Clinical information system standards
Supporting a connected digital health system
What is a clinical information system?
A clinical information system (CIS) is a digital system clinicians use to record, manage and access a person's health information. It supports everyday tasks such as documenting care, reviewing medical history, managing medications and securely sharing information with other healthcare providers.
Across Australia, healthcare providers use a range of CIS products every day, including:
- the software a GP uses to record consultations and prescribe medicines
- the digital care management system used in a residential aged care home
- an electronic medication management system for tracking prescriptions and administration
These systems hold and move clinical information across care settings. The CIS Standards help ensure they can do this using consistent, reliable and secure approaches.
What are CIS standards?
The CIS Standards consist of a list of technical standards, that share the recommended minimum software requirements for how clinical information should be captured, structured and exchanged. They align with national interoperability frameworks, including HL7 FHIR for data exchange and SNOMED CT-AU and the Australian Medicines Terminology for clinical language. This ensures clinical information systems use consistent data and can communicate more reliably.
Developers use the CIS Standards to plan and upgrade their products to support structured clinical documents, medication information, immunisation histories and other information commonly exchanged through FHIR-based services and APIs. The standards also guide integration with national services such as My Health Record.
For aged care homes, the CIS Standards make it easier to share digital care records, assessment details and medication information securely between the GP and residential aged care home systems. This helps streamline the flow of essential information about consumers, supporting better coordination and safer care.
In general practices, the standards ensure clinical software can accurately capture and send information when caring for older people living in residential aged care. This supports timely, comprehensive and reliable information exchange, which is vital for continuity of care and improving health outcomes for residents.
How the CIS Standards support digital care
Australia's health and aged care systems are becoming increasingly digital, and providers need clinical information systems that can exchange information accurately and securely. The Australian Digital Health Agency developed the Clinical Information System (CIS) Standards to support this shift.
These standards define the recommended minimum software requirements for clinical information systems so they can share information in a consistent, reliable way that improves data quality, reduces duplication and supports coordinated care.
The CIS Standards are developed in collaboration with industry experts, healthcare providers and software developers. This approach ensures the standards are practical, technically sound and aligned with national digital health priorities. They give developers clear expectations so they can build systems that work well together and support the safe, efficient flow of clinical information across care settings. The development of the Aged Care CIS Standards and GP CIS Standards was a collaborative process that included workshops, webinars and targeted discussions with aged care providers, primary care clinicians, software developers, peak bodies and industry experts. This approach ensures that the clinical community and technical community are both engaged in shaping how CIS Standards can support the sector.
Current CIS Standards
There are currently two CIS Standards, with more in development:
Aged Care Clinical Information System Standards (ACCIS Standards)
The ACCIS Standards outline the minimum software requirements for patient management and electronic medication management systems used in aged care. The ACCIS Standards support Recommendation 68 of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety Final Report which calls for every approved provider to use a digital care management system that meets a national standard and connects with My Health Record. The ACCIS Standards help aged care homes use systems that meet these expectations and integrate with national digital health infrastructure.
The Aged Care CIS Standards are available on the Implementer Hub.
A factsheet for Residential Aged Care Providers (PDF, 177.54 KB) is available that outlines the benefits of the ACCIS Standards and how it aligns with the Aged Care Quality Standards.
General Practitioner Clinical Information System Standards (GP CIS Standards)
GPs and primary care practitioners play a key role in supporting older people living in residential aged care homes. The GP CIS Standards build on the ACCIS Standards and define the minimum requirements for clinical software used when GPs and other primary care providers support older people living in residential aged care facilities. This alignment helps create a more consistent digital experience across primary care and aged care and supports better continuity of care.
Together, the ACCIS and GP CIS Standards create a shared approach to how clinical information is collected, recorded and shared across different care settings.
The GP CIS Standards are available on the Implementer Hub.
How the CIS Standards connect with Australia's digital health system
The CIS Standards align with the national tools and services that healthcare providers already use. They support consistent data, clearer communication and reliable information sharing by working alongside:
- SNOMED CT-AU and the Australian Medicines Terminology, which give software a common language for clinical terms and medicines
- HL7 FHIR®, which provides a modern, standard way for systems to exchange information
- My Health Record and other national services, which rely on structured, high-quality information to support safe and coordinated care.
Frequently asked questions
Will the CIS Standards be mandated or regulated?
No. The CIS Standards outline recommended minimum software requirements for clinical information systems. They are not mandated or regulated. However, providers and software developers choose to adopt the standards because they support consistency, improve interoperability and help prepare systems for future national digital health initiatives.
Do the CIS Standards replace existing technical requirements?
No. The CIS Standards work alongside existing national technical specifications, information requirements and interoperability frameworks. They bring these elements together in a practical way for developers and providers, helping them understand the minimum requirements their systems need to support safe and reliable information sharing.
What benefits do the CIS Standards offer to healthcare providers and developers?
The CIS Standards help reduce duplication, enhance care information and support clearer communication between providers. For developers, the standards offer a clear set of expectations and reduce uncertainty during product planning. For healthcare providers, they help ensure digital systems can support safer, more coordinated care.
Are more CIS Standards planned?
Yes. Additional CIS Standards are in development to support other parts of the health and aged care sectors. Each new Standard will follow the same collaborative development approach to ensure it remains practical, relevant and aligned with the National Digital Health Strategy.