Evaluation of the Tasmanian HealthConnect Trial Extension

To provide evaluation services for the Tasmanian HealthConnect Trial extension. HealthConnect is a proposal for an Australian wide electronic health records system aimed at improving the quality and accessibility of health information. HealthConnect involves the safe and secure collection, transfer, storage and subsequent retrieval of electronic health information, as agreed by participants. The Tasmanian Trial is one of two such trials currently occurring in Australia with a 12 month extension to June 2004 recently endorsed by Australian Health Ministers. The Tasmanian Trial is a key component in the national HealthConnect research work program and forms a major part of HealthConnect''s action research effort. The evaluation will involve a range of data collection, analysis and reporting activities of both a qualitative and quantitative nature. The Tasmanian Trial involves adults with diabetes across southern Tasmania and a range of their healthcare providers including medical specialists, general practitioners, hospitals, pathology, optometry, podiatry and diabetes education.