Digital technologies play a significant role in delivering robust and effective healthcare systems. Strong digital ecosystems that allow safe and appropriate data sharing between clinicians, patients, researchers, and health administrators support better health care, research translation, and financial and operating performance.
The Health Translation Queensland (HTQ) Digital Ecosystem Project was developed to map and describe the health and medical research digital ecosystems in Queensland.
A digital ecosystem map will enable stakeholders to understand how they can navigate the health and medical research digital ecosystems to share and access relevant research materials, to improve health care for Queenslanders. A digital ecosystem map will drive healthcare value by encouraging collaboration and data sharing between health organisations.
A digital ecosystem map will also support future planning, enabling the strengths, needs and investment opportunities in Queensland’s health and medical research to be identified, prioritised, and implemented more effectively.
Background
As part of the Unleashing the potential: an open and equitable health system report, Queensland Health has identified the need to develop an enhanced analytics and data linkage capacity, supported by a contemporary data access governance framework, to enable a cohesive approach to and improved capability for, curation and effective use of health data and intelligence. Ultimately, laying the foundations for a learning healthcare system will enable improved health policy response, sustainable service and workforce planning and better experience and outcomes associated with clinical care provision.
The Chief Clinical Information Officer, Queensland Health in collaboration with eHealth Queensland, undertook preliminary work to map key data users and data flows supported within the current Queensland Health digital health ecosystem. This highlighted the need to better understand the intersection with the broader digital ecosystem in Queensland, and capability to advance data-driven health and medical research opportunities.
Health Translation Queensland is leading the project, which leverages the digital talent and unique capabilities of the digital health ecosystem in Queensland, including its statewide Integrated electronic medical record (ieMR).
How will the project work?
The HTQ Digital Ecosystem Project builds on Queensland Health’s existing work and that of the key digital health research groups active within the HTQ partnership.
The digital ecosystem map will describe:
what online tools and platforms are being used,
the users of each system,
who is responsible for maintaining the systems; and
the movement of data between systems.
Importantly, the digital ecosystem map will illustrate where systems are not currently connected or able to speak or transfer data to one another.
The mapping and analysis of capabilities in the current ecosystem will come to life through a dedicated web resource providing tools, information, and resources to support clinical research and health system research (translational research) to navigate the complexities of the digital ecosystem.
The HTQ Digital Ecosystem Project will be delivered in three phases, with project completion expected in early 2023.
Governance
The HTQ Digital Ecosystem Project team is comprised of experts from Queensland Health, the University of Queensland, and CSIRO’s Australian e-Health Research Centre. QUT’s Film and Screen (School of Creative Practice) has been engaged to develop a short multimedia film to deliver the findings of the project in an innovative and engaging way.
The project team is advised by HTQ’s Digital Advisory Group, which was formed to leverage and enhance Queensland’s digital ecosystem. The group consists of representatives from the HTQ Partnership and invited key experts.
The project is sponsored by Queensland Health Prevention Division.
University of Queensland – Centre for Health Services Research
Clair Sullivan, Research Lead
Jodie Austin, Scientific/Research Specialist
Jonaa Eva, Senior Project Officer
Colleen Clur, Communications Manager
CSIRO – AeHRC
David Hansen, CEO
Ides Wong, Program Manager
Sankalp Khanna, Team Leader-Health Intelligence AeHRC
Naomi Stekelenburg, Public Affairs Manager
QUT Film and Screen (School of Creative Practice)
Joe Carter, Lecturer and Study Area Coordinator
Paul Van Opdenbosch, Lecturer in Animation Research
Associate Professor Mark Ryan, Chief Investigator for Digital Media Research Centre (DMRC)
Tfer Newsome, Sound Editor and Associate Lecturer
Health Translation Queensland
Claire McCafferty, Program Manager
Katrina Cutler, Communications and Engagement Manager
Kirsty Dummin, Senior Principal, Communications and Engagement
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Health Translation Queensland acknowledges the Traditional Owners and their custodianship of the lands on which we live, work, and play. We pay our respects to their Ancestors and their descendants, who continue cultural and spiritual connections to Country. We recognise their valuable contributions to Australian and global society.
