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A message from our CEO
Annette Schmiede
Welcome to the DHCRC Spring Newsletter. Spring is traditionally a time of renewal and growth marking the end of winter’s dormancy.
The tradition of spring cleaning aligns with this symbolism welcoming the energy and possibilities of a new season. At the risk of stretching this metaphor I have been reflecting on the many green shoots we now see from the increased focus and significant funding for supporting digital health infrastructure to underpin digital transformation. There has certainly been much greater attention from federal and state
governments on addressing many of our health challenges, growing health demand, and the workforce gap that digital technologies can reduce.
We have seen a lot of great work being done on connecting data with, and for, the consumer. The recently announced health information exchange (HIE) initiatives are good examples of infrastructure being put in place to bring connectivity and interoperability to reality. However, for this to succeed, not only at the point of care but right through to population health planning and enhanced data analytics, work is still lagging in ensuring data fidelity and timely access for research and industry innovation.
It has often been said that “data is the new oil” but it is worth remembering that oil is only useful if you can get it of out of the ground. We have many projects underway where difficulty in accessing data has a significant impact on the outcomes. Waiting up to two years for approval to access data for research is still the experience despite all the rhetoric about the importance of access to data to drive innovation and productivity improvement.
Thankfully there are signs of optimism, our work with the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (Peter Mac) is a good example of where integrated data can be such a valuable asset. Here Peter Mac is trialling an end-to-end digital platform from Propel Health AI to securely capture and store its comprehensive pool of de-identified patient data to support research and ultimately improve patient outcomes.
Another project with WA Department of Health, Curtin University and WA Country Health Service has linked WA pathology data from four private pathology providers in WA to hospital administrative data and mortality data, creating a linked data asset to determine the incidence, prevalence, progression and economic burden of chronic kidney disease in Western Australia.
Investing in data analytics provides both social and economic benefits: in this WA scenario, new treatments can slow the progression of chronic kidney disease by up to 15 years and potentially longer if started earlier. While modelling by the research team shows investment in this early detection could yield a net benefit of $10.2bn over 20 years or $45 for every $1 invested.
We have many, many projects underway where this data access and linkage is crucial. It is one of the reasons for the establishment of our Synthetic Data Community of Practice. This community was formed to advocate and showcase the role synthetic data can play in health research. We were excited to bring this community together at our recent symposium in Brisbane.
While there has been improvement at a process level, access to data is still taking too long and as a core pillar of the DHCRC we will continue to invest in, and advocate for, more streamlined sharing of data.
This edition of our newsletter also profiles some of our work in remote aboriginal communities. I had the privilege of visiting Pirlangimpi in the Tiwi Islands last month alongside government representatives Daniel McCabe and Simon Cleverly, NT Health’s Dr Tamsin Cockayne (featured in our newsletter below), and USyd Professor Tim Shaw.
The visit marked the halfway point of a project in our ongoing efforts to evaluate how technology can enhance comprehensive primary care in remote Indigenous communities and coincided with the hugely successful Sparked AU Darwin workshop. We are excited to announce the DHCRC has become a Sparked Founding Member.
We hope you enjoy this and the other stories in this edition of our newsletter.
Warm regards,
Annette Schmiede
CEO
Latest News
Introducing the Australian Council of Senior Academic Leaders in Digital Health
Officially launched at the recent Healthcare Innovation Community (HIC) conference in Brisbane, the Australian Council of Senior Academic Leaders in Digital Health (ACSALDH) has its sights set on transforming digital health education and research in Australia.
Representatives from ACSALDH joined inaugural Chair, Professor Clair Sullivan on stage united by the theme of her keynote ‘Stronger Together’.
ACSALDH represents 37 Australian universities who are on a nationwide, cross-sector mission to tackle critical issues in digital health including workforce, funding and research translation.
ACSALDH aims to complement and engage with influential advocates in health, technology, business, and other fields, fostering communication and cooperation with peak bodies across national and international forums.
Meet the ACSALDH Chair and Executive Committee in this fun and light-hearted video that debuted at HIC!
Connecting Care in Remote Indigenous Communities
By Meagan Snewin, DHCRC Program Manager
In July, Annette Schmiede and I embarked on a journey to Pirlangimpi, located in the Tiwi Islands, Northern Territory (NT). The visit coincided with the halfway mark of a project in our ongoing efforts to evaluate how technology can enhance comprehensive primary care in remote Indigenous communities.
Strengthening Research through Partnerships on the Ground
We were joined by our project partners and colleagues from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC), Daniel McCabe and Simon Cleverly, Co-Principal Investigator Professor Tim Shaw from the University of Sydney and Director of Primary Care, Dr Tasmin Cockayne and Karina Coombes for Menzies School of Health Research. Karina is a community-based researcher that is supporting the research on the ground, helping to connect and coordinate research activities. This work has been commendable and has helped strengthen the research in the community and fostered key partnerships, both of which are pivotal to facilitating successful research in remote areas.
In the ever-evolving world of digital health, the key to innovation and improved health outcomes lies in the strength and diversity of our workforce.
We are thrilled to invite you to the inaugural Digital Health Expo (DHExpo) Series event, "The Diverse Digital Health Workforce".
This event is a DHCRC initiative, in collaboration with Telstra Health.
Date: 17 October 2024
Time: In-person: 5pm – 8pm
Online: 5:30pm – 7:00pm
Location: Telstra Customer Insight Centre, Melbourne & Online
This event will explore the significant impact that diversity in the workforce has on advancing digital health. Join us to engage with prominent leaders, innovators, and advocates who are at the forefront of shaping a more inclusive digital health sector.
This is a free event for anyone working in the digital health sector and is a fantastic opportunity to deepen your understanding of creating a more equitable, diverse, and effective workforce.
The DHCRC has become a Sparked Founding Member, by committing involvement in helping build capacity in the Sparked community. Sparked is a Federally funded program to develop and facilitate the adoption of national Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standards. These standards are key to improving digital information sharing across healthcare in Australia. In partnership with DHAC, ADHA and HL7 Australia, CSIRO is responsible for delivering the Sparked program, which is an Australian-first FHIR Accelerator.
Development of open and transparent standards requires an active community of clinicians, software industry vendors, private and public healthcare organisations, and government agencies to co-design and validate nationally agreed health data standards.
This community-centric and consensus-driven approach will ensure standards are driven by community needs and are more readily understood, adopted, and implemented.
As the demands for FHIR standards will grow significantly in the coming years in the face of national interoperability targets, the DHCRC is working with the Sparked program on ways to bolster technical skills such as clinical data modelling, FHIR resource development, and testing through participation in Connectathons and through SMART on FHIR app development.
If you are interested in the Sparked program explore their website for an overview of the program’s goals and operations.
Dr Tamsin Cockayne has spent her career helping to improve health outcomes in regional and remote communities. Today, as Executive Director Remote Health and Primary Care at NT Health, she is taking the lead on implementing systems change to support changing community needs.
You’ve spent much of your career in the Northern Territory. What makes working regional and remote community so rewarding?
For me personally, it's about the relationships and the opportunity to truly make a difference. I know that sounds very, altruistic, but I want to make a difference, to do something where you can actually see the outcome, where you can improve whole communities. That’s what keeps drawing me back.
And because I like working at that system level, there's a lot you can do here that would be much harder to do in urban or a bigger setting.
And personally, as a woman, I've always found the Aboriginal women I've met in community completely inspiring in their resilience. In often incredibly difficult circumstances, their ability to bring community forward is amazing. To work in a setting where women have such a prominent role is a real privilege.
Education Update
Unlocking Impact Potential through Visual Communication
Visual communication is a powerful skill for researchers, enabling them to distil complex ideas into impactful visuals. Recently, nine DHCRC Emerging Leaders enhanced their expertise in this area through a short course delivered in partnership with Graphics et al. Participants reported significant improvement in their skills, with many planning to use their creative works in theses, presentations, and other professional settings.
Explore their impressive outputs on the DHCRC Big Thinkers Forum.
The Synthetic Health Data Symposium held on 8 August brought together experts to explore the future of synthetic health data in Australia and attracted an audience of 110 people (in person and online). Hosted by DHCRC and the University of Queensland, the event featured key insights from Dr Ben Hachey and Professor Khaled El Emam on how synthetic data can supercharge healthcare research and protect privacy.
Attendees praised the Symposium for its educational value and the opportunity to expand their knowledge of the possibilities and application of synthetic data.
A recording of the event is now available for those who missed it!
Speakers: Dr Ben Hachey (Beamtree and University of Sydney), Professor Khaled El Emam (University of Ottawa), Dr Sebastiano Barbieri (University of Queensland), Dr Amir Marashi (University of Sydney), Dr Sylvia Young (WA Health).
Express your interest in joining the SynD Synthetic Health Data Community of Practice by emailing education@dhcrc.com.
Emerging Leader Spotlight: Unlocking Safer Anticoagulant Therapy with Dr Jodie Austin
Dr Jodie Austin examines the critical association between EMR implementation and improved patient care outcomes for inpatient therapeutic anticoagulation management. With anticoagulants being high-risk, Dr Austin’s research underscores the potential of optimised digital systems to enhance safety and quality. Discover how these findings could inform the future of electronic medical records in healthcare.
Upcoming Events
Date: 23-25 October
Location: Adelaide
The conference theme ‘Age of Excellence: Inspire, Innovate, Impact’ underscores the readiness of the aged care services industry to embrace unparalleled excellence, driven by innovative practices and collective learning, to deliver world-class care for older Australians.
Date: 14 November, 2024
Location: University of Sydney, Kerry Packer Education Centre, Camperdown
Practice analytics explores how data in healthcare can be leveraged to support practitioners in their professional learning and development. By selecting, scaffolding, and sharing appropriate data with practitioners, key stakeholders are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and practical tools required to unlock data-driven insights that would otherwise be unseen.
Building on the success of previous summits, the 2024 event brings together another innovating group of keynote speakers, PhD candidates, industry thought leaders, and academics. For the first time, the summit will have themed towards the integration of AI within practice analytics.
The summit will feature keynote presentations from Associate Professor Martin Pusic (Harvard Medical School) and Dr Simon Kos (Microsoft ANZ).
