As part of the 2010/11 federal budget, the government announced a $466.7 million investment over two years for a national PCEHR system for all Australians who choose to register online, beginning in 2012.
The new National E-Health Security and Access Framework (NESAF) is designed to provide the information security foundation for the PCEHR system. It provides the health sector a common approach and language for protecting patient information in Australia and reassurance to people concerned about their privacy, said Peter Fleming, NEHTA’s chief executive officer, in releasing the framework.
The NESAF defines both conceptual and implementation guidance for managing the control and monitoring of access to personal health information as it transits the country’s health sector.
The framework is based on international and local standards for information security drawing on experience in the e-health arena and has been constructed as a toolkit to support organizations designing, implementing, and operating e-health products, Fleming explained.
In addition, IBM is building a national authentication service for the PCEHR system under an A$23.6 million NEHTA contract awarded earlier this year.