood, Queensland University of Technology, QLD Subcommittee Members Emma Barker, La Trobe University, VIC Kym Campradt, Lorica Health Patsy Catterson, Ballarat Health Service, VIC Naomi Johnson, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, SA Danica Jong, West Moreton Hospital and Health Service, QLD Carol Loggie, University of Wollongong, NSW Nina Palibrk, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, QLD Julie Price, La Trobe University, VIC Dwayne Richards, BreastScreen Victoria, VIC Deborah Yagmich, Joondalup Health Campus, WA Representative Members HIMAA Board of Directors: Sharon Campbell, WA Country Health Service and Curtin University, WA HIMAA Administration: Philida Chew, Director of Finance and Operations Correspondence The Editor HIM-Interchange, HIMInterchange@himaa.org.au Advertising enquiries marketing@himaa.org.au Production Typesetting: Red Rabbit Creative Pty Ltd Electronic Production: Prateek Verma, HIMAA Printed by: SOS Print + Media Group Publisher: Health Information Management Association of Australia Limited Locked Bag 2045 North Ryde NSW 1670 AUSTRALIA Editorial Board Editor-in-chief: Joanne Callen, Macquarie University, NSW Editor, HIMJ: Joan Henderson, The University of Sydney, NSW Chair: Sue Walker, Queensland University of Technology, QLD Associate Editors: Kerin Robinson, La Trobe University, VIC Stella Rowlands, Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service, QLD Jennie Shepheard, Shepheard Health Management Consultants, VIC Sue Walker, Queensland University of Technology, QLD Members: Sharon Campbell, WA Country Health Service and Curtin University, WA Deborah Debono, University of Technology Sydney, NSW Joanne Fitzgerald, Independent Hospital Pricing Authority Monique Kilkenny, Monash University, VIC Esther Munyisia, VIC Mirela Prgomet, Macquarie University, NSW Beth Reid, Pavillion Health, NSW Phyllis Watson, The University of Sydney, NSW Johanna Westbrook, Macquarie University, NSW Disclaimer The Editors, Editorial Board, HIM-I Subcommittee and publishers do not hold themselves responsible for statements by contributors. Opinions expressed in HIM-Interchange are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Health Information Management Association of Australia Limited. Copyright © 2020 Health Information Management Association of Australia Limited
2 HIM-INTERCHANGE • Vol 10 No 3 2020 • ISSN 1838-8620 (PRINT) ISSN 1838-8639 (ONLINE)
Dear HIM-Interchange readers Welcome to the third issue for 2020. What a year 2020 has been! Speaking for myself, I would be quite happy to never have to use the phrase ‘unprecedented times’ ever again. I look forward to the days when my standard email sign off does not need to be ‘stay safe’. I hope during the year HIM-Interchange has supported you to keep connected with your health information management colleagues and the profession. While many of us could not meet in person, we hope that you could keep up to date on some of the latest health information management topics through the articles in the journal. This issue is no exception, with a host of topical articles for you to enjoy. Aged care has been very much in the media recently. Firstly through the hearings and interim findings of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety 2019) and more recently due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in residential aged care facilities. Janine Carter (2020) reflects on the interim findings from the Royal Commission as they relate to data and information and advocates for the importance of Health Information Managers (HIMs) in the aged care sector. Loggie (2020) continues the aged care theme and describes the new residential aged care casemix classification and associated funding model developed by the Australian Health Services Research Institute, University of Wollongong, on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Health. It seems likely the aged care sector will undergo significant reform in the coming years, and in order to implement those reforms the need for HIMs will be critical. Given the current views on future health information workforce shortages, having sufficient HIMs for the aged care and health sectors would appear to a challenge.
