Partnership Pulse – Edition 4

Progress toward national interoperability continued strongly in early 2026 under the National Healthcare Interoperability Plan 2023–2028. The recently published 10th quarterly progress report confirmed that three additional actions have been completed, bringing the overall delivery of the Interoperability Plan to seventy percent.

Momentum is building across the sector, with jurisdictions and private health organisations advancing the adoption of default templates for My Health Record clinical document uploads. Four organisations: WA Health, St John of God, UnitingCare and Healthscope have already completed their transition.

Other organisations, including Ramsay Healthcare, NSW, NT, ACT, VIC, and St Vincent's Health Australia, continue progressing their implementation as part of the national rollout of Healthcare Provider Identifiers – Individual (HPI‑Is), and are expected to finalise their transition by the end of the financial year.

For more information, view the Q2 progress report covering both the Interoperability Plan and the HI Roadmap for the period October - December 2025.

The HI Roadmap continues to progress well, with 17 of the 20 Healthcare Identifier Activities (HIAs) now underway. Three activities have been completed, and a further three are scheduled to commence in the 2026–27 financial year. Since the last update, work has focused on strengthening legislative and policy foundations, improving HI service conformance, enhancing data quality, and advancing key interoperability initiatives that support accurate identity matching.

Engagement with HI Roadmap co-leads, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and Services Australia, remains integral to delivery, ensuring strong alignment across policy, operational and technical domains. 

Recent activity has included:

• Preliminary research into alternative patient identification methods aimed at improving the accuracy and efficiency of data matching across clinical and administrative systems.
• Initial performance analysis of the HI Service by Services Australia, assessing its capacity to support anticipated growth in transaction volumes and usage.
• Continued implementation of the Stakeholder Engagement & Communications Plan, ensuring effective and timely outreach across jurisdictions, peak bodies and healthcare settings.
• Ongoing monthly meetings of the Healthcare Identifiers Working Group, supporting operational implementation, technical alignment and cross-agency coordination.

The program is beginning to shift from foundational development toward broader sector engagement and implementation. Key priorities for the coming quarter include:

• Embedding improvements within education and communication channels for healthcare providers.
• Developing guidance materials to support amendments to the Healthcare Identifiers Act 2010 and the Regulatory Reform Omnibus Bill 2025.

Learn more about the HI Roadmap.

The Council for Connected Care came together virtually on 12 March 2026 for a focused and engaging discussion centered on the unifying theme of data and design, exploring how both continue to shape the future of connected care. Across the afternoon, members considered the evolving design of Agency products, reflected on how digital health data is transforming care delivery through a panel discussion, and shared practical insights from national governance updates and member‑led initiatives. The meeting highlighted the importance of designing digital health solutions that are not only data‑driven, but also intuitive, clinically grounded and responsive to the needs of consumers and care teams, reinforcing a shared commitment to thoughtful design as a key enabler of better, more connected care.

Learn more about the Council for Connected Care, including meeting papers and communiqués. 

From 1 March 2026, management of Clinical Learning Australia (CLA) transferred from the Australian Medical Council (AMC) to the Agency. CLA is an ePortfolio that records the development, training and assessment of Postgraduate Year 1 (PGY1) and Year 2 (PGY2) prevocational doctors across all states and territories in Australia, providing a consistent approach to prevocational training and assessment.

CLA supports the mobility of trainee health providers by promoting career development, facilitating opportunities for diverse experience across jurisdictions and ensuring the achievement of nationally consistent outcomes. Taking on stewardship of CLA reflected the Agency's commitment to nationally connected digital systems that support safe, high‑quality care and a sustainable health workforce.

The Agency has been working closely with the CLA vendor, myKnowledgeMap, and the AMC to ensure a smooth transfer. From 1 March 2026, user support for CLA became available through the Agency's dedicated Help Desk channel at help@digitalhealth.gov.au. In the coming months, we will host drop-in sessions for users in each jurisdiction to confirm our support arrangements and provide technical support where needed.

The Agency's Education team is working in collaboration with Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA) to support the National Allied Health Digital Uplift Plan and Allied Health Program. During February, the team provided two train the trainer sessions for the newly appointed digital health change leads across 15 allied health peak associations. These sessions provide participants with in-depth information about My Health Record, Provider Connect Australia, healthcare identifiers, electronic prescriptions and the 1800MEDICARE app. Participants are then provided with Agency approved resources, including slides, videos, links and a facilitators guide. The digital health change leads will then be empowered to provide education and training to their respective association members. AHPA, in collaboration with the Agency are hosting monthly Community of Practice (CoP) sessions to support the digital health change leads throughout this process.

The Primary Health Network (PHN) Train‑the‑Trainer program is progressing strongly, supporting PHNs to confidently engage their regions across key areas of digital health. This program, led by the Agency, includes a series of foundational and content‑enrichment workshops, monthly Community of Practice (CoP) sessions, and the development of practical resources for use in local engagement activities.

Running from February to July, the series covers five priority digital health topics: 

• General My Health Record
• Provider Connect Australia (PCA)
• My Health Record for Allied Health
• Electronic Prescriptions and Active Script List (ASL)
• My Health Record for Aged Care

The February sessions on General My Health Record generated strong participation, with PHNs and the Agency sharing valuable insights and experiences. Building on this momentum, the March PCA sessions, delivered by the PCA team, deepen PHNs' understanding and provide practical guidance to support effective regional engagement throughout the year.

Healthcare organisations that would like to arrange My Health Record education or training are encouraged to contact their local PHN or relevant allied health association. Find your local PHN.

The Agency is excited to announce updates and improvements to the connections process for software developers seeking to connect to the Healthcare Identifiers (HI) service and the My Health Record system.

The updates will improve the connections process and also replaces outdated PDF workflows with a modern digital platform.

New features include:

• Case management system with fully digitised forms to raise enquiries, track issues and keep all conversations in one place.
• Dynamic smart forms that only show what's relevant to individual development scope. Cutting down on confusion and making conformance a more streamlined approach.
• Personal developer dashboard to view current progress and upcoming deliverables along in the integration journey.
• Conformance engine, which translates technical documentation into targeted requirements, use cases and test cases, customised for implementation.

To coincide with these new updates, the Digital Health Developer Portal has been renamed Implementer Hub, recognising the breadth and diversity of organisations connecting with national digital health infrastructure.

Visit the Implementer Hub to get started and connect to digital health tools.

The Agency has released a new suite of resources designed to lift digital capability, quality, and interoperability across both aged care and primary care. These resources mark a significant step forward in ensuring older Australians receive safer, more coordinated care, no matter where they are.

We are pleased to announce the publication of the General Practitioner Clinical Information Software (GP CIS) Standards and the accompanying Clinical Note Document. Together with the existing Aged Care Clinical Information System (ACCIS) Standards, these recommended minimum software requirements outline what clinical information systems should support in residential aged care homes and in general practice for older people living in aged care.

Why these standards matter

The GP CIS Standards and ACCIS Standard are designed to work together, ensuring clinical information is captured, recorded, and shared consistently across aged care and primary care settings. This supports:

• Safer, higher-quality care through accurate, timely information sharing
• Access to the right information at the point of care
• Reduced duplication of effort for busy clinicians
• Improved continuity of care for older Australians
• Stronger interoperability between systems used across the healthcare ecosystem
• A more consistent digital experience for older people, their families, and their care teams

Who these standards support

• General practitioners and aged care providers: clear guidance on the CIS features that support safety, quality, compliance, and secure, timely information sharing.
• Healthcare professionals: easier access to accurate clinical information and reduced administrative burden.
• Software developers: clear technical direction to future proof products and meet interoperability expectations.
• Older people and families: confidence that information is protected, portable, and only needs to be shared once, supporting informed decision making and seamless care transitions.

The healthcare community continues to demonstrate strong commitment to improving digital capability across aged care. These new resources reflect ongoing collaboration to enhance continuity of care for older Australians and support the sector through digital transformation.

Explore the full Clinical Information System Standards suite, now available on the Digital Health Implementer Hub.

The Agency is pleased to advise the latest update to the Software Development Roadmap is available through the Digital Health Implementer Hub to support industry planning and provide greater transparency on upcoming initiatives.

The roadmap will be updated quarterly and will include key dates, upcoming deliverables, program updates, and compliance milestones. Future editions will also feature a 'What's new' section to clearly highlight significant changes between releases.

The Agency remains committed to working in partnership with software vendors to accelerate the delivery of secure, interoperable, and sustainable digital health solutions. We encourage ongoing engagement as we advance connected care, enhance customer experience, and deliver national programs. Your feedback and collaboration are vital to strengthening digital health outcomes across Australia.

If you have any questions about the roadmap or would like to provide feedback, please contact us at industry@digitalhealth.gov.au. 

Are you learning about or working with FHIR® standards and looking for a space to connect, ask questions, and share ideas in real time? Do you want to learn more about a specific FHIR-related topic to help progress your project? Take a seat at the FHIRside, our virtual community for FHIR developers and implementers across Australia.

Hosted by the Agency in partnership with HL7 Australia, FHIRside delivers virtual drop-in sessions and webinars designed for anyone learning about or working with FHIR. FHIRside is open to developers, implementers, and enthusiasts from government, jurisdictions, industry, and the wider health sector community.

FHIRside Chat is a relaxed, virtual space where you can bring FHIR questions, explore ideas and hear insights from experts at HL7 Australia and the Australian Digital Health Agency.

• Scheduled on the second Tuesday of every month from 12:30pm – 1:00pm (AEDT)
• Register for the next FHIRside Chat 

FHIRside Webinars are structured, topic-driven sessions that dive deeper into FHIR implementation.

• Scheduled on the fourth Tuesday of every month from 12:30pm – 1:00pm (AEDT)

The inaugural FHIRside Webinar on Tuesday 24 March, will feature guest speaker Grahame Grieve and will explore the origins, purpose and early development of FHIR. This webinar is suitable for anyone looking to build or refresh their understanding of FHIR’s history. Register for the next FHIRside Webinar with Grahame Grieve.

Interested in future topics and speakers? Keep an eye on our FHIRside web page to view future sessions and to register your attendance.

What you'll gain

• real-time access to FHIR experts from the Australian Digital Health Agency and HL7 Australia
• peer-to-peer learning and community knowledge exchange
• a safe, supportive space to ask questions of any level
• cross-agency collaboration, supporting consistency across jurisdictions
• community-led innovation through shared challenges, patterns, and solutions

Be part of Australia's FHIR community

Have questions or want to learn more? Email fhirside@digitalhealth.gov.au.

Take your place at the FHIRside – connect, collaborate, and help shape Australia's growing FHIR community.

Due date: Monday 27 April 2026

The Agency is proud to co-host this year's SNOMED CT Expo 2026 in Sydney, marking a significant milestone for digital health in our region. In partnership with SNOMED International, we are pleased to announce that the call for abstracts is officially open.

Clinicians, researchers, implementers, health system leaders, academics, standards experts and innovators from around the world are invited to share their insights, achievements and forward-thinking approaches to digital health.

Taking place 21–23 October 2026 in Sydney, SNOMED CT Expo brings together a global community of subject matter experts passionate about building more reliable, interoperable and data driven health systems. Whether you work in government, health IT, clinical practice, research, education or industry, the expo offers a premier platform to showcase your work and connect with leaders shaping the future of health terminology and interoperability.

Why present your work at SNOMED CT Expo 2026?

The SNOMED CT Expo is one of the world’s most influential gatherings focused on clinical terminology and semantic interoperability. Presenters contribute to advancing global digital health by:

• Sharing real-world learnings, research findings and implementation success stories.
• Demonstrating how SNOMED CT unlocks better data, better insights and better outcomes.
• Inspiring and informing an international community of practitioners and decision-makers.
• Your abstract could help guide the next wave of innovation in health information standards and patient centred care.

Program streams for 2026

All submissions must align with one of four streams that reflect core areas of progress and innovation using SNOMED CT:

1. Advances in research and innovation: highlight how you are leveraging SNOMED CT to accelerate the creation of data, information, evidence and knowledge, including in AI, analytics, clinical decision support and informatics research.
2. Demonstrating implementation excellence: share practical, real world experiences from healthcare organisations, government programs or industry. Presentations may include lessons learned, implementation approaches, benefit realisation or system transformations enabled by SNOMED CT.
3. Enhancing clinical practice and outcomes: demonstrate how SNOMED CT is improving clinical workflows, documentation, quality of care, patient safety or health outcomes across care settings.
4. Terminology leading practices: explore innovative terminology work, from content development and mappings to reference sets, description logic, and integration with other international standards.

Key dates

• Abstract submission deadline: 27April 2026
• Notification to submitters: 5 June 2026
• Conference dates: 21–23 October 2026 

Be part of a dynamic program that advances health system interoperability and global digital empowerment.

Learn more and submit your abstract today.

Date: Thursday 7 May 2026

Time: 1:00pm – 2:30pm AEST

Mark your calendars! The Partnerships and Education Branch is excited to host another Agency Update Webinar.

The Agency Update Webinar brings together representatives from across the digital health ecosystem to hear the latest on the Agency's progress across a range of digital health initiatives.

The next session will take place virtually via Microsoft Teams on Thursday, 7 May 2026 from 1:00pm – 2:30pm AEST. An agenda will be shared closer to the webinar date.

Please register your attendance.

If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact the Partnership, Development & Engagement team at engagement@digitalhealth.gov.au.

Date: Tuesday 24 March 2026

Time: 12:30pm – 1:30pm AEDT

Digital technologies are transforming the way healthcare is delivered and how key health information is shared to support better care. To support academic educators of pre-registration health degrees to incorporate digital health within the curriculum, the Agency has recently launched a free Digital Health Train the Trainer Toolkit. The toolkit is a first-of-its-kind and was developed in a collaboration with the Australian Council of Senior Academic Leaders in Digital Health. Join this webinar to learn more about the toolkit and how you can use it to build a future health workforce that is confident and competent in the use of digital health.

Please register your attendance.

FHIRside Chats

• Date: second Tuesday of every month
• Time: 12:30pm – 1:00pm AEDT

FHIRside Webinars

• Date: fourth Tuesday of every month
• Time: 12:30pm – 1:00pm AEDT

Are you learning about or working with FHIR® standards and looking for a space to connect, ask questions, and share ideas in real time? Do you want to learn more about a specific FHIR-related topic to help progress your project? Take a seat at the FHIRside, our virtual community for FHIR developers and implementers across Australia.

Hosted by the Agency in partnership with HL7 Australia, FHIRside delivers virtual drop-in sessions and webinars designed for anyone learning about or working with FHIR. FHIRside is open to developers, implementers, and enthusiasts from government, jurisdictions, industry, and the wider health sector community.

The inaugural FHIRside webinar on Tuesday 24 March, will feature guest speaker Grahame Grieve and will explore the origins, purpose and early development of FHIR. This webinar is suitable for anyone looking to build or refresh their understanding of FHIR’s history. Register for this session.

To learn about FHIRside, FHIRside Chats, FHIRside Webinars, and to register for other upcoming events, visit the FHIRside webpage.