Monash Magazine

An exciting new research project aimed at more closely linking hospitals with local health care professionals using the latest advances in information technology is currently taking place in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula region.

Health Care Net is a pilot project involving patient information being transferred across the Internet using an integrated computer network designed to improve the quality of local health care.

The project is being developed jointly by Monash University’s Peninsula School of Computing & Information Technology (PSCIT), the Peninsula Health Care Network (PHCN), the Mornington Peninsula Division of General Practice (MPDGP), and the Monash Centre of Medical Informatics (CMI).

When fully developed, Health Care Net will allow the secure electronic transfer of patient health care information between the Frankston Hospital and local general practitioners using the Internet.

The current problem, according to PSCIT head Associate Professor Phillip Steele, is that a disparate health care service means patient information is difficult to share.

"While still in its early development stages, Health Care Net could forever change the way health care professionals exchange information," Dr Steele said.

Stage one, which was recently launched at the Frankston Hospital, involved the establishment of a secure information repository that allows patient information to be stored at Frankston Hospital and transmitted to the MPDGP.

"During the trial period, inpatient, emergency and birthing information will be transferred to the MPDGP. Once information has reached the MPDGP, it will be dispatched by pathology courier to the patient's local GP," Dr Steele explained.

Only patients who have given their permission to share their health care information with the MPDGP and their local GP will be involved in the trial.

The transfer of information is completed using a virtual private network providing a secured electronic channel between the hospital’s computer system and the computer system at the Mornington Peninsula Division of General Practice.

The issues of security and patient confidentiality are overcome using advanced IT developments which enable the hospital computer to encrypt information before it is transmitted to the MPDGP.

Stage two of the project, which will be introduced during the next few months, will see the computer at the MPDGP send information to general practitioners on a daily basis, using either courier, facsimile or secured email, depending on the GP’s preference.

Stage three is the most advanced phase of Health Care Net. This will give GPs the option of using their web browser to directly view and download patient information onto their own PC.

MPDGP executive director Dr John Siemienowicz said Health Care Net opened the way for a much higher level of sharing of health care information between hospitals and general practitioners.

"Plans are already under way to include diagnostic results and medical images, and to include information of relevance to other health care service providers," Dr Siemienowicz said. "Health Care Net helps to break down existing barriers to general practitioners and hospitals effectively and securely sharing patient information. The patient is the real winner."

The chief information officer of the Peninsula Health Care Network, Mr Mohamed Ibrahim, explained that the pilot project provides a prototype that will allow for the establishment of similar commercial systems in other health care networks around Victoria and possibly Australia.

"The Peninsula Health Care Network provides a manageable environment to test such a system as it is condensed into a relatively small geographic area with most health care service providers having strong links to the Frankston Hospital," Mr Ibrahim said. "The advanced technology being used for Health Care Net has the potential to bring the health care industry to the forefront in terms of the technology use."

Funding for the project came from various sources including $50,000 from Monash's School of Business Systems, $20,000 from the PHCN, $10,000 from the MPDGP and $26,000 from the PSCIT.


Health Care Net involves a series of secure steps in which patient information is moved electronically and by courier from Frankston Hospital to the Mornington Peninsula Division of General Practice and to local general practitioners. The process will eventually offer GPs a completely electronic option via the internet.


	Transferring patient information.

IT is commonly accepted as the way of the future but the health care profession has been slow on the uptake – until now. A new development using the latest in technology could change the way patient information is moved around the health care industry.