Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 July 2023
343. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health to provide on update on the Programme for Government commitment to develop and support eHealth and the increased use of assistive technologies, supporting people to live independently across each of the CHO areas, since the establishment of the current Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33316/23]
View answerThe provision of digital health solutions is a fundamental enabler for the reform of the health service and the implementation of Sláintecare.
Digital health solutions played a key role during the Covid-19 pandemic with solutions developed to facilitate monitoring and managing the spread of infection as well as the administration of vaccines when they became available. Many other digitally enabled services were deployed such as electronic referrals from GPs for those who needed testing and electronic transfer of prescriptions to reduce close contacts and support social distancing. EU digital covid certificates were issued and people had the option to store these in their digital wallet in the Covid Tracker App.
Government has continued to support eHealth in recent years by increasing both capital and revenue funding provide for ICT and eHealth. ICT resources have also doubled over the past 4 years.
Threats associated with cyberattacks have also increased as evidenced by the criminally motivated and devastating ransomware attack in May 2021. The need to build cyber resilience drives some of the additional investments since 2021.
To develop a clear direction for future years, the Department of Health, in in collaboration with the HSE, are currently developing the digital health framework (2023-2030), which is intended as a refresh to the existing eHealth strategy that is now almost 10 years old. This framework is supported by a corresponding implementation plan, being developed by the HSE. The refreshed strategy will leverage lessons learned from the pandemic, the 2021 cyberattack, and will benefit from what we have seen work successfully in other countries.
The Digital Healthcare Strategic Framework will put a greater focus on empowering patients to take greater control of their own health and wellbeing by providing access to their digital health record. It is intended to provide patients with the choice to access more health services through digital channels, where it is safe to do so.
A key underlying enabler of the new Digital Strategic Framework will be the Health Information Bill. The purpose of the Health Information Bill is to provide a clear, certain, and consistent legislative framework to transform the health information system into one that is fit for purpose and best serves the individual patient, healthcare practitioners and society as a whole. The Bill is focused on delivering patient-centred integrated care; improving performance and innovation in the health service; and supporting digital and data initiatives in healthcare.
A telehealth steering group has been established that will focus on lessons learned in deploying technical solutions during the pandemic. A public procurement process is underway to establish a framework from which services may draw down using suitable telehealth platforms. Two smaller telehealth projects are already underway with sponsorship from the Slaintecare Integrated Innovation Fund.
Under the National Dementia Strategy, the Government has funded a national network of 25 Memory Technology Resource Rooms (MTRRs) which provide free occupational therapist assessments and advice on assistive technology, to help people adapt to their condition and maintain a degree of independence for as long as possible, while also providing support to family carers. The MTRRs are an important component of the post-diagnostic support framework set out in the Model of Care for Dementia which was published in May this year.
