Privacy Awareness Week is upon us (6-12 May). This year's theme is ‘Power up your privacy’ and we're here to help you do just that!
Protecting your personal information online is always important, but it's particularly relevant in the healthcare sector. In this month's newsletter we have advice and tips for healthcare providers and individuals about how to keep your information safe.
Australian Privacy Commissioner Foreword
– Carly Kind, Australian Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
We are at a critical and exciting time. The ‘information superhighway’ that was spoken of in the 1980s and 1990s has evolved into a complex digital ecosystem filled with data – much of it personal.
The use of personal data to deliver services, connect individuals and enable us to share and learn can deliver benefits, but it is often at our cost when our rights are not protected, or our information is compromised.
Promising advances and innovations need to be tempered with responsible practices. Regulations and laws set the guardrails, but everyone has a role to play in supporting and upholding good privacy practices.
While individuals can all do our bit by having sound personal data practices, the biggest onus is on businesses and other organisations that hold data to make the right decisions to adequately protect and respect it, and not collect or keep what is not needed.
This Privacy Awareness Week I am calling on organisations to help us all power up privacy by enhancing transparency, accountability and security.
Find out what you can do to enhance privacy protections at the Privacy Awareness Week website.
Power up your privacy
Privacy Director at the Australian Digital Health Agency, Oscar Bem, shares some tips to keep your information safe.
Privacy Awareness Week is a chance for individuals and organisations to think about how best to power up their privacy.
At the Australian Digital Health Agency, we work closely with our partners in the health sector on innovations that help deliver better health outcomes for all Australians, while ensuring that healthcare recipients have control of their personal information. It’s best practice in healthcare, supported by best practice in privacy.
Making our health system more digitally enabled, person-centred, inclusive and data-driven helps promote best privacy practice. It supports what is known as ‘privacy by design’, which means to consider the privacy implications from the beginning of every project. From My Health Record to the my health app, and electronic prescriptions and telehealth, privacy is at the heart of everything we do at the Agency.
Privacy will of course continue to feature at the forefront of innovation, particularly in the health sector. As technology evolves, new challenges and opportunities will appear. Playing a proactive role, whether it be as an organisation or on your own, will ensure you’re always one step ahead. Try these tips below to help power up your privacy.
Tips for healthcare providers
When using digital platforms, make sure your organisation understands how it manages personal information. These questions are almost certainly ones your patients will have. The Agency’s eLearning course Digital Health Security Awareness has been developed to provide an introduction to online security concepts for the healthcare sector. It is CPD-accredited and can be completed in your own time.
For tips on mitigating cyber security threats and how healthcare providers can set up cyber security alerts specific to their organisation, listen to this podcast with the Australian Digital Health Agency's Dr Steve Hambleton AM, Danielle P. and John Borchi: Cyber Security: Enabling the next frontier of healthcare.
Tips for consumers
Make sure you play an active role in managing your health information. If you’re using My Health Record, you can decide who can access your personal information and which healthcare practitioners you’d like to share your information with. Take the first step by reviewing the privacy features in My Health Record here.
Our privacy team can help answer your questions and identify ways to continue improving our products and services. If you have any concerns or suggestions, let us know using the online contact form, emailing help@digitalhealth.gov.au or calling 1300 901 001.
Say hello to S.A.R.A.H
The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched an AI-powered health promoter. S.A.R.A.H. - a Smart AI Resource Assistant for Health - is a digital health prototype with enhanced empathetic response powered by generative artificial intelligence. She can answer health questions on a range of topics, including tobacco and e-cigarettes, mental health, healthy eating and physical activity. The tool is also able to share tips to prevent some of the biggest causes of death in the world including cancer, heart disease, lung disease and diabetes.
Learn more or try S.A.R.A.H. yourself at the WHO website.
Editor’s note: S.A.R.A.H is still learning and may not always be accurate just yet. Always consult a healthcare provider for any health concerns.
What do you think about a tool like S.A.R.A.H.? Let us know in the comments below.
Medical drone to help close rural and remote health gap
A specialised medical drone will aim to help improve health outcomes for communities in rural and remote Australia. The project is in development at the University of Sydney in partnership with ASAC Consultancy, which has funded research for a hydrogen-fuelled drone. The drone will increase accessibility to essential health services, such as pathology, treatments and telehealth services, and will be designed to carry medical cargo and fly significant distances to support rural and remote areas.
$5m funding for telehealth research
Funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) will support six research projects into how telehealth can achieve positive outcomes for Australians.
Telehealth use surged during COVID-19 lockdowns, but it has continued to be a feature of the health system. One in four Australians had at least one telehealth consultation in the last financial year.
The six research projects, from Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and the ACT, will each receive close to $1 million to develop a solid evidence-base that can inform future health policy on telehealth, while supporting health practitioners and service providers to enhance their current telehealth services.
Predicting AI and machine learning trends in healthcare
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare will continue to increase, according to a new report from CSIRO's Australian e-Health Research Centre.
AI trends for healthcare identified four trends in digital health: interoperability, cloud computing, apps and personalisation, and data analytics as a service.
The report features case studies highlighting how AI can affect healthcare, including supporting cancer diagnosis, harmonising data across Alzheimer’s disease studies, and performing day-to-day administrative tasks.
You can read the report at the AEHRC website.
Is your information safe on the internet? Our Cyber Awareness and Education Manager, Tracey Weeks, has some tips to keep your data and your practice safe.
Your digital footprint is the trail of data you leave behind while using the internet. It includes the websites you visit, the emails you send and any information you submit online. This footprint can be used to track your online activities and the devices you use.
There are two types of digital footprints: active and passive.
An active digital footprint is created when you intentionally share information about yourself, such as posting on social media or filling out online forms.
A passive digital footprint is created when information is collected without your direct knowledge, such as when websites track your visits or when advertisers profile you based on your online behaviour.
To protect your digital footprint, try these tips:
🔎 Check your digital footprint regularly by searching for your name on various search engines. This will show you what information is publicly available about you. If you find something you don’t want to be public, you can request the site administrator to remove it.
🔔 Set up alerts for your name on search engines like Google to monitor new information as it appears online.
🔒 Limit the data you share by being selective about the information you provide on online forms and being cautious about what you post on social media. Avoid sharing sensitive personal details like your location, travel plans, or other private information.
💻 Remember, every action you take online contributes to your digital footprint, so it’s essential to exercise discretion and use security tools to keep your data safe. By controlling access to your personal data, you can better protect your digital identity.
Digital Health Festival | 7–8 May | Melbourne
Australian Digital Health Agency CEO Amanda Cattermole PSM, Acting CISO Danielle Pentony, and other agency specialists are joining more than 350 speakers and 200 exhibitors to share insights about the future of healthcare and delivering Australia's digital future.
Continuity of Care Collaboration webinar – Understanding My Health Record and the value to all Australians | 15 May | Online
Join Continuity of Care Collaboration's webinar exploring the significance, challenges and future prospects of My Health Record. Speakers include Australian Digital Health Agency Chief Program Officer Paul Creech; Kathryn Trippe, patient speaker; Andrew St John, Manager, Pathology Tests Explained; and Sam Peascod, Assistant Secretary, Medicare Benefits and Digital Health Division, Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.
The webinar will be held from 12-1pm (AEST). Participants are asked to register online by 14 May.
Digital health Q&A with RACGP | 22 May | Online
The session is accredited for 1 CPD Educational Activity hour.
In collaboration with the Australian Digital Health Agency, The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) will host an online Q&A discussion on digital health tools in general practice. Topics will include Provider Connect Australia, electronic prescribing, My Health Record and sharing patient data.
The webinar will be held from 6:30pm (AEST). Register online.
Do you know of any upcoming events in digital health? Email us at social@digitalhealth.gov.au
If you’re looking for a role that’s professionally and personally rewarding, and offers career growth and mentoring, check out the latest jobs at the Australian Digital Health Agency.
- Assistant Director, Compliance Outreach – applications close 12 May, 11 pm
- Chief Clinical Adviser (Nursing) – applications close 13 May 2024, 11 pm
- IT Business Analyst – applications close 15 May, 11 pm
See more vacancies on our careers page.
The world of digital health evolves in a heartbeat. Help us stay on the pulse by sharing your thoughts, news and ideas.
Email: social@digitalhealth.gov.au
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