Our Digital Health team is dedicated to supporting health care providers with digital health initiatives and transformation. Digital technology is a key aspect of providing high quality healthcare by connecting different parts of the healthcare system.
Our team provides support and training for any of the digital health services below. For more information or to arrange a practice visit, please email digitalhealthinfo@adelaidephn.com.au
Adelaide PHN is pleased to announce the rolling out of the Digital Health Capability and Readiness Initiative. The aim of this initiative is to better understand the use of digital health in local General Practices within our region.
The PHN currently provides a range of free digital health tools and support services. We would like to hear how practices use digital health technologies in their everyday operations. Understanding each practice’s current digital capability will help us to provide further necessary support and reduce the digital divide to increase access to timely and culturally safe primary health care services in our region.
The survey will open on the 1st of March 2023 and close 31st of March 2023. Local General Practices will receive an email with a secure link to the survey.
The PHN will be facilitating online walk throughs to support you to complete the survey and answer any of your questions. Times and dates outline below:
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9th of March 2023, 12:30pm, Webinar Registration - Zoom
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16th of March 2023, 06:00pm, Webinar Registration - Zoom
For more information contact the Digital Health Team via digitalhealthinfo@adelaidephn.com.au
Adelaide PHN is offering free Telehealth (virtual health) video conferencing license to GP, Allied health, and other eligible primary care providers within our region. Our Digital Health Team are available to provide support to help you on your telehealth journey. We offer
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Free license to a telehealth video conference platform
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Assistance with setting up accounts on the platform
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Advice and technical support.
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Training, and education to facilitate the adoption of telehealth services in primary care settings.
The Telehealth (virtual health) video conferencing platform available through Adelaide PHN is the Health Direct Video Call which provides a virtual waiting area for healthcare professionals to consult with their patients.
About Health direct video call
Healthdirect Video Call has been developed by Healthdirect Australia to make it easy for health care providers to offer their services via video consultation. Patients can connect with their health care professional from anywhere that is convenient, using everyday devices such as a smartphone, tablet or desktop computer. Healthdirect Video Call can support practices and patients to facilitate health consultations while staying safe during these times.
The pilot program for the Healthdirect Video Call platform has also been extended to allow for continued use for current users and is still open for anyone wanting to start using the platform. Licenses can be provided to GP services and non-GP type primary care services classed as mental health, aged care, maternity, Indigenous health, and allied health services.
Further Resources
The Telehealth in RACF program has been designed to support RACFs with funding for the purchase of virtual health devices and Telehealth training. This will enable RACFs provide their residents with timely and appropriate healthcare using virtual technology. The intended outcomes of the program are:
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People living in RACFs in the Adelaide PHN region have increased access to effective and appropriate telehealth services, both in and out of hours.
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General Practitioners that support RACFs in the Adelaide PHN region, and their staff, are supported, trained, and equipped to provide medical services to residents virtually.
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RACFs in the Adelaide PHN region, and their staff, are supported, trained, and equipped to support and facilitate telehealth access for their residents.
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RACFs in the Adelaide PHN region are supported to implement procedures for keeping residents’ digital medical records up to date.
The grant application process for the Telehealth in RACFs program is currently open, please visit Folio to submit an application. If you have any questions or would like more information about the program, please contact our team via digitalhealthinfo@adelaidephn.com.au or call 08 8219 5900.
The Digital Health Team at Adelaide PHN is currently supporting eligible primary healthcare organisations register for Provider Connect Australia (PCA).
PCA is a service operated by the Australian Digital Health Agency. It connects healthcare provider organisations with their business partners to streamline updates of the services they provide and the practitioners that provide them, improving the quality of healthcare service information throughout the healthcare ecosystem.
When healthcare provider organisations register and update their contact details in the PCA service, this automatically sends their new details to nominated hospitals, pathology and radiology services, public service directories, secure messaging providers and more.
By providing consistent, up to date information about healthcare services to key partners in healthcare delivery, Provider Connect Australia will ensure that providers and consumers have access to the information they need when they need it.
With sites in our region already connected, there has been positive feedback about the portal and accessibility to business partners. To get started using the PCA Portal, kindly reach out to our digital health team to confirm your eligibility and kick start the registration process.
Further Resources
The Australian Digital Health Agency has been working closely with Services Australia and the medical software industry to upgrade the NASH authentication system and transition from NASH SHA-1 to NASH SHA-2.
What is NASH?
Introduced in 2012, NASH is a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) solution used to access digital health services such as:
- Electronic prescribing
- My Health Record
- Secure messaging
- Healthcare Identifiers (HI) Service
To prevent future interruption to Healthcare Identifier retrieval, My Health Record and ePrescribing, your software must be configured to use your NASH SHA-2 PKI certificate for the HI Service and not your Medicare PKI certificate.
To enhance security when accessing digital health services, all organisations were required to transition to NASH SHA-2 to comply with Australian Government cyber security requirements by 31 December 2022. 92% of sites in the Adelaide PHN region have transitioned to a NASH SHA-2 and 85% of sites have connected to the HI Service using their NASH SHA-2.
If your practice is still using the Medicare PKI Certificate to connect to the HI Service, you must locate your NASH SHA-2 and contact your software vendor for support with installation. If your site is still using a NASH SHA-1, the steps below outline how to revoke and renew your NASH certificate.
Steps to Revoke a NASH PKI Certificate
- Select Go to service on the HPOS tile. You may need to complete the linking process to proceed. Proceed as individual only
- Select My programs.
- Select Healthcare Identifiers and My Health Record tile.
- Select Healthcare Identifiers - Manage existing records.
- Select My organisation details. Note: If connected to multiple organisations you will first need to select the required organisation record.
- Select the Certificates tab. On this page you will be able to see what certificates have been requested for your organisation, including the Certificate Type and Expiry Date.
- Under the Action columns click the Revoke hyperlink next to the NASH SHA-1 certificate you wish to revoke.
- You should get a warning notification. To continue read the notification and click OK.
- Complete the form and select your reason for revocation as ‘transitioning to a NASH SHA-2 Certificate’.
- Tick the Terms and Conditions box and click Save changes.
- Click the Submit button.
- Once Service Australia have processed the revocation request, the OMO will be advised that they can now request a NASH SHA-2 certificate.
Steps to Renew a NASH
- Select Go to service on the HPOS tile. You may need to complete the linking process to proceed. Proceed as individual only
- Select My programs.
- Select Healthcare Identifiers and My Health Record tile.
- Select Healthcare Identifiers - Manage existing records.
- Select My organisation details. Note: If connected to multiple organisations you will first need to select the required organisation record.
- Select the Certificates tab. On this page you will be able to see what certificates have been requested for your organisation, including the Certificate Type and Expiry Date.
- Under the Certificates tab, click on the Request a NASH PKI site certificate hyperlink. The Request a NASH PKI site Certificate screen will display.
- Select your software product version from the first drop-down list. This list contains software product versions that are SHA-2 ready.
- Enter a mobile number. When the certificate is ready to download you will receive a text message to the mobile number provided.
- Tick the check box to revoke the existing NASH certificate if you have one.
- Tick the check box to confirm you have read and understood the terms and conditions.
- Select Save changes.
- Once you have received a text message, your certificate is ready to download via the Download link. The Personal Identification Code (PIC) will be used when the certificate is being installed.
- Use the instructions from your software provider to install your NASH certificate into your software.
If you would like to check which NASH certificate your organisation is using or if your organisation is still using the NASH SHA-1 certificate or connecting to the HI Service using the Medicare PKI certificate, please contact the digital health team for support and next steps.
The Digital Health team continues to provide training and support to practices who wish to transition to secure messaging. Secure messaging supports the delivery of messages containing clinical documents and/or other information between healthcare organisations, sent either directly or through one or more secure messaging providers.
The use of post, fax, or email to share patient and clinical information is an unsecure and unencrypted method of communication which poses both security and clinical risks due to the potential of interference. Secure messaging however offers security, auditability, and privacy, ensuring the communication is encrypted and received by the intended recipient within the secure messaging network.
With 96.3% of General Practice in APHN Region using HealthLink, HealthLink is the preferred secure messaging provider within our region.
What are the benefits of Secure Messaging?
Healthcare providers may benefit through:
- Streamlined administration due to reduction in paper-based processes
- Improved coordination of care because of improved communication between healthcare providers
- Confidence in privacy and security of transmitted patient data
- Patients may benefit through:
- Patient data being appropriately and securely managed
- A reduced need to retell the same information
- Confidential patient correspondence only being seen by treating clinicians
To set up your practice for HealthLink or to get further training for your practice, please get in contact with the Digital Health Team.
A single electronic referral (eReferral) system is being established across SA Health.
The Statewide eReferrals Program, being rolled out by Digital Health SA, will enable GPs to digitally send referral forms to outpatient clinics, replacing the use of faxes and letters.
Clinical Prioritisation Criteria (CPC) – the criteria used to guide referrals – will be incorporated into the program, which will give health professionals consistent and accurate information.
Six CPC will initially be included, including cardiology and neurology, with more to be added as they become available.
The program will standardise how referrals are managed across the state, leading to improved access to quality healthcare for all South Australians.
eReferrals will be introduced in several phases from mid-2023, with the program to be initially implemented at SA Health’s metropolitan hospitals and the Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network. The following phases will expand the solution across the state’s remaining health care sites.
Further Resources
SA Health is currently activating sites using HealthLink to allow Secure Message Delivery (SMD) of patient clinical documents.
SMD activation for your practice is not automatic.
To activate your practice with SA Health, update your details in the Health Provider Registry to match the HealthLink information for your practice. Once these details are updated, email Health.SecureMessageDeliverySupport@sa.gov.au to request an Address Confirmation Form to complete and return to SA Health if eligible. Once returned, SA Health will activate secure messaging for your practice.
Contact the SA Health Secure Messaging team if you need support setting up your practice.
Further Resources
My Health Record is an online summary of an individual's health information. It contains information such as medication history, allergies, medical conditions, and test results. Patients have control over who can access their record and can add information to their record as they see fit.
Healthcare providers can access a patient's My Health Record to provide better and more coordinated care. The My Health Record system is secure, with stringent privacy and security measures in place to protect patient data.
Having a My Health Record can improve patient safety and reduce the risk of medical errors. It can also save time and reduce the need for patients to remember and repeat their medical history to different healthcare providers.
My Health Record is a valuable tool for both patients and healthcare providers in improving the quality and coordination of healthcare.
The Digital Health team at Adelaide PHN helps support healthcare providers register for My Health Record in several ways:
- Education and Training - The team offers education and training sessions to healthcare providers to help them understand the benefits of My Health Record and how to use the system effectively.
- Support with Registration - The team can assist healthcare providers with registering for My Health Record, including setting up their account, verifying their identity, and linking their practice to the system.
- Promotion and Awareness - The team also helps promote and raise awareness of My Health Record within the healthcare community, encouraging healthcare providers to adopt the system and take advantage of its benefits.
Reach out to the Digital Health Team if you would like further information on the My Health Record for your practice.
Further Resources
Consumers can now access their health information and share it with their health care providers at the touch of their fingertips. The 'My Health App' lets you view and download key health information that you, your healthcare providers or representatives have uploaded to My Health Record. It’s fast, easy, and secure - and you can access and share it all from the palm of your hand.
For consumers to get started using the app, follow the simple steps below –
- Download My Health from your app store by searching "my health gov" in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
- Open the app, select Get Started and follow the prompts
- If your My Health Record isn’t linked to myGov, you’ll be prompted to link it and verify your identity. Find out more about linking your myGov account.
- Start exploring!
The My Health app will replace the ‘Healthi’ app users may be currently using. Anyone that has the Healthi app downloaded will have this automatically transition to display the new My Health app.
To understand how my health app can benefit your provider groups, click on the links below –
To order posters and resources for your practice, contact the Digital Health Team at digitalhealthinfo@adelaidephn.com.au.
Further Resources:
Electronic requesting (e-requesting) transfers pathology and diagnostic imaging requests from general practice clinical information systems (CISs) to participating providers via secure electronic communications.
Before setting up your practice, you will need to ensure your preferred pathology provider can receive e-requests from your clinical software. Medical practices wanting to assist their patients and other clinicians in accessing pathology reports in My Health Record should check they are using software listed here and contact their lab to have e-requesting and report upload progressed.
Checklist to Setup Electronic Requesting – For Providers
- Ensure your practice has a Healthcare Provider Identifier-Organisation (HPI-O).
- Confirm with your software provider whether a NASH or Medicare PKI certificate is required for access to the HI service and link it to the HPI-O.
- Install upgraded software and input HPI-O, Healthcare Provider Identifier-Individual (HPI-Is) and validate patient Individual Healthcare Identifier (First Name, Last Name, Gender, DOB, Medicare/DVA Number)
- The requesting software must also have the patient’s Individual Healthcare Identifier (IHI) recorded as this is the unique identifier that is imbedded in the eRequest and to enable the upload of the pathology results to the patient’s My Health Record. The IHI is not visible during the pathology request-test-report process and so patient privacy is upheld.
Checklist to Setup Electronic Requesting – For Patients
- Speak to your doctor to request electronic requesting of pathology.
Further Resources
An electronic prescription is a digital version of a paper prescription. During a consultation, the healthcare provider can send an electronic prescription to the patient as an SMS or email. The message with a link to the electronic prescription is stored on the digital device, so patients can access prescriptions whenever they’re ready - saving time, streamlining the process, and improving medicine safety.
Practices with electronic prescribing set up can then automatically add medications to a patient’s Active Script List (ASL). ASL is A token management solution for all your electronic prescriptions and repeats.
Checklist to Setup Electronic Prescribing – For Providers
- Ensure your practice has a Healthcare Provider Identifier-Organisation (HPI-O).
- Confirm with your software provider whether a NASH or Medicare PKI certificate is required for access to the HI service and link it to the HPI-O.
- Ensure your practice is connected to a Prescription Delivery Service (such as eRx or MediSecure).
- Install upgraded software and input HPI-O, Healthcare Provider Identifier-Individual (HPI-Is) and validate patient Individual Healthcare Identifier (First Name, Last Name, Gender, DOB, Medicare/DVA Number)
- Update your patients’ and their carers’ contact details within your clinical information system (mobile phone number/email)
- Keep staff informed on new processes.
- Stay up to date with state and territory legislations
- Keep in touch with your local pharmacies to check whether they are enabled to dispense electronic prescriptions for your patients.
How to Setup Electronic Prescribing and Active Script List – For Patients
- Speak to your doctor to request electronic prescriptions to be sent directly to your mobile phone number/email.
To set up ASL –
- Visit a pharmacy to set up your list.
- If your doctor needs to prescribe medicine, you can choose an electronic prescription and it will be automatically added to your list, unless you ask your doctor not to add it. You can still get an SMS or email as well.
- Go to your pharmacy, forward the SMS or email to them, or call them to validate your ID so that they can access your list and dispense your medicine.
Further Resources
Adelaide PHN continues to provide general practices within the Adelaide metropolitan region the opportunity to obtain a free licence for the PenCS software. This includes PIP QI essentials package to support the Quality Improvement Practice Incentive Program, foster broader quality improvement in general practice and improve delivery of primary health care in South Australia. The end of this quarter has seen Adelaide PHN support 243 practices across the Adelaide metropolitan region with a fully subsidised PenCS licence.
Adelaide PHN will continue to offer free PenCS licensing for practices that agree to share full de-identified data set to Adelaide PHN. Practices that wish to only share the 10 PIP QI measures will need to contact PenCS to arrange to purchase a licence for their practice.
Get in touch with the Digital Health team if you would like to organise a training session for your practice staff.
Further Resources
The Practice Incentive Program (PIP) Quality Improvement (QI) is a payment to general practices for activities that support continuous quality improvement in patient outcomes and the delivery of best practice care. General practices wishing to participate in the PIP QI Incentive will work with their local Primary Health Network (PHN) to implement quality improvement activities that support their role in managing patient health.
Through their local PHN, general practices will also provide general practice data against ten Improvement Measures representing key health priority areas.
To claim the PIP QI, practices will be required to:
- Be registered for the PIP via the Australian Department of Human Services.
- Participate in Continuous Quality Improvement
- Provide the PIP Eligible Data Set to Adelaide Primary Health Network
Further Resources
Our Digital Health team can assist with the creation of clinical templates and referral letters for clinical software including
- Best Practice
- Medical Director
- ZedMed
Access our Resource Library to find clinical and referral templates along with instructions on how to import them into your clinical software.
Therapeutic Guidelines is a digital resource that provides clear, concise, and evidence-based recommendations for patient management at the point of care, developed by Australia's leading clinical experts, and features over 2,500 clinical topics.
The online format is easy to search and navigate, with links to external resources and supporting evidence. Health professionals can access the guidelines from any device with an internet connection, making it a convenient resource for on-the-go decision making. The guidelines are updated regularly, ensuring that health professionals have access to the latest evidence-based recommendations. This resource can help health professionals provide safe, effective, and appropriate care to their patients, leading to better health outcomes.
Adelaide PHN will continue funding licences for primary care providers that meet the eligibility requirements, agree to the new terms and conditions of the program, and have accessed the online resource at least once between 1 January 2020 and 30 June 2022. Please read the eligibility requirements and terms and conditions here.
To maintain access to the therapeutic guidelines, relevant prescribers agree to:
- Use eTG at least once a month.
- Use My Health Record at least once a month (where relevant).
- Contribute to the evaluation of the program
Please visit our Resource Library to register or login into eTG.