Supporting and influencing the use of digital health

Remaining a high priority for the PHN is supporting and influencing the use of digital health in primary care. In the past year our Digital Health team connected with General Practice to generate the digital health maturity assessment. The assessment results have provided us with a benchmark to demonstrate our ongoing achievements within digital health. Other achievements included the continued growth in electronic referrals.

Digital Health Assessment reveals solid foundations for improvements in digital maturity.

Results to inform PHN digital health change and adoption approach.

The PHN has completed a comprehensive digital health maturity assessment of more than 300 health facilities revealing a higher score of 'digital maturity' across the HNECC region in comparison to other PHN regions.

The Digital Health Maturity Assessment is a tool for measuring the relative digital capabilities of general practices, aboriginal medical services, allied health practices and residential aged care facilities. Designed to be completed in 15 minutes, the assessments use a customisable, survey-based approach to address questions of infrastructure, technology, meaningful use, readiness and willingness for digital change, digital literacy and clinical leadership.

Following the assessment, health services were placed into an appropriate maturity level – Foundational, Intermediate or Advanced. Results were used to better understand the spectrum of digital health maturity across health sectors to improve the PHN's digital health change and adoption approach.

Over the period of April 22 to June 2023, using an established scoring methodology, the Health-e Together Digital Care Survey, (which was customised by healthcare organisation type), was sent to practices and facilities who opted-in to participate. The survey was typically completed by practice managers, general managers or business owners. The results revealed that the average maturity score for general practices in the HNECC region was 71.4 out of 100, a figure higher than the average for other PHN regions.

HNECC PHN Chief Executive Officer Richard Nankervis said the assessments have been an excellent tool for understanding where we are and where we want to be. “The Digital Health Maturity Assessment provides a unique opportunity for the PHN to effectively support primary healthcare organisations through sustainable digital change that benefits both consumers and the business.

“For example, the general practice results indicate that the technology infrastructure is in place and there is high readiness for change. The PHN can leverage these results to provide individualised support to practices to increase the meaningful use of digital health solutions and improve digital literacy.

“Our digital health team and Primary Care Improvement Officers are working across each of the health sectors to continue to facilitate this change. We thank all health professionals who are working with the PHN by embracing digital health technology, new and old.”

To support meaningful use, the PHN developed the Health-e Together Digital Care Toolbox which enables PHN teams to provide change support to all primary healthcare providers based on their current maturity.   

Digital Health; The PHN Highlights Innovation and Impact

With a vision for Healthy People and Healthy Communities, the PHN developed its Digital Health Strategy in 2021 to deliver improved health outcomes through strong digital health foundations that lead to accessible, equitable, safe, effective and sustainable digitally-enabled models of care. The objectives of the strategy are to:

• Explore how digital health technology can be utilised across primary health care to deliver better health outcomes for our communities.
• Focus on connecting care through digital health and integrating the health system.
• Support and influence enhancements in the use of digital health across all elements of primary care in the HNECC region.

The PHN is pleased to share some of our stories of Innovation and Impact from the last 12 months, via an Innovation Paper.

Since the PHNs inception in 2015, Innovation has sat at the heart of all work. The Digital Health Strategy 2021-2024 continues the driving desire for meaningful and sustainable change in primary healthcare that benefits all stakeholders and consumers with:

• Focus on the growth of digital literacy and digital health maturity across primary healthcare and highlighting the integration elements required with partners in the acute sector.
• Tangible development of stakeholder capability for digital health change for all primary health care stakeholders and internal PHN staff to efficiently support the local community’s health.
• The agreement that digital health investment targets the areas of need to effectively deliver the desired outcomes.

100,000 Electronic Referrals has HNE region leading in digital technology

Since its launch in June 2016, the SeNT eReferral system has seen 100 000 referrals electronically transmitted to over 450 Hunter New England Local Health District and private health providers across the region, providing security, reducing errors and saving both administrative and clinical time. Over 95% of eligible general practices in the region are currently accessing the SeNT eReferral system.

SeNT eReferrals is a component of the Integrated Care Enablers partnership between The PHN and Hunter New England Local Health District, exploring how digital health technology can be utilised to connect primary care and tertiary care, to deliver better health outcomes for our communities.

The PHN's CEO, Richard Nankervis, said the milestone is a significant step towards achieving The PHN’s digital health strategy “Since the pandemic began, we’ve experienced a significant increase in the availability and use of digital technologies in healthcare, including telehealth and My Health Record along with e-Referrals”.

Hunter New England Health Chief Executive, Michael DiRienzo said the e-referral process was a key priority for the District and was pleased to have championed this for the benefit of patients.

Several of the region’s practices, including Mayfield Medical Connection and Appletree Family Practice, have processed more than 2,500 SeNT eReferrals. The clinical areas most popular with eReferrals include maternity (11481 eReferrals), gynaecology (7519 eReferrals) and gastroenterology (7349 eReferrals).