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A newly introduced national plan in Australia outlines a coordinated pathway to help upskill the allied health workforce in the use of health technologies.
Australia's Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (DHDA) and the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) have published the National Allied Health Digital Uplift Plan, which "outlines the investment in digital solutions and describes how the allied health sector will be supported to navigate digital uplift and embrace evolving opportunities."
Over 220 allied health professionals, 60 peak bodies, consumers, software vendors and government stakeholders were consulted in the development of the plan.
WHY IT MATTERS
The Uplift Plan, according to the ADHA, is also a call to action to the sector – which makes up the largest workforce in primary care and the second largest clinical workforce nationwide – to "embrace digital tools and services."
ADHA notes that over 300,000 allied health professionals, including physiotherapists, dietitians, psychologists, and pharmacists, provide 200 million services each year.
Based on the 2024 Allied Health Digital Transformation Survey, while 70% of them recognise the value of having health data access, there is still low use and awareness of critical digital systems, like My Health Record, Provider Connect Australia (PCA), and conformant clinical information systems (CIS).
"[The plan] supports widespread adoption of My Health Record, Provider Connect Australia, and conformant clinical information systems across eligible allied health professionals over the next five years, so information flows securely and seamlessly across care teams to deliver better outcomes for Australians," an ADHA spokesperson explained to Healthcare IT News.
While broader national digital health infrastructure is modernised, said the spokesperson, allied health professionals can access My Health Record data via the National Provider Portal and keep their details current across directories and referral networks via the PCA.
The ADHA is also working closely with the DHDA to help enable allied health professionals to access pathology and diagnostic imaging reports in near real-time, as sharing of these critical medical images has been made default via My Health Record recently.
"A dietitian managing a patient with diabetes will be able to immediately see the latest blood test results and tailor dietary advice based on current glucose levels. Similarly, a podiatrist and physiotherapist treating a sports injury will both be able to view the most recent ultrasound report, ensuring treatment plans are aligned, and progress is monitored collaboratively," the spokesperson said, explaining its benefits.
"This reduces duplication, supports safer decisions, and improves coordination across the care team."
Enabling electronic prescribing, guidance on the safe adoption of AI, and free resources on cybersecurity are also outlined in the Uplift Plan.
"Beyond supporting new and emerging models of care, digital enablement will also enable allied health professionals to operate to their full scope of practice and improve care for all Australians," the ADHA spokesperson added.
THE LARGER CONTEXT
Backed by the Allied Health Professions Australia, the Uplift Plan is an initiative under the National Digital Health Strategy 2023-2028, which envisions a "connected and digitally enabled health system."
Connecting the allied health sector to My Health Record is also a key initiative under the 10-year Digital Health Blueprint. The ADHA has invested more than A$2 million ($1.3 million) in this effort, which began in September 2024 and has since onboarded at least 16 vendors to develop conformant CIS or mobile CIS.
"This will enable secure connectivity to My Health Record, integration of healthcare identifiers for accurate patient matching, and improved interoperability across disciplines as vendors progressively roll out enhanced functionality," the ADHA spokesperson said.
At the same time, the ADHA is also coming up with minimum software requirements for allied health systems, adopting HL7 FHIR standards to align with the rest of the industry.
ON THE RECORD
"Allied health professionals are essential to delivering integrated, joined-up care for all Australians, enabled through digital technology. The [Uplift Plan] sets the path to deliver on this vision," said ADHA's Cattermole.
"Empowering professionals with training and support, and integration with tools like My Health Record and [PCA], will strengthen multidisciplinary care and enable a more sustainable, integrated health system that delivers better outcomes for all Australians," she emphasised.
"By improving the way health information is shared and accessed, allied health professionals can provide more timely, coordinated and personalised care," the agency's chief allied health officer, Anita Hobson-Powell, also commented.
