Talking HealthTech: 295 – Shifting the dial for healthcare in Australia. Dr Louise Schaper, Australasian Institute of Digital Health

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Today’s healthcare must be accessible and smooth for healthcare staff and consumers in CBDs, rural and remote locations, hospitals, GP clinics, allied health settings, aged care and disability. 

COVID has boosted and pushed this forward, but healthcare is still fragmented and complicated. The Australasian Institute of Digital Health is in the middle of this changing policy landscape as an independent voice to utilise the knowledge and success of digital health and health informatics experts.

Brief history of AIDH

It was formed in the early 1990’s originally as the Health Informatics Society of Australia (HISA). HISA merged with the Australasian College of Health Informatics (ACHI) to form the Australasian Institute of Digital Health (AIDH) on Monday 24 February 2020.

The AIDH is a broad community of clinicians, health executives, innovators, researchers, and digital health informaticians.

The team

Due to the pandemic, the entire business made a complete pivot to survive the effect of COVD19. With a growing twenty staff, the company thrived and continues to grow despite the challenges.

Betina McMahon governs the organisation as the board chairperson, and Dr. Louise Schaper is the CEO. Like a standard company, the CEO directly reports to the board. Working across large business areas, the job focuses on connection, community, and career development.

The whole team is dedicated to building a capable workforce for the company, which follows a leadership and advocacy policy division, and lastly, the community aspects of the company, which runs events and fellowship for members. 

What is health informatics?

Health informatics is the science behind digital health, an academic discipline that dates back to the 1960s. For the last twenty years, there has been an increased application in the field, which is now commonly called digital health, across the health industry. 

People who join the AIDH as a member either work in the sector or are interested in learning in their chosen field. Members care for improving healthcare outcomes through digital transformation.

The impact of the pandemic

The pandemic increased awareness that led to acceptance that healthcare can be delivered differently. Adapting to the current situation, healthcare can be delivered differently as long as it delivers good quality patient experiences and healthcare outcomes.

Due to this, awareness and acceptance increased the number of health transformation projects and widespread adoption of things like telehealth. That made an impact in growing the need to build more workforce and capability in the field of digital health. 

AIDH runs a certification program that helps those who want to enter the digital health field. The program is divided into two components, first is for those who wish to specialise in health informatics and digital health in general. The organisation will provide support and recognition to make them specialists in their field. And then the second component is the program that teaches people what they need to know about digital health.

What is CHIA?

Certified Health Informatician Australasia (CHIA) program, is a certification assessment for people who want to enter the space of health informatics and digital health. Currently, there are 2,000 people who passed the exam.

The certification program is available internationally. In a 90-day period, a student has reading materials to help pass the exams. Passing the exam gets the person the CHIA post nominals at the end of their name, indicating that the person is proficient in regards to health informatics.

There are discussions of taking the program more globally, and there is already a process of developing a clinical informatics program dedicated for clinicians or people who are clinically trained.

Digital Health Summit

On the 17th and 18th of October, the Digital Health Summit will take place at the International Convention Centre in Sydney, Australia. 

The convention is structured around shifting the dial on advocacy and policy strategy, encouraging schools and students to pursue careers in digital healthcare, building trust and confidence in the healthcare system and combating the spread of misinformation in healthcare, among many other topics. 

Visit the website for more information about the Digital Health Summit

Getting students involved in digital health

There are many reasons why the next generation of clinicians must be involved in shaping the new digital health space.  Too often, Doctors or other clinical professionals leave their clinical practice behind to pursue a career in digital health, Solely because they feel they do not have other options or feel they can be the change they want to see in their clinical role. 

There is a significant role for the industry to do better at inducting newcomers into the workforce. It involves everyone thinking about changing behaviour regarding technology to engage and mentor younger generations, giving them the structures and support to provide them with room to grow. 

On the horizon for AIDH

Currently, the AIDH is holding a board election. There are a record number of board members up for election and members are reminded to exercise their vote accordingly. 

Additionally, there is a keen interest in setting up expert advisory groups, which already have 150 people submitting expressions of interest to become part of the group. The AIDH are working with many other bodies in the industry as well, from the federal and state governments, digital health agencies, and clinical colleges. In the coming year, people will see a real focus on leadership advocacy policy works.

The expert advisory groups will help shift the dial of healthcare. Although it might not be able to solve everything, the group can achieve a meaningful and valuable shift in the advancement of healthcare. 

MED INFO 2023

A global event will be conducted next year in Sydney called MED INFO, the most prominent digital health and informatics conference globally. AIDH has won the rights to operate this conference. It will be an excellent opportunity for start-ups, clinicians, and healthcare executives to attend and create opportunities for business, research, and many more to pay attention to global events.

More information about MED INFO 2023 is available here.

_{Source talkinghealthtech.com}