National digital health plan flags technology fragmentation

The fragmentation of technology in Australia’s health system has been reiterated in a new National Digital Health Capability Action Plan (CAP).

The collaboration between the Australian Digital Health Agency and the Australasian Institute of Digital Health (AIDH) is a multi-year plan for supporting healthcare workers to deliver virtual and connected care.

While the focus is on digital frameworks and skills, the plan also notes challenges created by the “wide variety of systems and technology across the sector.”

The plan states that “there is little consistent adoption of similar systems nationally, and technologies are likely to change over time and across different settings, workforces and regions.”

“A lack of interoperability between systems and a general lack of consistency or user-friendliness makes it more challenging for health workers to learn and apply digital skills.”

Challenges also include “Variable access to systems and challenges with connectivity constrains opportunities to embed digital health learning.”

Interoperability and standardisation of technology systems is important, the authors state, though that is not within the scope of the CAP.

The CAP lays out a plan for building digital health capability across the health workforce, focusing on the development of frameworks, tools and resources that support individuals and organisations to build digital health capability.

This includes frameworks and guidelines to support consistent digital health capabilities and practice nationally.

Education and training to enable the health workforce to upskill and adopt digital is also a focus. The plan also encompasses regulation to require the inclusion of digital health in regulated health education.

Success would include workforce digital health capabilities agreed on and able to be adopted and adapted across the system, the health workforce equipped to navigate the ethical and safety implications of digital health, and the health workforce having access to opportunities and resources to learn and apply digital health skills.

The plan also covers technology access, aiming for a "coordinated approach to connect educators and learners with technology providers through a central repository of links to practice versions of a range of systems. This would enable students and workers to develop skills and familiarity before using the technology on the job."

This might include provision of guidance and structure to technology providers in how to provide access to students and workers – including an approach to provision of licenses or log-ins.

It could also include tracking and logging the different test versions or sites available, and keeping links updated in a central location.

Over time, processes could be implemented to require technology providers to provide test versions as a prerequisite to receiving contracts. The CAP calls for technology providers to be invited to participate.