Digital technologies play a significant role in delivering robust and effective health care 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) Health Research Digital Ecosystem Project was established to map and describe the health research digital ecosystem in Queensland.
The Health Research Digital Ecosystem Capability Statement, enables stakeholders to understand how they can navigate the digital ecosystem to share and access relevant research materials, to improve health care for Queenslanders. This will drive health care value by supporting collaboration and data sharing between health and research organisations.
The statement also supports future planning, enabling the strengths, needs and investment opportunities in Queensland’s health and medical research to be identified, prioritised and implemented more effectively.
The HTQ Health Research Digital Ecosystem Project built on Queensland Health’s existing work and that of the key digital health research groups active within the HTQ partnership.
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 the effective use of health data and intelligence. Ultimately, laying the foundations for a learning health care 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 intersections with the broader digital ecosystem in Queensland, and capability to advance data-driven health and medical research opportunities.
Health Translation Queensland led the project, which leveraged the digital talent and unique capabilities of the digital health ecosystem in Queensland, including our statewide Integrated electronic Medical Record (ieMR).
The HTQ Health Research Digital Ecosystem Project team brought together experts from Queensland Health, The University of Queensland's Queensland Digital Health Centre (QDHeC), and CSIRO’s Australian e-Health Research Centre (CSIRO AEHRC). Queensland University of Technology's (QUT) Film and Screen School of Creative Practice developed a short explainer video to present the findings of the project.
The project team was 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 other digital experts.
The project was sponsored by Queensland Health’s Prevention Division.
The Health Research Digital Ecosystem Capability Statement brought together experts from Queensland Health, CSIRO’s AEHRC and The University of Queensland’s Queensland Digital Health Centre (QDeHC). QUT’s Film and Screen (School of Creative Practice) was engaged to develop an explainer video for the project.
CSIRO AEHRC
UQ QDeHC
QUT Film and Screen School of Creative Practice
Health Translation Queensland
AEHRC is CSIRO’s digital health research program, driving innovations that enable the digital transformation of health care to improve health services for Australians. CSIRO’s AEHRC is partly funded by Queensland Health.
CSIRO’s AEHRC undertakes research and develops technologies that:
CSIRO’s AEHRC works with many collaborators across the digital health care system to improve diagnosis and treatment across Australia and internationally.
CSIRO’s AEHRC delivers its research through the activities of 5 research groups:
UQ’s Queensland Digital Health Centre (QDHeC) is made up of a transdisciplinary group of researchers across health, computer science, science, maths, and business who are working with industry partners to build our digital health care future.
Over the next 5 years, QDHeC will:
QDHeC is aiming to be an enduring, world-class virtual facility with a self-sustaining group of high-quality researchers who will generate new research capability and capacity. It will accelerate the translation of research findings into clinical practice to deliver better health outcomes and a more responsive and sustainable health care system. It will enable a single focus for digital health at UQ and a single ‘front door’ for their partners.
eHealth Queensland enables the delivery of health services by providing integrated digital strategy, solutions and services across Queensland’s public health system, with the aim of improving health care outcomes for all Queenslanders. eHealth Queensland is committed to progressing a digital agenda that will allow clinicians and health care workers to deliver the best and safest care possible to their patients regardless of their location.
Some of the initiatives and programs developed to enable this digital agenda include:
This and more, is part of an ambitious agenda to transition Queensland Health to a world-class, digitally-enabled health system where the power of data and digital technology is used to improve quality of care, patient safety, system efficiency and productivity.
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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.