Australia’s digital healthcare pipeline in 10 years

Over the next decade, Australia is expected to implement several digital health initiatives it outlined in its recently published blueprint.

An accompanying action plan for the Blueprint for Digital Healthcare 2023-2033 explains each initiative and how the intended results will be achieved in the short, medium and long term.

Many of these initiatives, such as e-prescribing, the Health Delivery Modernization Program, and various digital public health tools, are still ongoing. In the meantime, a number of outlined initiatives are in the pipeline, including:

• continued modernization of My Health Record and making sharing of other important health information standard to My Health Record;

• Connect Allied Health to my health record;

• supporting preparatory work to create a national legislative framework for health information sharing in states and territories;

• establishment of Genomics Australiawhich will guiding the responsible collection, storage, use and management of genomic data;

• Dollars go to healthcarethat will publish standardized and benchmarked financial information of residential aged care providers, promoting financial transparency and accountability;

• Government provider management systemwhich allows providers of elderly care to manage, view and maintain their data with the government themselves

WHY IT MATTERS

Modernizing Australia’s digital health record system is a key focus of the Department of Health and Aged Care the coming years. Work is underway to fulfill some of the recommendations Strengthening the Medicare Task Force last year, including overhauling the “clunky” My Health Record and establishing robust national governance and legislative frameworks to better connect health data across the healthcare system.

“Plans are underway to modernize the My Health Record system to meet (national health information) sharing requirements for consumers and healthcare providers, with future phases to be considered by (the) government,” the report said.

Last year, the government also invested A$5.8 million ($3.8 million) to help allied healthcare software providers connect to My Health Record. Funding was also set aside for initial legislative policy and analysis work by states and territories to establish a national legislative framework for sharing national health information across borders.

THE GREATER CONTEXT

The Australian Digital Health Blueprint provides “trusted, timely and accessible use of digital and data that underpins a personalized and connected health and wellbeing experience for all Australians.”

It has identified four key outcomes that revolve around digitally empowering consumers and healthcare professionals, securely sharing data and information, and building modern digital foundations of a standards-based healthcare system.

The blueprint was created to meet growing expectations and demands from consumers to gain more control over their health through digital means. It consolidates the federal government’s long-term investments in digital health and complements the National Digital Health Strategy, which is currently being redefined.