National push to fix the nation’s fragmented medical imaging system

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) and the Australian Diagnostic Imaging Association (ADIA) have commenced a consultation on a major new initiative aimed at improving access to medical images across Australia’s fragmented healthcare system.

The Image Access Project initiative is part of the Australian Digital Health Agency’s (ADHA) Health Connect Australia program. It seeks to tackle entrenched inefficiencies and safety risks caused by the current disjointed approach to medical imaging, where prior scans are often difficult for clinicians to locate and access. These barriers can lead to delayed diagnoses, unnecessary repeat imaging, and compromised patient care.

Dr Nick Ferris, Chair of the Digital Health Committee at RANZCR, outlined the scope of the consultation, which span clinical, industry, and technology stakeholders.

“Stakeholder engagement is a critical step in our discovery work for Image Access. We will gather insights and perspectives across stakeholder groups to map user journeys and identify key issues and needs.

“This will help us to develop a comprehensive understanding of the current landscape, requirements for a sustainable future state and put forward recommendations that will benefit not only radiology, but healthcare providers, patients and the community,” explained Dr Ferris.

The project aims to deliver a strategic report with recommendations for government, supporting the creation of an interoperable national system aligned with the National Digital Health Strategy and the broader Digital Health Blueprint.

“Ultimately, we are working towards mapping out a framework for medical image exchange that facilitates efficient clinician access to, and safe, timely, sharing of medical images to improve patient care and outcomes,” Dr Ferris said.

ADHA CEO Amanda Cattermole PSM confirmed that feedback from last year’s national consultation on the Health Connect Australia Strategy, Architecture, and Roadmap identified image access as a pressing issue.

“Clinicians face significant challenges in accessing medical images, and it was clear that a coordinated national solution is urgently needed,” Cattermole said.

She pointed to the recent passage of the Health Legislation Amendment (Modernising My Health Record – Sharing by Default) Bill 2024 as a crucial enabler for change, particularly as more diagnostic imaging reports are uploaded to My Health Record.

“Enhancing access to the images associated with those reports is a logical and necessary next step,” she said.

ADIA President Dr Ron Shnier echoed this sentiment, welcoming renewed momentum in the push for national interoperability.

“Access to prior images has been a long-standing pain point for radiology practices. The lack of connectivity between repositories causing inefficiencies and compromising diagnostic quality and patient safety when prior studies cannot be found.

“An interoperable national system has been an aspiration of ADIA’s for many years, and we’re very pleased to be working with RANZCR and the Agency to develop recommendations for government,” stated Dr Shnier.

Further details on the Image Access Project, including upcoming opportunities for stakeholder engagement, will be announced here.

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