Digital Health
The PHN assists primary health care providers to understand and make meaningful use of digital health.
The use of digital technology in health may bring improvements in service quality, efficiency and equity (WHO WPRO, 2018). This creates opportunities for a health system that is seeking to enable individuals, families and communities to maintain and improve their health through timely access to quality services.
The Australian digital health environment incorporates several digital infrastructure and technologies at national, state, regional and organisation levels.
Below is more information on the diverse range of Digital Health options available to your practice.
SeNT eReferral System
SeNT eReferral allows General Practitioners to send secure electronic referrals to both public and consenting private specialists and allied health providers.
Visit our SeNT eReferral page to learn more.
My Health Record
My Health Record lets people control their health information securely, in one place. This means a patient’s important health information is available when and where it’s needed, including in an emergency.
Through the My Health Record system, timely information can be accessed such as shared health summaries, event summaries, discharge summaries, prescription and dispense records, pathology reports and diagnostic imaging reports.
We are working with the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) to support the My Health Record adoption and embed My Health Record use and awareness across health care providers in our region.
Visit our My Health Record page to learn more.
HealthPathways
HealthPathways is an online health information portal for GPs and other primary health clinicians, to be used at the point of care. It provides information on how to assess and manage medical conditions, and how to refer patients to local specialists and services in the timeliest way.
Visit our HealthPathways page to learn more.
Telehealth
Video and telephone consultations ‘telehealth’ help to protect both patients and providers, preventing the spread of infection, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
MBS telehealth items are available to providers of telehealth services for a wide range of consultations. All Medicare eligible Australians can now receive these services.
Visit our Telehealth page to learn more.
Secure Messaging
Secure messaging software offers point-to-point sharing of encrypted clinical data. This enables confidentiality of patient records and improves the quality of information flow. It can also significantly reduce overheads related to printing, faxing, mailing, and scanning of referrals.
Secure messaging options include:
Learn more about secure messaging for healthcare providers here
Electronic Prescriptions
Commonwealth legislation now recognises an electronic prescription as an optional, alternative legal form to paper prescription for prescribers (including doctors, dentists, optometrists, midwives and nurse practitioners, excluding veterinarians) and their patients by which medicines can be supplied under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Paper and electronic prescriptions will meet the relevant Commonwealth and State and Territory legislation.
Patients may choose to have a new prescription in electronic prescription or paper form and must have an individual healthcare identifier (IHI) to participate (individuals enrolled into Medicare or Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) will already have an IHI).
Visit our Electronic Prescriptions page to learn more.
Capacity Tracker
Capacity Tracker is a free, secure, online communication tool that allows General Practices (GP), Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS) and Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACF) to provide real-time workforce and resource data to the PHN.
eRequesting
General practices can now participate in e-requesting of pathology tests if they refer patients to labs with the necessary software.
Lumos
The Lumos program is a partnership between us and the NSW Ministry of Health. The program links de-identified patient records from general practices with NSW Health records, to map patient journeys across the NSW health system. Lumos generates new insights to improve health services and patient outcomes across the state.
Visit our Lumos page to learn more
Health Data
The PHN utilises PAT CAT with General Practices in the region, which is an easy-to-use web-based interface that aggregates de-identified General Practice data for population health management.
For more information contact the Primary Care Improvement Team
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.
How can your practice implement Digital Health?
The PHN supports practice’s in Continuous quality improvement (CQI). It is a system of regularly reviewing and refining processes to improve them over time. As a result of an effective CQI system, you should improve:
- the quality of care your patients receive;
- their health outcomes, and
- your business efficiency
Quality Improvement Ideas one pager
Contacts
Marilyn Dickson- Program Manager
0437 819 946
Peter Mullen- Digital Health Officer
0448 849 916
Jaclyn Allison- Digital Health Officer
0438 479 681