The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly accelerated digital health in Australia, bringing new ways to improve and support our health and wellbeing. But through this period of change, we’ve lacked an understanding of what people want and expect from digital health. When should it be used? What should it look like? What impact may it have on health outcomes?

With so much change in health, it’s important to take stock and be clear on what we want from our health system. It’s vital we reimagine the health system with purpose and set a path to address not just the sustainability but also equity, as well as elevating the role of the consumer and better engaging our health workforce.

Australia’s Health Reimagined builds on the findings of a comprehensive consumer survey to bring much-needed insights into digital health, underpinned by four key aims: 

• Demonstrate why now is the time to reimagine health in Australia
• Illustrate a bold ambition for the future of health
• Present a three-horizon model to deliver this future
• Recommend actions for policy, research and practice

The whitepaper is part of a joint national project by Deloitte, Curtin University, the Digital Health Collaborative Research Centre and the Consumer Health Forum of Australia to better understand consumer preferences and expectations of virtual healthcare. 

What is digital health?

Digital health is defined as non-face-to-face clinical care enabled by digital technology. It’s diverse in application and constantly growing in scope to help connect clinicians, patients, care teams and other health professionals. The global response to COVID-19 has been a tailwind for digital health technologies and processes such as remote consultations, digital record-keeping, medical devices and sensors, apps, wearables, artificial intelligence and robotic carers.

Explore supporting resources on digital health

Australia’s Health Reimagined is supported by a rapid review of recent academic literature, an accompanying consumer explainer and one of the largest consumer surveys on digital health since the beginning of the pandemic (available on request).

1. Download the Rapid Review  2. Download the Consumer Explainer

Webinar Series

Don’t miss our webinar series to hear from influential thought leaders such as Dr Brendan Murphy, Secretary to the Department of Health and Leanne Wells, CEO of the Consumers Health Forum of Australia.