Digital health adoption

Provider Connect Australia (PCA) is a new program (launched early 2023) operated by the Australian Digital Health Agency to streamline the process for healthcare provider organisations to update their business information with a range of business partners.

As a single place to update your business information, PCA aims to improve the accuracy of healthcare service and practitioner information, while reducing the amount of time and manual duplication of notification to health service directories, communication services, and other key partners in your healthcare service delivery.

Electronic Transfer of Prescriptions (ETP) supports the safe and secure transfer of prescription information between a prescriber (doctor, specialist, dentist, optometrist, nurse practitioner etc.) and a community pharmacy using an electronic system known as a Prescription Exchange Service (PES).

The current PES system is available through eRx script exchange. Find out more here.

Electronic Prescribing and Dispensing (eScript) provides an option for prescribers and their patients to present a QR code eScript (via email or text message) as an alternative to a paper-based prescription.

As a prescriber it is a requirement of eScripts to have conformant software and be registered with a PES.

To prepare for electronic prescribing, your prescribing practice or pharmacy may need to register or renew a NASH certificate to access Healthcare Identifiers Service. An electronic prescribing checklist is available for prescribers or pharmacy.

There are a number of benefits to using ETP & eScripts including:

• improved confidentiality and security of medication information
• better clarity and communication of prescription information
• rapid information exchange
• choice of prescription format that suits patient preference
• potential reduction in medication and dispensing errors
• potential decline in adverse drug events
• reduced prescription misuse through increased data available for future real-time monitoring.

Setting up electronic prescribing

Best Practice users can find information and download (Jade SP3 and later) updates here.

MedicalDirector Clinical and Pracsoft users can download (3.18c or 4.0) here. You can also find more information on how to use MedicalDirector electronic prescribing.

My Health Record is an online summary of an individual’s health information that can be shared securely between the patient and authorised healthcare providers involved in their care. Individuals can control what goes into their My Health Record, and who can access it.

Through the My Health Record system you will access timely information about your patients such as shared health summaries, discharge summaries, prescription and dispense records, advance care plan, pathology and diagnostic imaging reports. It will not replace existing medical records and you will continue to take and review clinical notes.

The key benefits of the My Health Record system are:

• avoid adverse drug events
• enhanced patient self-management
• improvements in patient outcomes
• reduce time gathering information
• avoided duplication of services.

The My Health Record website has information for healthcare professionals on how to register and set-up your practice to the system, how to view and upload information, how to support consumers with questions about privacy and security, and a range of tools and training modules.

Access information about NASH renewal here.

Secure messaging supports the secure point-to-point delivery of healthcare messages to a single known receiving organisation.

This electronic messaging software enables health professionals to send and receive sensitive or confidential documents such as referrals, reports, pathology and radiology requests, results and discharge summaries in a secure and encrypted environment.

Secure Messaging minimises the burden of manual and paper processes and is a timely and cost effective means for sending and receiving clinical information. Find out more here.

A range of secure messaging products are available, including Argus, Healthlink, Medical Objects and ReferralNet.

To ensure your practice and providers continue to access securely transferred patient documents including discharge summaries from your Local Health District, please refer to this information sheet and form for guidance.

Telehealth removes some of the barriers to accessing medical services for Australians who have difficulty getting to a specialist, or live in rural and remote areas.

Interactive telehealth appointments are real-time communication encounters between a patient and a clinician, delivered via video conference. In this way, the patient and practitioner are able to talk, share images and information as they would in a face-to-face appointment.

These consultations may occur in the patient’s home, a general practice, residential aged care facility, Aboriginal Medical Service, consulting rooms or other settings. Access to telehealth services can reduce waiting time, travel time and expense for patients that would otherwise have to travel to see a practitioner. Allowing patients to access treatment closer to their own family and home can help to alleviate anxiety and streamline the patient journey.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Telehealth video consultations guide is designed to help practices make use of MBS-supported video consultations.

Inca (short for integrated care) is a web-based, comprehensive shared health record and care planning solution. The platform connects your patients with their healthcare team to support a multidisciplinary care approach, and COORDINARE has secured licensing for general practices across the South Eastern NSW catchment.

The Inca Integrated Care platform syncs with all major practice software to automatically populate key demographics and clinical information. Currently, Inca can be used with Best Practice, Medical Director, Communicare, Zedmed and MedTech clinical software. 

Inca’s guided templates have been developed in consultation with the RACGP and include input from key advisory agencies. Inca allows you to: 

• create Medicare-compliant, evidence-based GPMPs and TCAs simply and efficiently
• share plans with the care team automatically
• allocate tasks and send automatic reminders when actions need completing
• identify and produce the relevant MBS Health Assessments which then pre-populate the objectives and tasks in the care plans
• track and monitor adherence to the plan to ensure follow-up is occurring
• store all approved and shared documentation in one single and easily accessible patient record
• view information in real-time, allowing for better informed and more timely interventions, that in turn can enhance patient outcomes.

Patient engagement with their care plan is key to a plan’s success. Inca provides your patients with access to their personalised care plans where they can communicate with their care team via the web portal and enter any relevant information to keep the care team up to date. The Meditracker App gives patients another access point to view their health records and keep up to date with their metrics and health goals. Watch this video for more detail.

To take advantage of this great opportunity, please complete COORDINARE’s Service Level Agreement here and return to the Digital Health Team. You will then receive the link to Inca’s online registration.

Lumos is a partnership initiative between COORDINARE, the Southern NSW and Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health Districts, and the NSW Ministry of Health. 

Lumos is an ethically approved program that securely links encoded data from general practices to other health data in NSW, including hospital, emergency department, mortality, and others. The program sheds light on the patient journey, providing insights into how your patients are interacting with the health system.