eHealth and ICT Prospectus and/or Capability profile

City of Ballarat will engage a consultant to prepare a resource that:

• Maps the current capabilities for eHealth in the Ballarat region, including the effective use of ICT in the health sector
• Identifies and highlights case studies with effective use of ICT in health, in particular where the outcomes have resulted in:
  • Increased efficiencies 
  • Improved patient outcomes
• Identifies what the Ballarat eHealth sector is ‘famous for’
• Highlights instances where there is an increased adoption of eHealth technologies among health professionals
• Identifies companion information on capabilities 
  • How these occurred
  • What the partnerships are/were
• Showcases the ability to provide eHealth options in a regional setting, which may identify possibilities and applications in a wider ranging application.

Presentation Options

There are three main methods of presenting such a study these include:

• Online – Establish an online resource which will be accessible through Ballarat ICT (www.ballaratict.com.au) and which can be presented in a number of ways, including individual identification of business’ associated with the provision of ICT services to the health sector.
• Electronic presentations – A easily transferable resource, that can allow individuals/groups to speak to when promoting eHealth and ICT as a viable and sustainable industry in Ballarat.
• Hard copy resources – A tangible, high quality publication which allows potential interested parties to research and collate information concerning the eHealth sector in Ballarat at their leisure.

Usable options on completion

There are a number of outcomes that have been considered in the formulation of this proposal, these outcomes include, but are not limited to:

• Profiling and showcasing current eHealth projects, business’ and professionals within the Ballarat area, these can highlight the following as an example:
  • Points of difference between projects undertaken in Ballarat as opposed to other regions 
  • Services provided to health providers by eHealth professionals 
  • Identification of technology developed locally for use in the health sector 
  • Identification of technology providers
• Assist in the promotion of the eHealth sector of Ballarat, to enable the possibility of attracting additional funding for specific projects, which initially may be locally based with wider ranging applications.
• For use as a marketing tool, allowing the region to leverage off the current capabilities of the eHealth sector to promote and encourage, not only the eHealth sector, but by displaying technological capacity to wide ranging industries, additional linkages and partnerships can be realised in the ICT sector. In effect increasing the awareness of the Ballarat region for consideration in additional investment into the region.
• An additional tool when tendering Local ICT firms may include the developed resources with materials when submitting proposals for various contracts, either private or government. Shows a collaborative approach across business displaying additional capabilities.

Future options

Following the establishment of a resource such as this, and one that is continually updated, the following step will be to benchmark the eHealth industry in Ballarat against existing models currently in use throughout other areas.

This would then form part of the direction for the next approach from the eHealth sector in conjunction with the ICT Cluster and The City of Ballarat.

Recommendations

• It is recommended that a small working party of four to five representatives be formed to drive the initial project.
• Funds for this project can be provided by the City of Ballarat, through the ongoing commitment to build the ICT sector in the Ballarat and to promote health as a viable industry for future development in the region.
• This working party should consist of willing representatives from a range of industries (both small and medium). It is envisaged that the initial commitment from these representatives will be to provide advice and to identify specific cases which to showcase.