Digital health - Test Beds

In collaboration with the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA), Sydney North Health Network is pleased to be leading two digital health test bed projects. Over three-years we will work with 9 Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs) and thirty-two private specialists, and their clinical networks, to test and measure the benefits of embedding My Health Record (MHR) and Secure Message Delivery (SMD) into daily working practice.

Why are we doing these projects?

Adoption of digital technologies amongst healthcare providers is varied, ranging from solely paper-based practices to those who operate completely digitally. Specialists, general practices and RACFs currently use a range of technologies including fax machine, postal services, telephony, secure message delivery and Electronic Medical Record (EMR) programs to store and share patient data. It can cost time and money navigating the various systems that could otherwise be dedicated to achieving more meaningful business outcomes. Siloed, fragmented and incomplete clinical information leads to duplicated services, and risk, when information is misplaced or sent to the wrong recipient. This is particularly pertinent in the aging community when they are transitioning between services and their medical information isn’t available at point of care.

What are the benefits?

Sending information via SMD is fast, point to point, encrypted and provides a delivery receipt. This eliminates the printing, faxing and shredding process, the privacy and security issues with email and fax receipt and the risk of data being misplaced during the transmission process. Financial benefit can be found via the reduction of postal costs.

Having access to a patient’s My Health Record reduces time spent gathering medical history, medicines and dispense list, pathology, diagnostic imaging, diagnoses, adverse reactions and allergies information from various clinicians, and reduces duplicate test ordering. Having a patient’s record visible and written by a clinician reduces reliance on patient’s memories to recall their medical history. Additionally, My Health Record is helpful when patients lack capacity to convey this information.

What is involved?

Specialists and RACFs will receive support from the PHN project team to install SMD and connect to the MHR system. Following this, support will be provided to embed the regular use of these technologies into daily operations for pilot sites and their network in the form of training, resources, information, trouble shooting.

How to get involved?

We are currently recruiting private specialists who work from Sydney Adventist Hospital and RACFs in the Northern Sydney region. For more information please contact James Alcorn – jalcorn@snhn.org.au (02) 9432 8204.