The key theme of the IDC Healthcare Insight conference includes digital healthcare trends, coverage versus cost management and compliance, governance and privacy.

Speakers include Ken Waldbillig, EMC director of clinical infomatics and Dr Patrick Chan, IDC emerging technologies research director.

The survey concentrates specifically on technology issues within the Australian healthcare industry, focusing on the implementation of clinical and patient care systems and storage.

Results from the survey already show Australian practitioners believe the "road to electronic medical records" is at least five years away.

Moroever, less than five percent of respondents have already implemented a formal governance process to look at IT implementations by using pre and post benefit examinations and more than 80 percent of healthcare providers who took part in the survey find it difficult to retrieve medical records such as e-mails and X-rays that are five years and older.