School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia; and Research School of Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
Aust Health Rev. 2022 Jun;46(3):269-272. doi: 10.1071/AH21263.
The urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia has seen the implementation of digital health technologies to support continuity of high-quality primary care provision. Digital health innovation has been used to operationalise the nation's pandemic preparedness principles by reducing risk of infection to both healthcare workers and at-risk patients, sustaining care for chronic and acute health conditions, and supporting the mental health of the population. In this perspective piece, we document the Australian Federal government's digital health response to ensure the ongoing delivery of high-quality primary care. This includes the implementation of telehealth, point-of-care testing, electronic records and e-prescriptions, national primary care data collection and analysis, and digital communication. Digital health has been a critical element of the pandemic response and paves the way for future primary care provision during disasters and emergencies. Further research is needed to capture the effectiveness, feasibility and acceptability of these innovations for both patients and primary care practitioners.
澳大利亚 COVID-19 大流行的紧迫性促使其采用数字医疗技术，以支持高质量初级保健服务的连续性。数字医疗创新已被用于实施国家大流行防范原则，以降低医护人员和高危患者感染的风险，维持慢性病和急性病的护理，并支持民众的心理健康。在这篇观点文章中，我们记录了澳大利亚联邦政府为确保持续提供高质量初级保健而采取的数字医疗应对措施。这包括实施远程医疗、即时检测、电子病历和电子处方、国家初级保健数据收集和分析以及数字通信。数字医疗是大流行应对的关键要素，并为未来灾难和紧急情况下的初级保健服务铺平了道路。需要进一步的研究来评估这些创新对患者和初级保健从业者的有效性、可行性和可接受性。
