ADHA taps Telstra to transform My Health Record

The Australian Digital Health Agency has selected Telstra Health to lead the transformation of the nation’s My Health Record system.

Telstra Health will work alongside the agency, Smile Digital Health, and Leidos Australia to seek to update the system to support growing demand for real-time, interoperable health data. The project will involve eliminating the current system’s reliance on Clinical Document Architecture (CDA), a standard which is struggling to fully support the needs of clinicians and other healthcare providers across Australia.

Providers are currently encountering obstacles extracting specific, actionable data from CDA documents, according to the agency, leading to unnecessary inefficiencies at the point of care.

Agency CEO Amanda Cattermole said there has been a more than 60% increase in views of information like pathology and diagnostic imaging reports in My Health Record in the past year alone, a rate of growth that is straining the existing system.

“This announcement follows a rigorous selection process and recognises Telstra Health’s expertise and innovative approach to building a future-ready health data infrastructure for all Australians. The collaboration with Telstra Health will lay the foundation for a more efficient healthcare ecosystem that drives a healthier future for all Australians,” she said. “We look forward to working with Telstra Health and its partners, Smile Digital Health and Leidos Australia, to deliver the digital health products and services Australia needs.”

Telstra Health Managing Director Elizabeth Koff said the collaboration will aim to enhance connectivity and secure data exchange.

“The unified health data platform, built natively on FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) standards, will play a key role in enabling real-time health information sharing for improving patient outcomes and enhancing the care journey,” she said.

“At Telstra Health we know that care knows no boundaries. Together, with the Agency and our partners, Smile Digital Health and Leidos Australia, we are driving the future of connected healthcare, reinforcing our commitment to delivering a trusted, data-powered ecosystem that supports a more connected and sustainable health system for all Australians.”

Image credit: iStock.com/andreswd