The report considers eHealth foundations built through policy development, funding approaches and capacity building in eHealth through the training of students and professionals. It then observes specific eHealth applications such as mHealth, telehealth, electronic health records systems and eLearning and how these contribute to the goals of UHC.

Of interest is the extent to which legal frameworks protect patient privacy in EHRs as health care systems move towards to delivering safer, more efficient, and more accessible health care. Finally the rapidly emerging areas of social media for health care as well as big data for research and planning are reported. This report complements the Atlas of eH

Highlights

• Private vendors׳ involvement does not depend on who has the responsibility of the EHR system development.
• Private vendors׳ involvement can be found in all phases of the EHR system development.
• Indicates the necessity of more efforts to be made for the integration of Standards, for enhancing interoperability.
• Identifies which Standards supported by EHR system in operation worldwide.

Abstract:

The primary aim of this research is to capture the existing experience from countries where nationwide EHR systems have already been implemented or the development is in a mature phase. To capture the necessary information, an international survey has been conducted with expert participants from 13 countries. The results of this research show that private vendors׳ involvement in most of the system development lifecycle phases is inevitable. However, the phase where most private vendors are involved in during the development of an EHR system is System Design. Interestingly, their involvement does not depend on who has the responsibility of the EHR system development (either a national organization or a private vendor).

Finally, examining the supported standards by EHR systems and their interoperability with other information systems, in respect to both technical and semantic interoperability, it is found that more efforts should be made for the integration of the most widely supported standards, and the enhancement of interoperability among health information systems, which will lead to the successful integration of a NEHR system.

From a national level to give Internet technology support, the Nationwide Integrated Healthcare System in Uruguay requires a model of Information Systems Architecture. This system has multiple healthcare providers (public and private), and a strong component of supplementary services. Thus, the data processing system should have an architecture that considers this fact, while integrating the central services provided by the Ministry of Public Health. The national electronic health record, as well as other related data processing systems, should be based on this architecture.

The architecture model described here conceptualizes a federated framework of electronic health record systems, according to the IHE affinity model, HL7 standards, local standards on interoperability and security, as well as technical advice provided by AGESIC. It is the outcome of the research done by AGESIC and Systems Integration Laboratory (LINS) on the development and use of the e-Government Platform since 2008, as well as the research done by the team Salud.uy since 2013.

gov.im (06.04.2020)

The Manx Earnings Replacement Allowance (“MERA”) provides an income of £200 per week to people who have been temporarily or permanently laid off, or lost their self-employed work since 2 March 2020. It was introduced on 6 April 2020 and has been extended to 20 September 2020. From 1 June those that have previously received a grant under the Coronavirus Business Support Scheme will be eligible to apply. It is available to both displaced employees - where their employer is unable to retain them under the Business Wage Support Scheme - as well as the self-employed, and will be payable for a maximum of 24 weeks between 6 April 2020 and 20 September 2020. No payment can be made for any period on or after 21 September 2020. Employees must have been earning at least £200 per week, on average, in at least 13 of the 26 weeks prior to the date they claim MERA. The self-employed must have actually registered to be self-employed with The Treasury before 2 March 2020.

gov.im (01.03.2020)

The purpose of the Salary support scheme is to provide salary support for businesses adversely affected by Coronavirus at this time. The Scheme was originally introduced to provide a contribution to a maximum of £280 per week per full time employee for up to 12 weeks beginning on the 2 March. It will now continue for an additional three claim periods with the last period ending on 17 August. 

gov.im (01.03.2020)
The Department for Enterprise's Coronavirus Business Support Scheme has been established to provide grant assistance to support local businesses in designated sectors that have been financially affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme offers financial support to eligible businesses in the form of a grant payment of £3,000. The business can be self-employed.

gov.je (20.03.2020)

A two phases Payroll Co-Funding Scheme was implemented. During the first phase (20 March to 31 March 2020) Government retrospectively paid employers (and self-employed workers) a subsidy of up to £200 per week towards each employee’s wage for business in the following sectors: hotels, restaurants, bars, wholesale, retail (excluding food), fisheries, hairdressing and other beauty treatment. These businesses can claim: £200 per week per worker who has been paid either:- at least £320 per week,or- at least £1,390 per calendar month. For lower paid workers, these businesses can claim 60% of either: (- 35%) of each worker’s usual monthly wage, or (- 35%) of 4 x each worker’s usual weekly wage. This scheme came into effect for those in employment as at Friday 20th March 2020, with the first payment due at the beginning of April. Phase two is available from 1 April to 30 June 2020.  During this time, the scheme will be kept under review and may be extended if needed. 

The New York Times (22.05.2020) More than a third of America’s Covid-19 deaths can be traced back to these facilities. Experts suggest several ways to make them safer.

Published: May 2020
By: Jay Patel, Research Assistant for Income Security Policy

The U.S. workers’ compensation system in its current form is complex, opaque and fragmented. Unlike other social insurance programs, it is wholly administered at the state level, and there is neither federal oversight nor any federal mandate that sets out minimum standards. As a result, there is substantial variation across states in levels of both coverage and benefits. Moreover, compensation differs for job-related injuries versus illnesses.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the challenge of determining whether employees who contract a highly contagious disease that exposes some workers more than others qualify for benefits under workers’ compensation. This brief explores how those two disparities – from state to state and between injuries and illnesses – are playing out during this crisis, and longer-term implications.

Download the third fact sheet in the Academy's COVID-19 Legislative Response series.

Nikkei (29.05.2020) On the 29th, the Pension Reform Law was enacted, which includes such provisions as a lowering of the starting age for public pension benefits to 75. Increase the amount of pension you receive by delaying receipt of benefits. The government will also review the "working-age pension," which reduces some of the pensions of the working elderly, in an effort to encourage the elderly to work. The application of employee pensions to part-time workers will also be expanded in a phased manner.

The International ORP Foundation in cooperation with the Vision Zero Business Council has hosted a series of three Vision Zero Webinars. The  webinars have shown how important a participatory approach to safety and health at work really is during the COVID-19 pandemic. The three webinars are available on YouTube:

Webinar 1: Vision Zero in times of Covid-19 (I)

Webinar 2: Vision Zero in times of Covid-19 (II)

Webinar 3: Vision Zero in times of Covid-19 (III): From Lockdown to the New Normal

The last Webinar discussed four critical success factors for a safe return to work after the lockdown.
These include:

• Developing a new, caring prevention culture at work
• Protecting the most vulnerable groups of employees
• Addressing all health risks caused by the pandemic
• Smart ways of promoting safe and healthy behaviour

ICLG.com Briefing (05.05.2020) Decision No. 01/19, dated 30/03/2020 (“Decision”), approved by the Government of Republic of Kosovo, has enacted the Emergency Fiscal Package.

Payment of monthly assistance in the amount of one hundred and thirty (€130) Euros to citizens who lose their jobs due to the public health emergency situation, for April, May and June, amounting up to four million (€4,000,000.00) Euros;

ICLG.com Briefing(05.05.2020) Decision No.. 01/19, dated 30/03/2020 (“Decision”), approved by the Government of Republic of Kosovo, has enacted the Emergency Fiscal Package.

• Provision of a salary top-up in the amount of three hundred (€300) Euros for field workers and those exposed directly to the risk of infection in their work (not the entire staff of the institution): medical staff (doctors and nurses), members of Kosovo Police, officials (guardians) of the Correctional Services, officials (fire-fighters) of the Emergency Management Agency, KSF (soldiers) personnel, employees working at the Quarantine – Student Centre in Prishtina, officials (inspectors) of the Labour Inspectorate, officials (inspectors) of the Tax Administration of Kosovo, officials of the Kosovo Customs, officials (inspectors) of the Market Inspectorate, officials (inspectors) of respective municipal inspectorates, officials (inspectors) of Labour Medicine, for April and May, amounting up to fifteen million (€15,000,000.00) Euros;
• Additional payment in the amount of one hundred (€100) Euros to employees of grocery stores, bakeries and pharmacies for April and May, amounting up to three million (€3,000,000.00) Euros;

 ICLG.com Briefing (05.05.2020) Decision No. 01/19, dated 30/03/2020 (“Decision”), approved by the Government of Republic of Kosovo, has enacted the Emergency Fiscal Package.

Financial support for business organisation under financial distress due to the downfall of their business activity that resulted from the public health emergency situation, as follows:

Covering of the value of pension contributions with regard to the measures foreseen under this Decision for April and May, amounting to eight million (€8,000,000.00) Euros.

ICLG.com Briefing (05.05.2020) Decision No. 01/19, dated 30/03/2020 (“Decision”), approved by the Government of Republic of Kosovo, has enacted the Emergency Fiscal Package.

Financial support for business organisation under financial distress due to the downfall of their business activity that resulted from the public health emergency situation, as follows:

• Covering of expenditures for the monthly salaries in the amount of one hundred seventy (€170) Euros for April and May, a measure amounting to forty-one million (€41,000,000.00) Euros;

 ICLG.com Briefing (05.05.2020) Decision No. 01/19, dated 30/03/2020 (“Decision”), approved by the Government of Republic of Kosovo, has enacted the Emergency Fiscal Package.

Payment of an additional sum of thirty (€30) Euros per month to all beneficiaries of social assistance and pension schemes who receive a monthly payment lower than one-hundred (€100) Euros, for April, May and June, provided that they are beneficiaries of only one scheme.

ICLG.com Briefing (05.05.2020) Decision No. 01/19, dated 30/03/2020 (“Decision”), approved by the Government of Republic of Kosovo, has enacted the Emergency Fiscal Package.

Double payment of the social assistance scheme to all beneficiaries of social assistance schemes for April and May, a measure amounting to seven million six hundred fifty thousand (€7,650,000.00) Euros, including payments executed for March;

 Ministry of Finance and Transfers (21.05.2020)  The Kosovo Treasury has executed the payment of all pension and social schemes for over 310 thousand beneficiaries, a few days before the regular time, due to the pandemic situation and in respect of the official holiday of the Great Eid.

Apanews.net (25.04.2020) The Gambia government has shipped in a large consignment of rice and sugar to ease the livelihood challenges of the citizenry amid Covid-19 lock down. The over 300,000 bags of  rice and sugar have been off loaded and packed at the Mcmarthy Square in  Banjul, pending distribution to households in all regions in the  country.

Development Pathways (May 2020) The COVID-19 crisis and its widespread impacts demonstrate the need to reform current social security systems in Asia.

Development Pathways (21.04.2020) As the COVID-19 pandemic rages like a wild inferno at a global scale, humanity is neck-deep in responding with every resource, instrument, policy and strategy that is at its disposal.