A Queensland government project will use the HIMSS Digital Health Indicator to help health workers in the Australian state understand the technology used in local health services.

The initiative will run in hospitals and health services, as well as some primary health networks across the state, with the aim of building a data-driven roadmap for digital transformation.

Health research body, the Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre (DHCRC) is supporting the collaboration between the state’s largest healthcare provider, Queensland Health, the University of Queensland and HIMSS.

HIMSS, which owns Healthcare IT News, has developed a virtual assessment process, which will reduce the burden on the hospitals and health services and Queensland health team.

WHY IT MATTERS

The project aims to map a baseline to show the current levels of digital health, measure maturity and discover how technology can help achieve better patient outcomes.

Professor Keith McNeil, Queensland Health’s chief clinical information officer and acting deputy director-general prevention division, said it would “show those services that need investment and support, so we can develop a plan that allocates resources where they will have the strongest impacts.”

The project will also identify rapid response opportunities for investment to boost services fast.

THE LARGER CONTEXT

This project will form part of a global series of tests for the new HIMSS Digital Health Indicator, which launched in April. Based on the principles and evidence of the HIMSS Digital Health Framework, it measures four dimensions of digital health that health systems globally can build a roadmap and strategy against.

ON THE RECORD

Professor McNeil, the previous CCIO of NHS England, said: “The HIMSS program gives us the chance to assess our digital health and continuity of care maturity in an Australian context, and to measure our progress towards a digital health ecosystem.”

Tim Kelsey, senior vice president at HIMSS Analytics International, said: “Many jurisdictions and health services around the world want to know the level of their digital capability. The new Digital Health Indicator provides actionable insights which can support improved clinical and economic outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted these knowledge gaps.”

Dr Michael Costello, CEO (interim) of the Digital Health CRC, said: “By better understanding our national digital health footprints we can identify ‘maturity’ leading and lagging indicators, so our support is directed at identifying and improving our digital health maturity.”

Associate professor Clair Sullivan from the centre for health services research at the University of Queensland, said: “This project is about centring our digital transformation around the consumer by understanding their journeys across the care continuum, recognising what health outcomes are important, and learning how digital technology can help us achieve these better outcomes for our consumers”.

Learn more at the HIMSS & Health 2.0 European Digital Event taking place on 7-11 September 2020.