Digital health can benefit your practice

Digital health technologies can help allied health, general practices, pharmacies and specialists to improve the delivery and management of care for patients. Digital tools can provide access to safer, connected and quality healthcare to patients, no matter where they live.

Digital health technologies contribute to improving healthcare quality and outcomes by facilitating:

• Increased access
• Better care coordination
• Streamlined information management
• Easier communication and decision-making
• Reduced inefficiencies and costs
• Greater continuity of care, including during an emergency (see our emergency and natural disaster digital toolkit).

Supporting patient access to health technology can make a difference

Patients who are engaged in and have access to their own health information tend to have better health outcomes. Greater access and better understanding enables patients to:

• Monitor their health more closely – recognising potential issues and seeking medical advice earlier can improve health and wellbeing.
• Feel more empowered to take control of their health – being more proactive in managing chronic conditions i.e. lifestyle changes, sticking to treatment plans and following preventive measures improves quality of life.
• Communicate more effectively with their healthcare providers – leading to better collaboration, shared decision-making, personalised care plans and higher patient satisfaction.

Health practitioners can build on this conversation and support patients and carers to optimise access and understanding of their own health information digitally by:

• Uploading patient health information to their My Health Record.
• Encouraging patients to download the my health app onto their mobile device or access My Health Record via their MyGov account. As well as easy access to a summary of their health information, the my health app has new features that supports the health literacy of patients, including links to:
  • Healthdirect services on medicines information, allergies, health topics, symptom checker and finding a health service.
  • Test results, including pathology results.
• Providing patient education materials in your practice. Well placed, easy-to-read posters and handouts that explain why and how to access and use digital technology can be invaluable.

Resources

• Consumers
  • Learn digital skills | Good Things Foundation
  • The Australian Digital Health Agency has comprehensive information and resources for consumers (and healthcare practices).
• First Nations Peoples
  • Digital health literacy video – Latoya’s journey in Yumpla Tok language
  • Digital health literacy video – Latoya’s journey in English
  • DigitalHealth: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health online courses
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health resources | Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
  • Resources – Digital Services – Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet
• People with a disability and their healthcare providers
  • Australian Government Disability Gateway – Health resources about supported decision making
  • Australian Government Disability Gateway – For healthcare providers: making sure your remote or online platforms and tools meet participants’ accessibility needs
    Check remote tools
  • People With Disability Australia (PWDA) – Information and webinars developed in collaboration with the Australian Digital Health Agency
• People who are multilingual
  • Health Translations – a free library of Australian Multilingual health and wellbeing information (Vic Gov DoH)
  • Australian Digital Health Agency website – can be translated into more than 50 languages. To access go to the far right of the navigation bar, click on the down arrow next to ‘Language’. The Agency also has an online digital health learning portal for consumers, healthcare providers and students.
  • Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing – translated resources
• Healthcare practitioners
  • RACGP information on what to consider when discussing health apps with patients

Further support and resources

Contact us

If you are interested in learning more, need advice or are looking to integrate new technology, contact Murray PHN’s Digital Health team: digitalhealth@murrayphn.org.au

• Vicki Dane, Digital Health Consultant
• Michelle Kelly, Digital Health Consultant
• Jacinta Bath, Digital Health Consultant
• Samuel Harvey, Aged Care Digital Health Consultant
• Georgia Pistor, Aged Care Digital Health Consultant