Pinned straw:
Article in AFR - looks like some serious drum beating to get the healthcare system of paper and onto digital systems, a future tail wind for ALC:
Business Council of Australia says digi...t must lead healthcare system overhaul.pdf
Alcidion is a predominantly UK play with a reasonable degree of penetrance in amongst the various NHS trusts with the potential for growth.
In my day job, I've used Epic for 2 years in ACT and will also be one of the pilot sites for the NSW SDPR.
I don't think the clinical outcomes are the main consideration as to whether an EMR system gets the green light. The bean counters care most about how easy it is to capture data for billing purposes, and in this respect, Epic works well in Australia. This isn't particularly surprising given the largely private billing system that exists in the USA.
Australia is much closer to the USA than UK when it comes to financial matters, so unsurprisingly, Epic makes a lot of sense to bean counters here.
The UK, on the other hand, is culturally different, and doesn't rely on any private billing. Epic could work, but I don't think it's a good fit for how the UK works.
So long as Alcidion's offerings are good enough and priced competitively, I don't see Epic getting a foothold in the UK.
Alcidion now needs to follow through with enough contract wins to prove it.
Disc: held.
Wow, what an interesting podcast and company! It has definitely made me rethink my investment in ALC. Thanks for the link @Solvetheriddle
Interesting given that NSW Health has signed a contract in 2023 to transition from Cerner to EPIC as part of their Single Digital Patient Project resulting in the first time having a State Wide system to support continuity of care.
EPIC software is currently being used domestically in the ACT and certain hospitals in Melbourne
Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD) will be the first LHD to go live with the new platform in 2025. The sequencing of other local health districts is currently being considered, with a readiness assessment underway.
The SDPR program is working towards the following timeline*:
*Activities and timeframes subject to change following detailed planning.
The SDPR will be implemented in all NSW Health public hospitals over the next 6 years.
Reference: https://www.ehealth.nsw.gov.au/news/2023/sdpr-contract-signed
To put the size of this matter in context, please note that Epic Inc., is one of the world’s largest (if not the largest) provider of EMR (electronic medical record) software and related products and services. However, this will be the largest single instance deployment of Epic’s EMR software, globally, with over well over 100,000 users across more than 200 sites.
Reference:
https://www.maddocks.com.au/insights/nsw-health-single-digital-patient-record