National digital health initiatives
Queensland Health actively participates in national digital health initiatives and leverages national infrastructure where possible. The National digital health patient journey fact sheet (PDF 238 kB) provides an example of how national digital health systems will assist a patient to seamlessly flow through the health system.
Australia's digital health infrastructure
National digital infrastructure underpinning a number of Queensland Health's digital health initiatives include:
- National healthcare identifiers
Reliably and consistently identify healthcare providers, healthcare organisations and individuals receiving healthcare - National authentication services for health
Authenticate users, including organisations and people, through the use of digital certificates to safely share and manage access to information in the healthcare system - Clinical terminologies
Accurately describe the care and treatment of patients (including complex concepts such as diseases, operations, treatments and medicines) to enable the safe and unambiguous exchange of clinical information between healthcare providers - National health services directory
A directory to enable health professionals and consumers to access reliable and consistent information about health services. See Find a health service to use the directory. - National product catalogue
A single mechanism to communicate standardised and accurate product and price data electronically - Standards and specifications
Agreed national standards and specifications for consistent communication of clinical information across care settings—for example, implementation and use of the electronic discharge summary specification.
Australia's national digital health strategy
Australia’s National Digital Health Strategy – Safe, seamless and secure: evolving health and care to meet the needs of modern Australia – was released on 4 August 2017.
The strategy was developed in close partnership with all governments of Australia, patients, carers and clinicians, together with industry and science leaders, and outlines seven strategic priority outcomes for digital health from 2018 to 2022. The strategy can be found on the Australian Digital Health Agency website.
On 3 July 2018 the strategy was officially launched and the first Framework for Action was released by the Australian Digital Health Agency. The framework outlines key activities prioritised for delivery between 2018 and 2022 that will support the implementation of the strategy. The framework promotes collaboration and information sharing, and acts as a guide for organisations across the sector to identify opportunities to help deliver on national priorities. The framework can be found on the Australian Digital Health Agency website.
National electronic health records
The Australian Government manages personal electronic health records through the My Health Record system. The My Health Record website provides information about the records and how to register to access the system for both patients and healthcare providers. The national My Health Record helpline is also available on 1800 723 471.
Queensland Health has state-wide systems that use the My Health Record system to increase the ability for information to be shared with healthcare providers and patients. For further information on Queensland Health’s current participation in the My Health Record system, refer to Queensland Health's My Health Record website.