A new Digital Health Command will be established in Victoria as part of the state government's latest hospital infrastructure project.

According to a media release, this facility will enable the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH) and Royal Women’s Hospital (RWH) to support regional, rural and smaller metropolitan services that care for patients locally through virtual care and specialist clinician-to-clinician consultation. This in turn will streamline patient flow and improve access to specialist services across Victoria.

It will also monitor health outcomes, providing data to support future clinical trials and the development of new medical technology.

The University of Melbourne was tapped to co-design the Digital Health Command, which is also being built as part of the redevelopment of the adjoining Parkville precinct.

THE LARGER CONTEXT

On Monday, the Victorian government announced its biggest hospital infrastructure project, beginning with a A$5-6 billion (around $3.5 billion) upgrade and expansion of hospitals and research facilities at Arden and Parkville.

New campuses at Arden will be centres for elective surgery, outpatient treatment, clinical trials, rehabilitation and low-risk women’s healthcare services while the redeveloped Parkville sites will focus on emergency, trauma and acute care. They are expected to deliver more than 1,800 beds and treatment spaces; additional 10,500 elective procedures through eight new theatres at RMH; and 2,500 more births at RWH. About 1,000 more patients are also expected to receive critical care on the new campuses.

Additionally, the redevelopment will also include a new dedicated Clinical Trials Centre with additional research space at Arden and training facilities to support the next generation of healthcare workers.

ON THE RECORD

"The hospital upgrades and the development of the new Arden medical precinct will drive clinical and research training and research translation across a range of specialty areas such as cardiology, clinical haematology, dementia, neurology and stroke, mental health and neuropsychiatry," said Melbourne University Vice Chancellor Prof Duncan Maskell.

"The world-class upgrades together with the University of Melbourne’s ongoing commitment to collaborative education and practice will equip the next generation of allied health professionals, doctors, and nurses with the skills to enter the health services workforce," he added.