Welcome to the November edition of Inside Digital Health. This month we’re taking a look at the National Clinical Terminology Service – a state-of-the-art system that ensures consistent healthcare information across different systems and providers.
We also have advice from our Agency experts on how to strengthen cyber resilience in your organisation, as well as some tips on how to update your bank details with Medicare to ensure you receive your benefits. Lastly, we have some exciting opportunities to learn practical strategies for building trust and developing meaningful relationships with consumers through our C3.0 Bytesize webinars.
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Speaking the same language: 8 years of NCTS
November marks 8 years of collaboration between the Australian Digital Health Agency and CSIRO to deliver the National Clinical Terminology Service (NCTS).
The Agency-led service was created to increase adoption of SNOMED-CT, a globally accepted database of common medical language designed to improve data sharing and health outcomes.
Since going live, the project has gone from strength to strength, facilitating the implementation of standard terminologies in Australia’s digital health systems and enabling standards-based interoperability in data exchange. Now, after 8 years, there are more than 1,528 licenses in use.
More than 100 organisations now use the free Ontoserver licence to access the NCTS, and internationally 8 centres use Ontoserver to implement national terminology services.
Another recent milestone
The Australian Medicines Terminology (AMT) uniquely identifies and describes medicines for use in Australia. The latest release, its fourth version, is now available.
The Agency funds, manages and distributes the AMT and SNOMED CT-AU as part of the NCTS.
The Agency runs the NCTS in partnership with the CSIRO’s Australian e-Health Research Centre.
Benefits of using standardised medical language:
- Allocating resources – access to standardised data can guide high-level decision-making on healthcare spending and can also prove vital in emergency situations, such as natural disasters or a pandemic.
- Clinical settings – informed decision-making based on detailed data leads to better diagnosis and treatment outcomes for patients.
- Connected care – when healthcare terminology has a global standard, it allows for data exchange on an international scale.
To learn more, visit the Agency page about clinical terminologies.
A new proactive approach to environmental distress
A community-based mental health program to support communities following fire, drought and extreme weather events will be created by the University of New England with a $5 million research grant from the Australian Government.
The project moves away from disaster recovery-based approaches to mental health and will proactively identify factors that build resilience and mental wellbeing in relation to environmental threats.
The grant was the largest of 8 projects awarded $14 million in funding under the Million Minds Mental Health Research Mission, through the Medical Research Future Fund. The grants were largely directed to protecting Australians from the psychological effects of extreme weather and pandemics.
Spider venom trialled to protect hearts
A peptide found in the venom of the K’gari funnel web spider could be used to treat heart attack and protect donor hearts after researchers received funding for a 4-year human clinical trial to assess the potential of Hi1a.
The research team from the University of Queensland, the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute and the Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute found that in animal models, Hi1a protects the heart from damage from lack of oxygen during a heart attack or during donor heart retrieval. It would be the first drug to limit the loss of heart cells.
‘If successful it will improve patient survival and quality of life, dramatically expand the pool of donor hearts available for transplantation and significantly reduce healthcare costs,’ Professor Glenn King from UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience said.
Saliva could reveal your liver health
Australian researchers are studying the use of saliva biomarkers to diagnose liver fibrosis, hoping the non-invasive technique could be used for early diagnosis and to monitor progression of liver diseases.
Liver fibrosis – the excessive accumulation of scar tissue – can lead to cirrhosis, which can cause liver failure and an increased risk of liver cancer.
The current diagnosis method is an invasive and painful liver biopsy, which cannot be repeated frequently. A saliva test could be performed regularly, even in rural and regional communities, where liver disease burden is high.
The partnership between Griffith University and Gallipoli Medical Research will study the novel salivary biomarkers in 250 patients.
Parliament to consider changes to My Health Record sharing
This week, the Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Hon Mark Butler MP, tabled an amendment to the My Health Records Act 2012 in the Australian Parliament. If passed, the Modernising My Health Record - Sharing by Default Bill 2024 will require healthcare providers to share key health information to the My Health Record system by default, starting with pathology and diagnostic imaging reports. This change has been developed in response to recommendations in the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce Report.
For more information, visit the Department of Health and Aged Care website.
Transforming Australia's digital health infrastructure
The Australian Digital Health Agency is seeking industry experts to provide their valuable insights on how best to deliver the support, maintenance and enhancement of My Health Record and other applications.
A Request for Information (RFI) will gather input from experts from all types of organisations, including small to medium enterprises, to redefine Application Support and Maintenance (ASM) for Australia's digital health infrastructure.
Through this RFI, the Agency is aiming to further its understanding of any relevant technical or process driven advances and/or innovative service solutions that are available. The Agency is seeking support from industry to fully determine how the My Health Record system (and the national infrastructure) could be delivered and maintained to meet current and future needs.
More information is available on the Agency’s website. The RFI on AusTender closes on 29 November.
Help shape Australia's Health Information Exchange
The national Health Information Exchange (HIE) will deliver a set of capabilities to facilitate sharing health information across different healthcare settings and organisations.
If you work in a private hospital sector, you’re invited to share your views to ensure the HIE is fit for purpose and able to meet the needs of all Australians.
Register now to attend the online consultation on Tuesday 10 December.
C3.0 Bytesize
C3.0 Bytesize is a series of 3 virtual events on the 3 C's of clinical governance: Connect, Care, and Confidence. The next 2 events are now open for registrations.
🔹C3.0 Bytesize – Care explores the essential elements including developing meaningful partnerships with consumers, improving digital health accessibility for hard-to-reach groups and supporting collaborative and effective leadership.
Tuesday 26 November, 11 am – 12.30 pm (AEDT) | Register for C3.0 Bytesize – Care
🔹C3.0 Bytesize – Confidence explores the tools to support trust and safe practices including developing digital health literacy, trust, building safe systems and using research and evidence to improve health technologies.
Monday 9 December, 11 am – 12.30 pm (AEDT) | Register for C3.0 Bytesize – Confidence
Creating a cyber resilient organisation
As the risk of cyber threats increases, it’s critical that healthcare providers and practitioners improve their cyber defences.
In our latest podcast, Agency experts Danielle Pentony, Chief Information Security Officer; Dr Amandeep Hansra, Chief Clinical Adviser (Medicine); and Karen Booth, Chief Clinical Adviser (Nursing) discuss what steps organisations can take to safeguard patient information and embed strong cyber practices.
Listen for tips on staff training, how to protect sensitive data, and developing workplace policies to build a cyber resilient organisation.
Make sure your bank details are recorded correctly in Medicare
Services Australia can’t pay Medicare benefits unless valid bank details are recorded with Medicare.
If you’ve changed your bank account details and haven't let Medicare know about it, you might be one of nearly one million people waiting to be paid.
There are lots of ways to update your details:
- sign in to myGov and select Medicare
- phone Medicare
- visit a Services Australia service centre.
Find out more on the getting Medicare benefits page.
AI.Care 2024 | 27–28 November | Melbourne
Hosted by the Australasian Institute of Digital Health, AI.Care 2024 will bring together healthcare leaders and experts to explore the transformative role of AI in care delivery. Topics to be discussed include the potential of generative AI, the role of AI in primary and connected care, and tools to implement AI in the health system. Register for the conference online.
ANDHealth Digital Health Summit | 10 December | Melbourne
Innovators, investors and industry leaders will explore the future of healthcare, the transformative potential of digital health technologies, and how digital health can ease pressure on the healthcare system at ANDHealth’s Digital Health Summit. Buy tickets online.
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.
- Partnership Lead, Software Vendors – applications close 28 November, 11 pm (AEDT)
- Policy Advisor – applications close 1 December, 11 pm (AEDT)
- Security Officer – applications close 1 December, 11 pm (AEDT)
- Lead Business Process Engineer (ICT) – applications close 1 December, 11 pm (AEDT)
- Technical Delivery Lead – applications close 1 December, 11 pm (AEDT)
- Lead Technical Writer – applications close 1 December, 11 pm (AEDT)
- Assistant Director, Clinical Incident Management – applications close 8 December, 11 pm (AEDT)
- Product Usability Analyst – applications close 9 December, 12 am (AEDT)
- Senior Lawyer – Register of Interest – applications close 28 February 2025, 11 pm (AEDT)
- Temporary Employment Register – Never closes
- APS Section 26 Transfer – Permanent and Temporary – Employment Register – Never closes
See more vacancies on our careers page.
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