Better health and ageing for all Australians

eHealth

Health Connect

In this section:

Overview of HealthConnect

HealthConnect is a change management strategy funded through the Commonwealth Government and facilitated through a partnership with State and Territory Governments. HealthConnect implementation aims to leverage existing eHealth projects and infrastructure, and progress towards compliance with National e-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) and other nationally agreed standards to improve the availability of information in the health sector.

HealthConnect strategies aim at benefiting consumers and healthcare providers through making information more readily available and transferred more accurately, quickly and securely between health care professionals. This can prevent health risks caused by unnecessary duplicate procedures or tests and reduce costs. HealthConnect strategies enable access to key health information at the point of care making it possible for health care providers to exchange and share information electronically. This enables health care providers to refer patients electronically to hospitals and other health care professionals, as implementation proceeds, patients’ records can be linked with those of hospitals, pharmacies, pathologists and other health providers. This linkage is achieved through the creation, with the patient’s consent, of event summaries to communicate a more complete picture of the patient’s health.

In summary, the principal benefits are:
    • more timely access to important health information;
    • better informed decisions and strengthened patient relations;
    • supporting continuing professional education through e-learning; and
    • time saved with less time spent chasing medical records created elsewhere.
Consumers and Health care providers are responding well to the program, there are many issues involved in change management and scepticism in the use of information technology. However, the Clinical Information Systems that have been developed have had positive responses. The feedback and data from program managers indicates improved uptake in the use of the systems at each progress report.
HealthConnect is managed under national e-health governance arrangements established by all Australian Health Ministers as a joint Australian, State and Territory Governments’ initiative.

HealthConnect projects are managed though Funding Agreements between the Commonwealth and State and Territory Governments.

The long term goals of HealthConnect include:
  1. deliver enhanced clinical communication through standardised clinical messages;
  2. enhance safety and quality through a shared electronic health record;
  3. integrated models of care through a shared electronic health plan;
  4. life saving information available in emergencies;
  5. enhanced primary care communications networks; and
  6. consumers better able to manage their health care.
These are delivered through Funding Agreement projects that are funded through the Commonwealth Government and facilitated through a partnership with State and Territory Governments

Related Links

State /Territory Health and HealthConnect Sites


Australian Capital Territory

Territory health site: http://www.health.act.gov.au

HealthConnect: No HealthConnect website has been established at this time.

New South Wales

State health site: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/

HealthConnect: No HealthConnect website has been established at this time.

HealtheLink Project: http://www.healthelink.nsw.gov.au/

Northern Territory

State health site: http://www.health.nt.gov.au/

HealthConnect: http://www.ehealthnt.nt.gov.au/index.aspx

South Australia

State health site: http://www.health.sa.gov.au/

HealthConnect: http://www.healthconnectsa.org.au/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx

Tasmania

State health site: http://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/

HealthConnect: http://www.healthconnecttasmania.net.au/

Victoria

State health site: http://hnp.dhs.vic.gov.au/wps/portal

HealthConnect: No HealthConnect website has been established at this time.

HealthSmart Project: http://www.health.vic.gov.au/healthsmart/


Western Australia

State health site: http://www.health.wa.gov.au/home/

HealthConnect: No HealthConnect website has been established at this time.

eHealth WA: http://www.health.wa.gov.au/ehealthwa/home/index.cfm


HealthConnect Archive

http://www.healthconnect.gov.au/

NeHTA

http://www.nehta.gov.au/