Closing the Digital Divide: Australian Institute of Digital Health Charts Course for Healthcare Transformation
The Australian healthcare system stands at a critical juncture, with a widening gap in digital health maturity threatening to undermine its full potential. A new initiative led by the Australian Institute of Digital Health (AIDH) aims to bridge this divide, focusing on expanding digital literacy and expertise across all healthcare disciplines.
The need for systemic change became starkly apparent to Anja Nikolic, CEO of the AIDH, during her previous role with the Australian Physiotherapy Association. “We held forums, we spoke with experts and tried to do all sorts of things to pre-empt where this was going for the profession. And it just went nowhere,” she explained, highlighting the limited engagement of allied health professionals with digital solutions. This lack of involvement, she observed, wasn’t simply a matter of technological resistance, but a reflection of a broader systemic issue.
The Overlooked Workforce
Nikolic’s experience revealed a significant discrepancy in digital adoption across the healthcare spectrum. With allied health accounting for approximately 300,000 workers – a substantial portion of the overall healthcare workforce – their exclusion from digital transformation efforts is a critical oversight. “It really exposed the discrepancy in digital health maturity across the spectrum,” Nikolic stated. “There will be a reckoning here at some point, because allied health is too large to overlook when it comes to transforming the overall healthcare sector.”
The underutilization of digital technologies within allied health represents a missed opportunity to address complex challenges. Nikolic believes that current market solutions, including the broader implementation of My Health Record, could yield transformative results. A key benefit lies in improved multidisciplinary teamwork. “Something that has long frustrated allied health is the challenge around multidisciplinary teamwork when caring for patients with complex needs,” she noted, citing the need for seamless data sharing between specialists like pathologists, general practitioners, and exercise physiologists in managing conditions such as type 2 diabetes. The reliance on outdated methods like fax and email also raises significant security concerns.
AI and the Need for Clinical Trust
Beyond the immediate challenges within allied health, Nikolic emphasized the potential – and the perils – of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. While acknowledging the growing use of tools like ChatGPT for self-diagnosis, she cautioned against uncritical acceptance of AI-driven insights. “We know that, on various occasions, patients have used it to successfully diagnose themselves before doctors have been able. But let’s wager that by saying, for every correct diagnosis, there may be many more misdiagnoses,” she warned.
Nikolic likened AI to a vehicle requiring a skilled driver. “ChatGPT is a very general technology and isn’t trained with specialist health data. So as a vehicle, it might get you from A to B, but it would need an experienced driver to get you there safely. Even then, there are too many variables to guarantee accuracy or safety.” Clinicians, therefore, must be equipped to evaluate the reliability and validity of AI outputs.
Addressing Systemic Barriers to Adoption
The lack of widespread digital adoption isn’t solely a technological issue; systemic barriers also play a significant role. Nikolic identified heavy workloads as a major impediment. “People don’t always have the time or inclination to try new things when they already have so much on their plate,” she said. Furthermore, she pointed to a scarcity of accessible pathways for healthcare professionals to develop specialized digital health expertise. While dedicated master’s programs exist, they are often impractical for full-time workers.
A New Fellowship to Bridge the Gap
In her role at the AIDH, which began in March 2024, Nikolic is spearheading efforts to address these challenges. The organization is developing a Clinical Informatics Fellowship designed to cultivate a new generation of digital health leaders. This initiative represents a shift in the AIDH’s traditional focus, which historically centered on supporting established digital health experts. “Historically we have been focused on the digital health expert. And we are still very much here for these people — they are our core membership,” Nikolic explained. “But I think we really need to cast the net much wider in terms of our policy thinking, thought leadership, and education, and target those who don’t yet have that literacy, because if we don’t the gap will widen.”
Nikolic’s early experiences in allied health continue to inform her approach. “It has served as a poignant reminder of why that gap matters,” she concluded, underscoring the urgency of closing the digital divide to unlock the full potential of the Australian healthcare system.
