Digital Health in General Practice
Last updated May 19, 2023
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The PHN is dedicated to helping general practices across the Hunter New England and Central Coast region to understand and make meaningful use of digital health initiatives.
The use of Digital Health can help improve the healthcare system for providers and help people live healthier lives, with greater control and better access to important health information.
Here you will be able to find resources and information that will assist your practice in the implementation of these initiatives, alongside the development and integration of quality improvement activities to support your digital health needs.
For Digital Health support please contact your Primary Care Improvement Officer (PCIO).
For more information on the full PHN digital health strategy, including information relating to My Health Record, telehealth, secure messaging, and electronic prescription, please visit:
PIP eHealth Payment
The PIP eHealth Incentive aims to encourage practices to keep up-to-date with digital health and adopt new digital health technology as it becomes available.
Data and Dashboard
Data Extraction
Pencat recipes for Shared Health Summaries (SHS) uploaded by the practice
The PHN provides free licencing to the PenCS suite of products (It combines platforms of the Clinical Audit Tool (CAT4), PAT CAT and Topbar) for the extraction of data from general practices to support with:
- Quality Improvement
- Accreditation standards
- Practice Incentive Program (PIP) Quality Improvement (QI)
- Population Health planning/support (Comprehensive General Dashboard Reports).
It is compatible with most of the General Practice Clinical Information Systems (CIS). All identifiable data extracted from a Clinical Information System using CAT Plus is securely stored within the practice and not moved offsite.
For more information on the PenCS suite of tools please visit https://www.pencs.com.au/ and for more information and support with General Practice Data please contact your PCIO.
Quality Improvement
Record Templates
Practical Examples
Fundamentals Guide
Improvement Toolkit
The Patient
Community of Practice
Join the Digital Health Community of Practice
This PHN’s Communities of Practice are open to primary care providers within the Hunter, New England & Central Coast Primary Health Network region to share ideas and resources to support quality improvement activities.
Anyone associated with a primary care organisation in the Hunter, New England and Central Coast region is welcome to request membership of the CoP.
Evidence of employment in a primary care organisation or evidence of working closely with primary care clinicians will be required.
Please note that any resources contributed to this site can be viewed by members of that CoP and by sharing them you agree that others can use and adapt them freely.
To join the Community of practice for Digital Health, please email Sandie Horden shorden@thephn.com.au or contact your Primary Care Improvement Officer.
Resources
The PHN recorded education library
Hunter New England HealthPathways
Hunter New England PatientInfo
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association
Australian Digital Health Agency - Refer to the ADHA website for information relating to :
My Health Record - support and resources for:
- Register and setup access
- View and upload clinical info
- Understand privacy, security and consent
- Access training and resources
- Support and inform patients
- Help and support.