ADHA tries to forge greater e-health participation

The Australian Digital Health Agency is set to test new models of healthcare that are enabled or enhanced by the forthcoming personal e-health record.

The operator of the record system said it is looking to fund a series of test bed projects in partnership with industry and academia to feed into the creation of digitally-enabled services and new models of healthcare.

It will use the projects both to test digital technologies and to “produce evidence of the positive impact" new services or models of care might provide.

This is in line with the national digital health strategy 2018-2022, which proposes "test[ing] evidence-based digital empowerment of key health priorities” and "solving any technical obstacles”.

The strategy outlines seven “strategic priorities” for digital health in Australia, including the shift to a default electronic My Health Record for every Australian by the end of this year.

The projects will initially use the My Health Record system to focus on addressing priority health areas.

They will "especially" focus on enhancing consumer participation and empowerment, as well as on integrated care, patient experience and chronic disease management.

The agency is currently calling for proposals.

The first tranche of test beds incorporating the use of the My Health Record system will be expected to have “baseline measures” in place by the start of November this year.

“This is with a view to leveraging the significant efforts underway in 2018 to raise awareness of the My Health Record and expand participation, and to use this national infrastructure as a platform for innovation,” tender documents state.

The agency also wants to use the projects to inform the “development of a test bed framework ... for implement[ing] and evaluat[ing] the use of digital health technologies”.

The “co-operative model of delivery” will see the agency match put up to $600,000 towards each test bed.