Will the new digital health strategy shatter silos in healthcare delivery?

Digital & Innovation: Federal, state, and territory governments have united behind a 5-year plan that to leverage the latest advancements in digital technology. The National Digital Health Strategy 2023-2028 and its accompanying Strategy Delivery Roadmap, unveiled yesterday, mark a pivotal moment in Australia’s healthcare landscape.

Developed through consultation with consumers, healthcare professionals, and the software industry, the strategy aims to drive key reforms in policy and regulatory settings, ensuring improved adoption and innovation in digital health.

Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care, emphasised the need for a digitally-ready healthcare workforce and and noted the potential of emerging technologies.

“We must embrace the opportunities offered by digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, genomics, and other emerging technologies, to better use data to improve health outcomes and create a healthcare system that is more equitable and person-centred.

“The ability to discover and share information across care settings through a near real-time data exchange will facilitate multi-disciplinary team-based care, ease pressure on the workforce and improve sustainability by reducing fragmentation and duplication,” stated Minister Butler.

Amanda Cattermole PSM, CEO of Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA), remarked “In an age of precision medicine, characterised by healthcare innovations like wearable technology and AI-driven genomic research, we are witnessing a paradigm shift towards personalised and preventative healthcare.”

A survey of 8,000 Australians conducted by the Consumers Health Forum (CHF) in collaboration with Deloitte, Curtin University, and the Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre unveiled that although individuals prefer in-person healthcare consultations, cost and travel significantly impact their choices. The findings indicated that most consumers are open to telehealth consultations, especially when dealing with familiar healthcare providers and where the reason for the consultation is not about a new condition.

Maintaining data security and privacy is crucial in advancing the digital landscape, especially in light of recent data breaches. Additionally, there is a vital responsibility to ensure that digital health services are inclusive, meeting the diverse needs of populations across the country.

The Strategy Delivery Roadmap emphasises inclusivity by aligning with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations. However, it does not specifically address the unique needs of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) populations, comprising around one-third of the total population, and lacks details on how these needs will be addressed.

While 52% of healthcare providers cite cost and funding as a barrier to implementing digital health solutions, Dr Steve Hambleton, Agency Chief Clinical Advisor at ADHA, noted the positive impact of technology on health outcomes.

“Digital tools will never replace doctors but doctors who use digital tools will likely replace doctors who don’t,” he asserted.

Ms Cattermole added “The Strategy captures areas of reform that require a nationally coordinated effort across all jurisdictions to drive transformation in digital health.”

The Intergovernmental Agreement on National Digital Health 2023–2027 represents a 4-year funding commitment, reflecting the shared commitment of the Commonwealth, states, and territories to digital health priorities. The National Digital Health Strategy aims for four key outcomes: digitally enabled health services, person-centred empowerment, inclusive access, and data-driven decision-making.

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